Kimi K3 vs LongCat-2.5
Kimi K3 and LongCat-2.5 are closely matched at 51.4 and 50.0 on the LLM Stats Score. LongCat-2.5 is 10.9x cheaper per token.
Moonshot AI · Meituan · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Kimi K3 and LongCat-2.5 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 51.4 and 50.0.
In the 8 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Kimi K3 wins 5; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, LongCat-2.5 is roughly 10.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Kimi K3
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 5 of 8 exact shared results
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose LongCat-2.5
- cost matters — it's about 10.9x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
31 reported for Kimi K3 · 23 for LongCat-2.5
Kimi K3 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, DeepSWE 1.1, MathVision, MCP Atlas, Program Bench), while LongCat-2.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (BrowseComp, SpreadsheetBench 2, Terminal-Bench 2.1).
Kimi K3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Kimi K3 ($2.85/1M tokens) is 9.5x more expensive than LongCat-2.5 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K3 ($14.25/1M tokens) is 11.9x more expensive than LongCat-2.5 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than LongCat-2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 1200.0B more parameters than LongCat-2.5, making it 75.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,048,576 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while LongCat-2.5 is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Kimi K3 and LongCat-2.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Kimi K3
LongCat-2.5
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while LongCat-2.5 was released on 2026-11-01.
LongCat-2.5 is 4 months newer than Kimi K3.
Jul 16, 2026
3 months ago
Nov 1, 2026
0 days ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Kimi K3 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Moonshot AI, Novita, Together. LongCat-2.5 is available from Meituan.
Kimi K3
LongCat-2.5
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and LongCat-2.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K3 vs LongCat-2.5.