Model Comparison

Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M1 80KWhich is better in 2026?

Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. MiniMax M1 80K is 6.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M1 80K — which is better?

Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and MiniMax M1 80K (by MiniMax) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Kimi K3 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while MiniMax M1 80K is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, MiniMax M1 80K is roughly 6.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Kimi K3 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose MiniMax M1 80K if…

  • cost matters — it's about 6.2x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Kimi K3 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while MiniMax M1 80K is better at 0 benchmarks.

Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

MiniMax M1 80K costs less

For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 5.5x more expensive than MiniMax M1 80K ($0.55/1M tokens).

For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 6.8x more expensive than MiniMax M1 80K ($2.20/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than MiniMax M1 80K.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerUnknown Organization
MiniMax
MiniMax M1 80K
Input tokens$0.55
Output tokens$2.20
Best providerNovita
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Model Size

Parameter count comparison

2344.0B diff

Kimi K3 has 2344.0B more parameters than MiniMax M1 80K, making it 514.0% larger.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
2.8Tparameters
MiniMax
MiniMax M1 80K
456.0Bparameters
2800.0B
Kimi K3
456.0B
MiniMax M1 80K

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to MiniMax M1 80K's 1,000,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while MiniMax M1 80K is limited to 40,000 tokens.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
MiniMax
MiniMax M1 80K
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output40,000 tokens
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas MiniMax M1 80K does not.

Kimi K3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Kimi K3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

MiniMax M1 80K

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while MiniMax M1 80K was released on 2025-06-16.

Kimi K3 is 13 months newer than MiniMax M1 80K.

Kimi K3

Jul 16, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.1yr newer
MiniMax M1 80K

Jun 16, 2025

1.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Kimi K3 is available from Moonshot AI. MiniMax M1 80K is available from Novita.

Kimi K3

moonshot logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

MiniMax M1 80K

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.20/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (93.5% vs 70.0%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (56.0% vs 8.4%)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and MiniMax M1 80K side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Kimi K3
✓ Preferred
MiniMax M1 80K
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
MiniMax
MiniMax M1 80K

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M1 80K.

Which is better, Kimi K3 or MiniMax M1 80K?

Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K3 is made by Moonshot AI and MiniMax M1 80K is made by MiniMax. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Kimi K3 compare to MiniMax M1 80K in benchmarks?

Kimi K3 scores MathVision: 97.8%, DeepSearchQA: 95.0%, GPQA: 93.5%, CharXiv-R: 91.3%, BrowseComp: 91.2%. MiniMax M1 80K scores MATH-500: 96.8%, ZebraLogic: 86.8%, AIME 2024: 86.0%, MMLU-Pro: 81.1%, AIME 2025: 76.9%.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than MiniMax M1 80K?

MiniMax M1 80K is 5.5x cheaper for input tokens. Kimi K3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via moonshot. MiniMax M1 80K costs $0.55/M input and $2.20/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for Kimi K3 and MiniMax M1 80K?

Kimi K3 supports 1.0M tokens and MiniMax M1 80K supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Kimi K3 and MiniMax M1 80K?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 1.0M), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.55/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Unknown vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Kimi K3 and MiniMax M1 80K?

Kimi K3 is developed by Moonshot AI and MiniMax M1 80K is developed by MiniMax.