Model Comparison
Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M2Which is better in 2026?
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. MiniMax M2 is 11.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M2 — which is better?
Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and MiniMax M2 (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 3 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while MiniMax M2 is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, MiniMax M2 is roughly 11.4x 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 3 of 3 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 M2 if…
- cost matters — it's about 11.4x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Kimi K3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while MiniMax M2 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than MiniMax M2 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 12.5x more expensive than MiniMax M2 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than MiniMax M2.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 2570.0B more parameters than MiniMax M2, making it 1117.4% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to MiniMax M2's 1,000,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while MiniMax M2 is limited to 1,000,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas MiniMax M2 does not.
Kimi K3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Kimi K3
MiniMax M2
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while MiniMax M2 was released on 2025-10-27.
Kimi K3 is 9 months newer than MiniMax M2.
Jul 16, 2026
1 weeks ago
8mo newerOct 27, 2025
9 months ago
Knowledge 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 Moonshot AI. MiniMax M2 is available from MiniMax, Novita.
Kimi K3
MiniMax M2
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K3
View detailsMoonshot AI
MiniMax M2
View detailsMiniMax
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and MiniMax M2 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M2.