Model Comparison

Kimi K3 vs Mistral Large 3Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Kimi K3 vs Mistral Large 3 — which is better?

Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and Mistral Large 3 (by Mistral AI) 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.

On price, Mistral Large 3 is roughly 2.2x 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 process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Mistral Large 3 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.2x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Mistral Large 3 costs less

For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Mistral Large 3 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 3.0x more expensive than Mistral Large 3 ($5.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Mistral Large 3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerUnknown Organization
Mistral AI
Mistral Large 3
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$5.00
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

2125.0B diff

Kimi K3 has 2125.0B more parameters than Mistral Large 3, making it 314.8% larger.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
2.8Tparameters
Mistral AI
Mistral Large 3
675.0Bparameters
2800.0B
Kimi K3
675.0B
Mistral Large 3

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Mistral Large 3's 128,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Mistral Large 3 is limited to 8,192 tokens.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
Mistral AI
Mistral Large 3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Kimi K3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Mistral Large 3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while Mistral Large 3 was released on 2025-09-01.

Kimi K3 is 11 months newer than Mistral Large 3.

Kimi K3

Jul 16, 2026

5 days ago

10mo newer
Mistral Large 3

Sep 1, 2025

10 months 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. Mistral Large 3 is available from Mistral AI.

Kimi K3

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

Mistral Large 3

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $5.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Moonshot AI
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Mistral AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Kimi K3
✓ Preferred
Mistral Large 3
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Mistral AI
Mistral Large 3

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K3 vs Mistral Large 3.

Which is better, Kimi K3 or Mistral Large 3?

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and Mistral Large 3 (Mistral AI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Kimi K3 compare to Mistral Large 3 in benchmarks?

Kimi K3 scores MathVision: 97.8%, DeepSearchQA: 95.0%, GPQA: 93.5%, CharXiv-R: 91.3%, BrowseComp: 91.2%. Mistral Large 3 scores MATH: 90.4%, MM-MT-Bench: 84.9%, MMLU-Redux: 82.0%, TriviaQA: 74.9%, MMMLU: 74.2%.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than Mistral Large 3?

Mistral Large 3 is 1.5x cheaper for input tokens. Kimi K3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via moonshot. Mistral Large 3 costs $2.00/M input and $5.00/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3?

Kimi K3 supports 1.0M tokens and Mistral Large 3 supports 128K 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 Mistral Large 3?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $2.00/M), licensing (Unknown vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Kimi K3 and Mistral Large 3?

Kimi K3 is developed by Moonshot AI and Mistral Large 3 is developed by Mistral AI.

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