Model Comparison

Kimi K3 vs Mistral SmallWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Kimi K3 and Mistral Small across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Kimi K3 vs Mistral Small — which is better?

Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and Mistral Small (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 Small is roughly 20.0x 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 Small if…

  • cost matters — it's about 20.0x 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 Smalldon'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 Small costs less

For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Mistral Small ($0.20/1M tokens).

For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 25.0x more expensive than Mistral Small ($0.60/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerUnknown Organization
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$0.60
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

2778.0B diff

Kimi K3 has 2778.0B more parameters than Mistral Small, making it 12627.3% larger.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
2.8Tparameters
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
22.0Bparameters
2800.0B
Kimi K3
22.0B
Mistral Small

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Mistral Small's 32,768 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Mistral Small is limited to 32,768 tokens.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
Input32,768 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Mistral Small 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

Mistral Small

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while Mistral Small was released on 2024-09-17.

Kimi K3 is 22 months newer than Mistral Small.

Kimi K3

Jul 16, 2026

3 days ago

1.8yr newer
Mistral Small

Sep 17, 2024

1.8 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. Mistral Small is available from Mistral AI.

Kimi K3

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

Mistral Small

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
* 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)
Supports multimodal inputs
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 Small side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

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

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K3 vs Mistral Small.

Which is better, Kimi K3 or Mistral Small?

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and Mistral Small (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 Small in benchmarks?

Kimi K3 scores MathVision: 97.8%, DeepSearchQA: 95.0%, GPQA: 93.5%, CharXiv-R: 91.3%, BrowseComp: 91.2%.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than Mistral Small?

Mistral Small is 15.0x cheaper for input tokens. Kimi K3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via moonshot. Mistral Small costs $0.20/M input and $0.60/M output via mistral.

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

Kimi K3 supports 1.0M tokens and Mistral Small supports 33K 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 Small?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 33K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.20/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Unknown vs Mistral Research License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Kimi K3 and Mistral Small?

Kimi K3 is developed by Moonshot AI and Mistral Small is developed by Mistral AI.

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