Model Comparison

Kimi K3 vs Nova MicroWhich is better in 2026?

Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Nova Micro is 104.3x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Kimi K3 vs Nova Micro — which is better?

Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and Nova Micro (by Amazon) 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 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Nova Micro is roughly 104.3x 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 1 of 1 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 Nova Micro if…

  • cost matters — it's about 104.3x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

Kimi K3 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks.

Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Nova Micro costs less

For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 100.0x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 107.1x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Nova Micro.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerUnknown Organization
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Nova Micro's 128,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Nova Micro is limited to 128,000 tokens.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Nova Micro 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

Nova Micro

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while Nova Micro was released on 2024-11-20.

Kimi K3 is 20 months newer than Nova Micro.

Kimi K3

Jul 16, 2026

2 days ago

1.7yr newer
Nova Micro

Nov 20, 2024

1.7 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. Nova Micro is available from Bedrock.

Kimi K3

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

Nova Micro

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* 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
Has open weights
Higher GPQA score (93.5% vs 40.0%)
Amazon
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

Kimi K3
✓ Preferred
Nova Micro
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Amazon
Nova Micro

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K3 vs Nova Micro.

Which is better, Kimi K3 or Nova Micro?

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

How does Kimi K3 compare to Nova Micro in benchmarks?

Kimi K3 scores MathVision: 97.8%, DeepSearchQA: 95.0%, GPQA: 93.5%, CharXiv-R: 91.3%, BrowseComp: 91.2%. Nova Micro scores GSM8k: 92.3%, ARC-C: 90.2%, Translation Set1→en COMET22: 88.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.5%, IFEval: 87.2%.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than Nova Micro?

Nova Micro is 100.0x cheaper for input tokens. Kimi K3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via moonshot. Nova Micro costs $0.03/M input and $0.14/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for Kimi K3 and Nova Micro?

Kimi K3 supports 1.0M tokens and Nova Micro 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 Nova Micro?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.03/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Unknown vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Kimi K3 and Nova Micro?

Kimi K3 is developed by Moonshot AI and Nova Micro is developed by Amazon.

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