Model Comparison
Kimi K3 vs Qwen2.5 72B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is 16.6x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Kimi K3 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct — which is better?
Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and Qwen2.5 72B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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 Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is roughly 16.6x 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 Qwen2.5 72B Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 16.6x 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 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct 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 8.6x more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.35/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 37.5x more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 2727.3B more parameters than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct, making it 3751.4% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Qwen2.5 72B Instruct's 131,072 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen2.5 72B Instruct does not.
Kimi K3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Kimi K3
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct was released on 2024-09-19.
Kimi K3 is 22 months newer than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.
Jul 16, 2026
2 days ago
1.8yr newerSep 19, 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.
Provider Availability
Kimi K3 is available from Moonshot AI. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Fireworks, Together.
Kimi K3
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K3
View detailsMoonshot AI
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and Qwen2.5 72B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K3 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.