Kimi K2.6 vs Kimi K3
Price, context and benchmark scores side by side — every number from the live model catalogue.
| Kimi K2.6moonshotai | Kimi K3moonshotai | |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.600 | $3.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $2.72 | $15.00 |
| 1M in + 300K out | $1.42 | $7.50 |
| Context window | 262K | 1.0M |
| Intelligence index | 44.2 | 57.1 |
| Coding index | 61.8 | 76.2 |
| Agentic index | 30.3 | 50.1 |
| Cheapest provider | Baidu | BaseTen |
| Providers serving it | 21 | 6 |
| Weights | Open | Open |
| Image input | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning mode | Yes | Yes |
| Released | Apr 20, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 |
Which one to pick
Pick Kimi K2.6 if…
- Token cost matters: $2.72 per 1M output vs $15.00.
- You want provider redundancy: 21 providers serve it.
Pick Kimi K3 if…
- You want the higher general-intelligence score (57.1).
- Code quality is the priority — it leads on the coding index (76.2).
- You are running agent loops — higher agentic index (50.1).
- You need the bigger context window (1.0M).
FAQ
Is Kimi K2.6 better than Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 scores higher on general intelligence (44.2 vs 57.1), while Kimi K2.6 is 5.5× cheaper per output token ($2.72 vs $15.00). For code, Kimi K3 leads (76.2 coding index). Kimi K3 takes the larger context at 1.0M.
Which is cheaper, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K2.6, at $2.72 per 1M output tokens versus $15.00. On a 1M input + 300K output workload that is $1.42 against $7.50.
Can I self-host Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K2.6: open weights (moonshotai/Kimi-K2.6). Kimi K3: open weights (moonshotai/Kimi-K3).