Kimi K3 vs MiniMax M3
Price, context and benchmark scores side by side — every number from the live model catalogue.
| Kimi K3moonshotai | MiniMax M3minimax | |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M tokens | $3.00 | $0.240 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15.00 | $0.960 |
| 1M in + 300K out | $7.50 | $0.53 |
| Context window | 1.0M | 1.0M |
| Intelligence index | 57.1 | 44.4 |
| Coding index | 76.2 | 58.6 |
| Agentic index | 50.1 | 35.4 |
| Cheapest provider | BaseTen | GMICloud |
| Providers serving it | 6 | 8 |
| Weights | Open | Open |
| Image input | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning mode | Yes | Yes |
| Released | Jul 16, 2026 | May 31, 2026 |
Which one to pick
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).
Pick MiniMax M3 if…
- Token cost matters: $0.960 per 1M output vs $15.00.
- You need the bigger context window (1.0M).
- You want provider redundancy: 8 providers serve it.
FAQ
Is Kimi K3 better than MiniMax M3?
Kimi K3 scores higher on general intelligence (57.1 vs 44.4), while MiniMax M3 is 16× cheaper per output token ($0.960 vs $15.00). For code, Kimi K3 leads (76.2 coding index). MiniMax M3 takes the larger context at 1.0M.
Which is cheaper, Kimi K3 or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3, at $0.960 per 1M output tokens versus $15.00. On a 1M input + 300K output workload that is $0.53 against $7.50.
Can I self-host Kimi K3 or MiniMax M3?
Kimi K3: open weights (moonshotai/Kimi-K3). MiniMax M3: open weights (MiniMaxAI/Minimax-M3).