Kimi K2.6 vs Kimi K3.
Verdict by category, tale of the tape, shared benchmarks only, and cost at three workloads — all from the tracked data.
Verdict by category
| Category | Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| League Score | 69.7 | 70.6 | Kimi K3 |
| Coding (SWE-bench %) | 80.2 | — | — |
| Reasoning (GPQA %) | 90.5 | 93.5 | Kimi K3 |
| Context (tokens) | 262144 | 1048576 | Kimi K3 |
| Speed (tok/s) | — | 44.8 | — |
| Price (blended $/1M) | $1.71 | $6.00 | Kimi K2.6 (cheaper) |
Tale of the tape
| Spec | Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Moonshot AI | Moonshot AI |
| Released | Apr 20, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 |
| League Score | 70 | 71 |
| Context | 262,144 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Max output | — | 131,072 |
| $/1M input | $0.95 | $3.00 |
| $/1M output | $4.00 | $15.00 |
| Weights | Open | Open |
| Speed | — | 44.8 t/s |
Head-to-head benchmarks (shared only)
| Benchmark | Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 |
|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond | 90.5 | 93.5 |
Cost at three workloads
| Workload | Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 |
|---|---|---|
| Light — 1M in / 250K out | $1.95 | $6.75 |
| Standard — 10M in / 2.5M out | $19.50 | $67.50 |
| Long-context — 50M in / 5M out | $67.50 | $225.00 |
The pick
Pick Kimi K2.6 if you want the lower running cost; coding is the priority.
Pick Kimi K3 if you want the higher overall League Score; you need the bigger context window.
All figures from the model database — sources and dates on each model page. Cost your own workload or compare a different pair.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
On overall League Score they are effectively tied — Kimi K2.6 scores 70 and Kimi K3 scores 71. The category verdicts on this page are where the real differences live.
Which is cheaper, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K2.6 is cheaper: $1.71 vs $6.00 blended per 1M tokens (3:1 input/output mix) — about 3.5x less per token.
Which has the bigger context window, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3, with 1M of context against 262.1K for Kimi K2.6.
Which is better at reasoning, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 leads on GPQA Diamond, 93.5% vs 90.5% on graduate-level science questions.
Are Kimi K2.6 and Kimi K3 open source?
Kimi K2.6 is open weights — it can be downloaded and self-hosted; Kimi K3 is open weights — it can be downloaded and self-hosted.