Very long inputs
Choose Grok 4.3
Grok 4.3 reads up to 1M tokens per request, against 256k for Kimi K2.6.
Grok 4.3 vs Kimi K2.6: price, context and capabilities
Choose Grok 4.3 for very long inputs, images as input and the latest release. Choose Kimi K2.6 for the hardest reasoning tasks, agentic coding, reasoning over long documents and self-hosting and data control.
In short
- A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.
- Grok 4.3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k.
- Only Grok 4.3 offers vision, reasoning, structured output, prompt caching, batch api.
Which should you choose?
Each answer below comes straight from the published prices, specifications and independent benchmark results.
Hardest reasoning tasks
Choose Kimi K2.6
Kimi K2.6 scores 27 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, against 24.9 for Grok 4.3.
Agentic coding
Choose Kimi K2.6
Kimi K2.6 scores 43.9% on Terminal-Bench Hard, against 37.9% for Grok 4.3.
Tool use and support agents
Either one
They are practically level on τ²-Bench (agentic tool use) (97.7% and 95.9%).
Reasoning over long documents
Choose Kimi K2.6
Kimi K2.6 scores 81% on Long-context reasoning (AA-LCR), against 73% for Grok 4.3.
Self-hosting and data control
Choose Kimi K2.6
Kimi K2.6 has open weights, so you can run it on your own servers; Grok 4.3 is only available through its provider.
Images as input
Choose Grok 4.3
Grok 4.3 accepts images as input; Kimi K2.6 does not.
Latest release
Choose Grok 4.3
Grok 4.3 is the newer release (Apr 30, 2026, against Apr 20, 2026 for Kimi K2.6).
Specifications side by side
| Grok 4.3 | Kimi K2.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | Moonshot AI |
| Category | Language models | Language models |
| Status | Generally available | Legacy |
| Headline price | $1.56 / 1M tokens | No data |
| Input | $1.25 / 1M tokens | No data |
| Output | $2.50 / 1M tokens | No data |
| Cached input | $0.20 / 1M tokens | No data |
| Context window | 1M | 256k |
| Max output | No data | No data |
| Released | Apr 30, 2026 | Apr 20, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | No data | No data |
| Licence | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Capabilities | Vision, Reasoning, Tool calling, Structured output, Prompt caching, Batch API | Tool calling |
| API model id | grok-4.3 | kimi-k2.6 |
Benchmarks side by side
Leader in bold.
| Benchmark | Grok 4.3 | Kimi K2.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Index | 24.9 | 27 |
| Terminal-Bench Hard | 37.9% | 43.9% |
| SciCode | 48.3% | 51.5% |
| GPQA Diamond | 90.1% | 91.1% |
| Humanity's Last Exam | 37.2% | 37.5% |
| IFBench (instruction following) | 81.3% | 76% |
| τ²-Bench (agentic tool use) | 97.7% | 95.9% |
| MMMU-Pro (visual reasoning) | 78.1% | 79.4% |
| Long-context reasoning (AA-LCR) | 73% | 81% |
Independent evaluations by Artificial Analysis, run the same way for every model, at the reasoning setting shown. Percentages unless marked as an index.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose Grok 4.3 or Kimi K2.6?
Choose Grok 4.3 for very long inputs, images as input and the latest release. Choose Kimi K2.6 for the hardest reasoning tasks, agentic coding, reasoning over long documents and self-hosting and data control.
Which is cheaper, Grok 4.3 or Kimi K2.6?
A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.
Which has the larger context window, Grok 4.3 or Kimi K2.6?
Grok 4.3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k.
What is the difference between Grok 4.3 and Kimi K2.6?
Grok 4.3 is made by xAI and Kimi K2.6 by Moonshot AI. A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price. Grok 4.3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k. Only Grok 4.3 offers vision, reasoning, structured output, prompt caching, batch api.
Which is better for coding, Grok 4.3 or Kimi K2.6?
Kimi K2.6 scores 43.9% on Terminal-Bench Hard, against 37.9% for Grok 4.3.
Which is newer, Grok 4.3 or Kimi K2.6?
Grok 4.3 was released on Apr 30, 2026 and Kimi K2.6 on Apr 20, 2026.