Very long inputs
Choose Kimi K3
Kimi K3 reads up to 1M tokens per request, against 256k for Kimi K2.6.
Kimi K2.6 vs Kimi K3: price, context and capabilities
Choose Kimi K2.6 for self-hosting and data control. Choose Kimi K3 for very long inputs, the hardest reasoning tasks, reasoning over long documents and the latest release.
In short
- A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.
- Kimi K3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k.
- Kimi K3 is the newer model (Jul 16, 2026, against Apr 20, 2026).
- Only Kimi K3 offers reasoning.
Which should you choose?
Each answer below comes straight from the published prices, specifications and independent benchmark results.
Hardest reasoning tasks
Choose Kimi K3
Kimi K3 scores 43.6 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, against 27 for Kimi K2.6.
Reasoning over long documents
Choose Kimi K3
Kimi K3 scores 88.7% on Long-context reasoning (AA-LCR), against 81% for Kimi K2.6.
Self-hosting and data control
Choose Kimi K2.6
Kimi K2.6 has open weights, so you can run it on your own servers; Kimi K3 is only available through its provider.
Latest release
Choose Kimi K3
Kimi K3 is the newer release (Jul 16, 2026, against Apr 20, 2026 for Kimi K2.6).
Specifications side by side
| Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Moonshot AI | Moonshot AI |
| Category | Language models | Language models |
| Status | Legacy | Generally available |
| Headline price | No data | No data |
| Input | No data | No data |
| Output | No data | No data |
| Cached input | No data | No data |
| Context window | 256k | 1M |
| Max output | No data | No data |
| Released | Apr 20, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | No data | No data |
| Licence | Open weights | Proprietary |
| Capabilities | Tool calling | Reasoning, Tool calling |
| API model id | kimi-k2.6 | kimi-k3 |
Benchmarks side by side
Leader in bold.
| Benchmark | Kimi K2.6 | Kimi K3 |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Index | 27 | 43.6 |
| SciCode | 51.5% | 59.5% |
| GPQA Diamond | 91.1% | 93.5% |
| Humanity's Last Exam | 37.5% | 46.9% |
| MMMU-Pro (visual reasoning) | 79.4% | 80.5% |
| Long-context reasoning (AA-LCR) | 81% | 88.7% |
| Terminal-Bench Hard | 43.9% | No data |
| IFBench (instruction following) | 76% | No data |
| τ²-Bench (agentic tool use) | 95.9% | No data |
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 Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Choose Kimi K2.6 for self-hosting and data control. Choose Kimi K3 for very long inputs, the hardest reasoning tasks, reasoning over long documents and the latest release.
Which is cheaper, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.
Which has the larger context window, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k.
What is the difference between Kimi K2.6 and Kimi K3?
Kimi K2.6 is made by Moonshot AI and Kimi K3 by Moonshot AI. A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price. Kimi K3 reads more per request: 1M tokens against 256k. Kimi K3 is the newer model (Jul 16, 2026, against Apr 20, 2026). Only Kimi K3 offers reasoning.
Which is newer, Kimi K2.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 was released on Jul 16, 2026 and Kimi K2.6 on Apr 20, 2026.