Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Kimi K3 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,528 vs 1,455), while Kimi K3 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (73.8%), while Kimi K3 is more budget-friendly at $2.5/1M per 1M output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 provides faster response streaming (92 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Moonshot AI frontier flagship reasoning and agent swarm model with 256k context and top-tier SWE-bench coding capability.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 73 Arena Elo pts
92 tok/s
$2.5 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | Kimi K3 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +73 | ||
| Coding Elo | +67 | ||
| LiveBench | +6.3% | ||
| SWE-bench | +11% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +12% | ||
| Time to first token | +70 ms | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 68 tok/s | +24 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.6/1M | +$2.4/1M | |
| Output price | $2.5/1M | +$12.5/1M | |
| Context window | +62k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Kimi K3 is estimated to save $271.50/month ($3,258/year).
Higher SWE-bench (73.8%).
Lower output list price ($2.5/1M).
Lower TTFT (220 ms).
Larger window (262k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K3).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Kimi K3 | Higher SWE-bench (73.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Kimi K3 | Lower output list price ($2.5/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower TTFT (220 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Kimi K3 | Larger window (262k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Kimi K3 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K3). |
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