Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Kimi K2.5 Max delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,515 vs 1,272), while Kimi K2.5 Max leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (71.3%), while GPT-4o mini is more budget-friendly at $0.6/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Legacy small OpenAI model. Useful as a cheap baseline.
Moonshot flagship reasoning model with high-fidelity coding, deep thinking, and tool use across a 200k context.
Currently comparing GPT-4o mini vs Kimi K2.5 Max. Alternative family tiers available.
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 243 Arena Elo pts
160 tok/s
$0.6 / 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 | GPT-4o mini | Kimi K2.5 Max | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +243 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +19.1% | ||
| SWE-bench | +30.1% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +27.5% | ||
| Time to first token | +140 ms | ||
| Output speed | 160 tok/s | 72 tok/s | +88 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.15/1M | $0.5/1M | +$0.35/1M |
| Output price | $0.6/1M | +$1.4/1M | |
| Context window | +72k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
GPT-4o mini is estimated to save $33.25/month ($399/year).
Higher SWE-bench (71.3%).
Lower output list price ($0.6/1M).
Lower TTFT (130 ms).
Larger window (200k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K2.5 Max).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Kimi K2.5 Max | Higher SWE-bench (71.3%). |
| High-volume chat | GPT-4o mini | Lower output list price ($0.6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-4o mini | Lower TTFT (130 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Kimi K2.5 Max | Larger window (200k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Kimi K2.5 Max | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K2.5 Max). |
No comments posted on this matchup yet. Be the first to share an evaluation note!
Dynamic OpenGraph banner generated at /compare/gpt-4o-mini-vs-kimi-k2-5/opengraph-image
Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry