Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Kimi K2 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,465 vs 1,440), while Kimi K2 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (65.8%), while Qwen3 235B is more budget-friendly at $0.88/1M per 1M output tokens, while Kimi K2 provides faster response streaming (85 tok/s). 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
Moonshot foundation model with strong native bilingual reasoning and 65.8% SWE-bench Verified coding baseline.
Open-weight Qwen3 mixture-of-experts.
Currently comparing Kimi K2 vs Qwen3 235B. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 25 Arena Elo pts
85 tok/s
$0.88 / 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 | Kimi K2 | Qwen3 235B | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +25 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +0.7% | ||
| SWE-bench | +6.4% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +0.3% | ||
| Time to first token | +80 ms | ||
| Output speed | 85 tok/s | 74 tok/s | +11 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.35/1M | $0.22/1M | +$0.13/1M |
| Output price | $1.4/1M | $0.88/1M | +$0.52/1M |
| Context window | +3k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Qwen3 235B is estimated to save $12.35/month ($148/year).
Higher SWE-bench (65.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.88/1M).
Lower TTFT (240 ms).
Larger window (131k).
Kimi K2 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Kimi K2 | Higher SWE-bench (65.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen3 235B | Lower output list price ($0.88/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Kimi K2 | Lower TTFT (240 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Qwen3 235B | Larger window (131k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Kimi K2 | Kimi K2 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
No comments posted on this matchup yet. Be the first to share an evaluation note!
Dynamic OpenGraph banner generated at /compare/kimi-k2-vs-qwen-3-235b/opengraph-image
Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry