Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Yi-Lightning delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,475 vs 1,465), while Kimi K2 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (65.8%), while Yi-Lightning is more budget-friendly at $0.14/1M per 1M output tokens. 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
Moonshot foundation model with strong native bilingual reasoning and 65.8% SWE-bench Verified coding baseline.
01.AI ultra-fast reasoning model delivering top LiveBench efficiency.
Currently comparing Kimi K2 vs Yi-Lightning. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 10 Arena Elo pts
130 tok/s
$0.14 / 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 | Yi-Lightning | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +10 | ||
| Coding Elo | +10 | ||
| LiveBench | +2.2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +2.4% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +1.5% | ||
| Time to first token | +90 ms | ||
| Output speed | 85 tok/s | 130 tok/s | +45 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.35/1M | $0.14/1M | +$0.21/1M |
| Output price | $1.4/1M | $0.14/1M | +$1.26/1M |
| Context window | +112k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Yi-Lightning is estimated to save $26.25/month ($315/year).
Higher SWE-bench (65.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.14/1M).
Lower TTFT (150 ms).
Larger window (128k).
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 | Yi-Lightning | Lower output list price ($0.14/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Yi-Lightning | Lower TTFT (150 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Kimi K2 | Larger window (128k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Kimi K2 | Kimi K2 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
