Grok 3 Mini vs Kimi K2.5
Grok 3 Mini (2025) and Kimi K2.5 (2026) are agentic coding models from xAI and Moonshot AI. Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window, while Kimi K2.5 ships a 256K-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input tokens versus $0.38/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Kimi K2.5 is safer overall; choose Grok 3 Mini when provider fit matters.
Specs
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2026-03-15 |
| Context window | 131k | 256K |
| Parameters | — | 1T (MoE, 384 experts) |
| Architecture | - | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | MIT |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Grok 3 Mini | Kimi K2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.3/1M tokens | $0.38/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.5/1M tokens | $1.72/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Grok 3 Mini | Kimi K2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on multimodal input: Grok 3 Mini and function calling: Kimi K2.5. Both models share structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Grok 3 Mini lists $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens, while Kimi K2.5 lists $0.38/1M input and $1.72/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $0.42 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 7, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 3 Mini when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Kimi K2.5 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 3 Mini or Kimi K2.5?
Kimi K2.5 supports 256K tokens, while Grok 3 Mini supports 131k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Grok 3 Mini or Kimi K2.5?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens. Kimi K2.5 costs $0.38/1M input and $1.72/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 3 Mini or Kimi K2.5 open source?
Grok 3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Kimi K2.5 is listed under MIT. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for multimodal input, Grok 3 Mini or Kimi K2.5?
Grok 3 Mini has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for function calling, Grok 3 Mini or Kimi K2.5?
Kimi K2.5 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Grok 3 Mini and Kimi K2.5?
Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter. Kimi K2.5 is available on Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-27. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.