Kimi K2.5 vs Qwen3-Max
Kimi K2.5 (2026) and Qwen3-Max (2025) compare a coding-specialized model against a standalone API model. Kimi K2.5 ships a 256k-token context window, while Qwen3-Max ships a 262k-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, Qwen3-Max leads by 2 pts. On pricing, Kimi K2.5 costs $0.44/1M input tokens; Qwen3-Max ranges from $1.20 to $3/1M input tokens by tier. This page treats the result as workflow and deployment fit, not a universal model winner.
Treat this as a product-type comparison: Kimi K2.5 is coding-specialized model, while Qwen3-Max is standalone API model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Kimi K2.5 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Coding-specialized model | Standalone API model |
| Best for | custom coding agents, code generation, and tool loops | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 256k | 262k |
| Cheapest output | $2/1M tokens | $3.90/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 10 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 4 shared | SWE-bench Verified leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Kimi K2.5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MultiChallenge, ahead by 20.2 points.
- Kimi K2.5 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2/1M tokens.
- Kimi K2.5 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Kimi K2.5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Qwen3-Max holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 2 points.
- Qwen3-Max has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Max for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Kimi K2.5
$852
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Qwen3-Max
$1,599
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $747. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3-Max is $1.90/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Kimi K2.5 is $1.90/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-15 | 2025-04-28 |
| Context window | 256k | 262k |
| Parameters | 1T (MoE, 384 experts) | — |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Weights | Not released | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Kimi K2.5 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.44/1M tokens |
|
| Output price | $2/1M tokens |
|
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Kimi K2.5 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Kimi K2.5 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 76.8 | 78.8 |
| MultiChallenge | 61.4 | 41.2 |
| Berkeley Function Calling Leaderboard v3 | 64.5 | 71.9 |
| τ-bench | 74.2 | 76.8 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.