LLM Reference

Kimi K2.5 vs Qwen3.5-397B-A17B

Kimi K2.5 (2026) and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2026) compare a coding-specialized model against a standalone API model. Kimi K2.5 ships a 256k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ships a 262k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B leads by 0.7 pts. On pricing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B costs $0.39/1M input tokens versus $0.44/1M for the alternative. 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 Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is standalone API model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalKimi K2.5Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Product typeCoding-specialized modelStandalone API model
Best forcustom coding agents, code generation, and tool loopsreasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents
Decision fitCoding, RAG, and AgentsCoding, RAG, and Agents
Context window256k262k
Cheapest output$2/1M tokens$2.34/1M tokens
Provider routes10 tracked4 tracked
Shared benchmarks10 sharedMMLU PRO leader

Decision tradeoffs

Choose Kimi K2.5 when...
  • Kimi K2.5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 0.6 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.
Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when...
  • Qwen3.5-397B-A17B holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 0.7 points.
  • Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
  • Qwen3.5-397B-A17B uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
  • Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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.

Lower estimate Kimi K2.5

Kimi K2.5

$852

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter

Qwen3.5-397B-A17B

$897

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter

Estimated monthly gap: $45.00. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.

Switch friction

Kimi K2.5 -> Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
  • Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Together AI, and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
  • Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is $0.34/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
  • Qwen3.5-397B-A17B adds Reasoning in local capability data.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B -> Kimi K2.5
  • Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Together AI, and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
  • Kimi K2.5 is $0.34/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
  • Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.

Specs

Specification
Released2026-03-152026-02-16
Context window256k262k
Parameters1T (MoE, 384 experts)397B
ArchitectureMixture of ExpertsMixture of Experts
LicenseProprietaryApache 2.0OSI-approved
OpennessProprietaryOpen source
WeightsNot releasedAvailable
CodeUnknownUnknown
Commercial useCommercial use: conditionalCommercial use: permitted
Knowledge cutoff--

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeKimi K2.5Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Input price$0.44/1M tokens$0.39/1M tokens
Output price$2/1M tokens$2.34/1M tokens
Providers
Cloudflare Workers AIFireworks AIOpenRouterTogether AINVIDIA NIMAWS Bedrock
OpenRouterTogether AIAlibaba Cloud PAI-EASNovita AI

Capabilities

CapabilityKimi K2.5Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
VisionYesYes
MultimodalYesYes
ReasoningNoYes
JSON / Tool useYesYes
Structured outputsYesYes
Code executionNoNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

Benchmarks

BenchmarkKimi K2.5Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
MMLU PRO87.187.8
SWE-bench Verified76.876.2
Google-Proof Q&A87.989.3
LiveCodeBench85.083.6
Humanity's Last Exam50.228.7
BFCL47.172.9
τ-bench74.286.7
Berkeley Function Calling Leaderboard v364.572.9
MultiChallenge61.467.6
Terminal-Bench 2.050.852.5

Continue comparing

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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.