Kimi K3 Facts at a Glance
Kimi K3 is a Moonshot AI model released on July 16, 2026. Its two headline numbers are 2.8T total parameters and up to a 1M-token context window, with actual access depending on the provider and membership tier.
| Item | Current fact |
|---|---|
| Owner | Moonshot AI, the company behind Kimi |
| Release date | July 16, 2026 |
| Model size | 2.8T total parameters |
| Context window | Up to 1M tokens, depending on access tier |
| Official Kimi Code ID | k3 |
| Reasoning controls | Low, high, and max thinking levels |
| Modality | Text, code, agents, and native visual understanding |
| OpenRouter listing | moonshotai/kimi-k3 |
What Kimi K3 Is Best For
Kimi K3 is strongest when the input is large or the workflow has many steps. For a simple short chat, it may be more model than you need; for a large repository, long spec, or coding agent flow, it is worth testing.
| Use case | Fit | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Large-repo coding | High | Kimi positions K3 for coding and agent work, with long-context support for large codebases. |
| Agent workflows | High | Use K3 when the task requires planning, tool use, code edits, or multi-step execution. |
| Long-document analysis | High | The 1M-token context is the main reason to test K3 for documents, logs, specs, and research packs. |
| Visual understanding | Medium to high | K3 adds native visual understanding, but verify output quality with your own task set. |
| Low-cost short chat | Situational | A smaller or faster model may be cheaper when the task does not need K3 reasoning or context. |
Kimi K3 Release Date and Timeline
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 16, 2026 | Kimi K3 was released and made available in Kimi Code. |
| July 20, 2026 | Kimi Code v0.28 release notes expanded K3 documentation and membership notes. |
| July 20, 2026 | AP reported that Moonshot AI temporarily paused new subscriptions because demand exceeded capacity. |
| July 22, 2026 | Kimi Code v0.29 added clearer K3 session and model-switching notes. |
Kimi K3 Access, Subscription, and OpenRouter
The fastest path depends on your job. Use the Kimi app for general testing, Kimi Code for developer workflows, and OpenRouter when you want one API layer for side-by-side model comparison.
| Route | Best for | Access note |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi app | Best for chat, long documents, research, and everyday assistant use. | Available through Kimi web and mobile apps. |
| Kimi Code | Best for coding agents, large repositories, code review, and multi-file edits. | K3 access starts at Moderato; 1M context starts at Allegretto and above. |
| Kimi API | Best for developers who want to connect K3 through API-compatible clients. | Use the official Kimi coding API endpoint and model ID k3 where supported. |
| OpenRouter | Best for testing K3 next to other models in one API. | OpenRouter lists Kimi K3 with 1.05M context and per-token pricing. |
Kimi K3 Pricing and Limits
Pricing and capacity can change quickly for a newly released model. Treat this as a dated snapshot and verify the provider page before buying a plan or building production usage around it.
| Access type | Price or limit | Important caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi subscription | Plan-based | K3 access and context limits depend on Kimi membership tier. |
| OpenRouter | $3 per 1M input tokens; $15 per 1M output tokens | Shown on OpenRouter for moonshotai/kimi-k3 as of this update. |
| Self-hosting | Not enough official serving detail for a safe estimate | Do not infer hardware cost from 2.8T parameters alone. Wait for model card and deployment guidance. |
Kimi K3 Benchmarks and Comparisons
Kimi K3 should be compared by task, not by one headline score. For coding, test multi-file edits and bug fixes; for long context, test whether it retrieves the right detail near the middle of a long document; for agents, test tool-call reliability and recovery after mistakes.
| Comparison | What to compare | Practical recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Kimi K3 vs Kimi K2.7 Code | K3 is the newer 2.8T model with 1M-context access and reasoning-level controls. | Use K3 for the newest coding and agent tasks; use K2.7 only when your workflow already depends on it. |
| Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.2 | Compare by coding benchmark, context limit, Chinese/English quality, API price, and deployment options. | Build a task-based test set before declaring a winner. |
| Kimi K3 vs Fable 5 | Treat this as an open comparison until Fable 5 release, pricing, and benchmark details are confirmed. | Avoid winner claims until both models are tested on the same tasks. |
| Kimi K3 vs Opus 4.8 | Compare coding agent reliability, long-context retrieval, tool use, speed, and price. | Use side-by-side prompts instead of generic benchmark screenshots. |
Hardware Requirements and Open-Weight Caveat
Kimi documentation says K3 was open-sourced, and OpenRouter describes it as open-weight. That does not automatically mean a simple local setup. For Kimi K3 hardware requirements, use the official model card, weights license, quantization notes, and serving benchmarks before estimating GPUs, memory, throughput, or total hosting cost.
How to Use Kimi K3
- 1. Start in Kimi app: open Kimi for chat, document analysis, and everyday model testing.
- 2. Use Kimi Code for coding: check the Kimi Code model docs and select model ID
k3where your membership tier supports it. - 3. Test OpenRouter for API comparison: use OpenRouter's Moonshot AI listing and try
moonshotai/kimi-k3next to other models using the same prompts. - 4. Save your benchmark prompts: compare coding fixes, long-context retrieval, latency, tool-call reliability, and cost before moving production traffic.
Related AI Pages
Kimi K3 vs Fable 5
Compare coding, cost, context, speed, access, and production fit.
Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.2
Compare coding, cost, context, speed, deployment, and API testing.
Kimi K3 vs Opus 4.8
Compare coding agents, cost, context, tool use, and managed access.
AI News
Track releases, capacity changes, pricing updates, and rollouts.
How to Use Kimi K3
Follow the chat, agent, search, Swarm, Kimi Code, and API workflow guide.
Kimi K3 FAQ
Who owns Kimi K3?+
Kimi K3 is from Moonshot AI, the company that develops the Kimi assistant and Kimi model family.
How big is Kimi K3?+
Kimi says K3 has 2.8T total parameters. That figure describes total model size, not the hardware you need to run it.
What is the Kimi K3 release date?+
Kimi Code release notes list Kimi K3 on July 16, 2026.
Is Kimi K3 open weight?+
Kimi documentation says K3 was open-sourced, and OpenRouter describes it as open-weight. Check the official model repository or license before self-hosting or commercial deployment.
How do I use Kimi K3 on OpenRouter?+
Use the OpenRouter model listing for moonshotai/kimi-k3, generate an API key, and call it through OpenRouter-compatible chat completions. A dedicated tutorial can live at /ai/tutorials/how-to-use-kimi-k3-on-openrouter.
Does Kimi K3 require a subscription?+
Kimi Code ties K3 access to membership tiers. Moderato and above can use K3, while 1M context starts at Allegretto and above in the official docs.
What hardware do I need for Kimi K3?+
There is not enough confirmed serving guidance to give a GPU count. For production planning, use the official model card, quantization notes, and serving benchmarks when available.
Is Kimi K3 better than other models?+
It may be strong for coding, agents, and long-context work, but the right answer depends on your task, latency target, price, and benchmark method.