Kimi LinearvsQwen3
Kimi Linear | Qwen3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Specifications | ||
ParametersA rough measure of how big the model is. More parameters usually means more capable and more expensive to run, though it is a poor guide on its own — a smaller, newer model often beats a larger, older one. | 48B | 235B |
Context windowHow much text the model can hold in mind at once — your question, any documents you attach, the conversation so far, and its own reply. Go past it and the earliest part falls out of view. | — | 128k |
| API pricingUSD per 1M tokens · lower wins · base tier | ||
Input priceWhat you pay for everything you send the model — your question, plus any documents or earlier conversation you include with it. | — | $0.70 |
Output priceWhat you pay for the text the model writes back. It is normally the dearer half: producing an answer costs more than reading one. | — | $2.80 |
Cheapest inputLowest input rate across third-party providers, excluding the lab itself. The cheapest endpoint may run a quantised build or a shorter context — see "Available from" on the model page. | — | $0.0482StreamLake |
Cheapest outputLowest output rate across third-party providers, excluding the lab itself. May come from a different provider than the cheapest input. | — | $0.1931StreamLake |
| Overview | ||
| Company | Moonshot AI | Qwen |
| Release date | Oct 30 2025 | Apr 29 2025 |
| Access | Open Weight | Open Weight |
Other comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Kimi Linear and Qwen3 don't publish scores on any of the same benchmarks, so there's no direct head-to-head comparison. Only Qwen3 has a verified first-party API price: $0.70 per million input tokens and $2.80 per million output tokens. No pay-as-you-go API rate is tracked for Kimi Linear. Qwen3 shipped 184 days before Kimi Linear, so benchmark comparisons should account for the intervening progress.
Kimi Linear has 48B parameters, while Qwen3 has 235B.
Direct benchmark comparisons are unavailable — Kimi Linear and Qwen3 don't publish scores on any of the same benchmarks.