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  3. GPT-5 mini vs Kimi K3

Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026

GPT-5 mini vs Kimi K3 benchmark

This page compares GPT-5 mini (OpenAI) and Kimi K3 (Moonshot) using the latest snapshots we have as of Aug 16, 2026. On preference Elo, Kimi K3 is ahead by 118 points (1,528 vs 1,410; seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). On SWE-bench coding, Kimi K3 resolves 73.8% versus 52.4% (seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). GPT-5 mini streams faster (155 tok/s) while GPT-5 mini is the cheaper output token ($2/1M). Kimi K3 has the larger context window (1M tokens). Every cell below is a dated snapshot from a named public source — we do not invent missing scores, and we do not run SWE-bench ourselves.

Quick answer

GPT-5 mini vs Kimi K3 is a dated snapshot, not a lab score. Kimi K3 leads preference Elo (1,528 vs 1,410). Kimi K3 leads SWE-bench coding. GPT-5 mini is the cheaper output token. Elo is crowd preference, not an exam. Pick the column that matches the job.
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OpenAI

GPT-5 mini

Cost-efficient GPT-5 distill for high-volume agents.

Elo 1,410$2/1M out

Moonshot

Kimi K3

Moonshot AI frontier flagship reasoning and agent swarm model with 256k context and top-tier SWE-bench coding capability.

Elo 1,528$15/1M out

Swap or Add Any Model to this Matchup

Instant pairwise benchmark recalculation across 400+ LLMs

Model A
Model B
Quick vs:vs Claude Opus 4.5vs Claude Opus 4.6vs Claude Sonnet 4.5vs Claude 3.7 Sonnet

Interactive Comparison Diagram

Matchup Breakdown

Tug-of-War Matchup Matrix

Category wins across intelligence, speed, and pricing efficiency.

GPT-5 mini (4)vsKimi K3 (6)
GPT-5 mini: 4W (40%)Overall: Kimi K3Kimi K3: 6W (60%)
← GPT-5 miniKimi K3 →
Kimi K3 (5/5)

Intelligence & Reasoning

Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy

Preference Elo
1,410vs1,528
Coding Elo
1,395vs1,535
SWE-bench
52.4%vs73.8%
LiveBench
61.2%vs69.5%
GPQA Diamond
72%vs88.4%
GPT-5 mini: 0WKimi K3: 5W
GPT-5 mini (2/2)

Speed & Latency

Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness

Output speed
155 tok/svs68 tok/s
Time to first token
140 msvs290 ms
GPT-5 mini: 2WKimi K3: 0W
GPT-5 mini (2/3)

Pricing & Capacity

Cost per million tokens and max context window length

Output price
$2/1Mvs$15/1M
Input price
$0.25/1Mvs$3/1M
Context window
400kvs1M
GPT-5 mini: 2WKimi K3: 1W
Capability Matchup Radar

Multi-Dimensional Capability Radar

Each spoke is a skill. Farther from the center is better (0–100th percentile). Tap any dot to inspect details.

Tap any node to inspect
Percentile 0–100
Dimensional AdvantageKimi K3 4/6
Preference Elo

Kimi K3

118 pts advantage

Throughput Speed

GPT-5 mini

87 tok/s faster

Price Efficiency

GPT-5 mini

$13.00/1M cheaper

Full Benchmark Score Matrix

—
Elo
High is better
1,410
EloHigh is better
1,528+8%
Code Elo
High is better
1,395
Code EloHigh is better
1,535+10%
LiveBench
High is better
61.2%
LiveBenchHigh is better
69.5%+14%
SWE-bench
High is better
52.4%
SWE-benchHigh is better
73.8%+41%
GPQA
High is better
72%
GPQAHigh is better
88.4%+23%
TTFT
Low is better
+107%140 ms
TTFTLow is better
290 ms
Speed
High is better
+128%155 tok/s
SpeedHigh is better
68 tok/s
In $
Low is better
+1100%$0.25/1M
In $Low is better
$3/1M
Out $
Low is better
+650%$2/1M
Out $Low is better
$15/1M
Context
High is better
400k
ContextHigh is better
1M+162%
Interactive Simulator

Workload Cost & Savings Calculator

Simulate monthly production API costs based on published $/1M tokens.

Save up to 88% with GPT-5 mini
Monthly Volume50M tokens/mo
Quick Presets:
Token Ratio (In vs Out)70% In / 30% Out
RAG / Search (10% out)Coding / Chat (50% out)
GPT-5 mini$38.75 / mo
In: $8.75Out: $30.00
Kimi K3$330.00 / mo
In: $105.00Out: $225.00
Estimated Cost Delta

GPT-5 mini is estimated to save $291.25/month ($3,495/year).

Based on 50M tokens (30% gen)

Key Selection Recommendations

  • 1
    Kimi K3:Pick Kimi K3 when repo-level coding accuracy is the constraint.
  • 2
    GPT-5 mini:Pick GPT-5 mini when you are optimizing output cost.
  • 3
    GPT-5 mini:Pick GPT-5 mini when time-to-first-token matters more than peak Elo.

Recommended Workload Routing

Repo / coding agentsKimi K3

Higher SWE-bench (73.8%).

High-volume chatGPT-5 mini

Lower output list price ($2/1M).

Voice / low-latency UIGPT-5 mini

Lower TTFT (140 ms).

Long-document RAGKimi K3

Larger window (1M).

Screenshots / visionKimi K3

Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K3).

Target WorkloadRecommended PickEvaluation Rationale
Repo / coding agentsKimi K3Higher SWE-bench (73.8%).
High-volume chatGPT-5 miniLower output list price ($2/1M).
Voice / low-latency UIGPT-5 miniLower TTFT (140 ms).
Long-document RAGKimi K3Larger window (1M).
Screenshots / visionKimi K3Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Kimi K3).

Related Editorial Dispatches & Benchmark Notes

View all news
launchJun 8, 2026

Kimi K3: Moonshot’s long-context open-weight competitive row

Jun 2026. The Kimi vs GPT hub remaps to the top Moonshot Elo vs top OpenAI Elo.

launchAug 8, 2025

GPT-5 mini: the 2025 distill still useful as a cheap OpenAI baseline

High-volume agents that cannot pay Sol. Compare to Luna before you assume the new cheap SKU wins.

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CompareLLM Matrix

Verified head-to-head card

LIVE
VS
OpenAI

GPT-5 mini

Elo 1,410
LiveBench61.2%
SWE-bench52.4%
Speed155 tok/s
Output cost$2/1M
Moonshot

Kimi K3

Elo 1,528
LiveBench69.5%
SWE-bench73.8%
Speed68 tok/s
Output cost$15/1M

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall, GPT-5 mini or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 has the higher preference Elo in our latest snapshot (1,528). “Better” still depends on coding, price, and latency — see the table.
Which is better at coding, GPT-5 mini or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 leads SWE-bench at 73.8% vs 52.4%. SWE-bench is one harness, not your repo.
Which is cheaper to run in production?
GPT-5 mini output tokens are $2/1M versus $15/1M. Input prices and retry rates still move the real bill.
Which is faster, GPT-5 mini or Kimi K3?
GPT-5 mini has the lower time-to-first-token (140 ms vs 290 ms). Tokens/sec is a separate column if you care about long completions.
Which has the larger context window?
Kimi K3 accepts 1M tokens versus 400k.
Can I self-host either model?
Neither model is marked open-weights here. You are comparing hosted APIs.
Are these scores from CompareLLM’s own evals?
No. V1 aggregates public leaderboards (and optional first-party latency pings). Each cell names its source and date. Read /methodology.
What does preference Elo mean on this page?
Preference Elo is a crowd vote from LMArena / Arena. People see two hidden answers and pick the one they like more. The model that wins more often gets a higher Elo. That means people preferred it — not that it passed a school test. It is not SWE-bench, not accuracy, and not a number we invent. GPT-5 mini and Kimi K3 Elo cells are dated snapshots from the named source — we do not compute Arena ourselves.

Related news

  • launch · Jun 8, 2026

    Kimi K3: Moonshot’s long-context open-weight competitive row

  • launch · Aug 8, 2025

    GPT-5 mini: the 2025 distill still useful as a cheap OpenAI baseline

Similar Head-to-Head Comparisons

All GPT-5 mini matchups →|All Kimi K3 matchups →
GPT-5 mini vs OpenAI: o3 Mini (previous gpt-mini)GPT-5 mini vs GPT-5.6 Luna (next gpt-mini)Kimi K3 vs MoonshotAI: Kimi K2.5 (previous kimi)GPT-4.5 Orion vs Kimi K3GPT-5.6 Terra vs Kimi K3GPT-5 vs Kimi K3