Kimi (Moonshot AI) Pricing: Which Model Is Worth Paying For?
OpenRouter lists 7 Kimi (Moonshot AI) models. For 1M input plus 1M output tokens they range from $2.70 (Kimi K2.5) to $13.72 (Kimi K3), a 5x spread. Most teams overpay by defaulting to the flagship for work a cheaper model passes.
Plans and pricing
Kimi K2.5
$0.45 input / $2.25 output per 1M tokens262K context on OpenRouter (moonshotai/kimi-k2.5). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $2.70.
Best for
High-volume, low-stakes steps: routing, tagging, extraction and first drafts.
Not for
Tasks where a wrong answer costs more than the tokens saved.
Kimi K2 Thinking
$0.60 input / $2.50 output per 1M tokens262K context on OpenRouter (moonshotai/kimi-k2-thinking). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $3.10.
Best for
A middle tier to test before paying flagship prices.
Not for
Tasks where a wrong answer costs more than the tokens saved.
Kimi K3
$0.72 input / $13 output per 1M tokens1M context on OpenRouter (moonshotai/kimi-k3). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $13.72.
Best for
The hardest Kimi (Moonshot AI) tasks, once cheaper Kimi (Moonshot AI) models have failed your acceptance tests.
Not for
Bulk work a smaller model already passes; the price gap compounds at volume.
Prices are OpenRouter's listed per-token prices for Moonshot AI models, read from the OpenRouter models API and checked 2026-10-04. Buying direct from Moonshot AI or another host can be priced differently; prices exclude tax and change often.
Who should pay for Kimi (Moonshot AI)?
Kimi (Moonshot AI) suits coding agents and long-document work that need strong reasoning with million-token context. Start with Kimi K2.5 on a sample of real tasks, measure the acceptance rate, and step up a tier only where it fails. Price the whole job, not the token: retries and human review often cost more than the model.
Calculate your exact cost →Who is overpaying for Kimi (Moonshot AI)?
- Teams sending every request to Kimi K3 when Kimi K2.5 passes most of them
- Anyone paying for output tokens they never read: cap max tokens and ask for concise answers
- Buyers comparing token prices without counting retries, failed responses and review time
Official pricing sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Kimi (Moonshot AI) model?
On OpenRouter, Kimi K2.5 at $0.45 input and $2.25 output per 1M tokens (checked 2026-10-04).
How much does the top Kimi (Moonshot AI) model cost?
Kimi K3 is listed at $0.72 input and $13 output per 1M tokens, so 1M of each costs $13.72.
Is Kimi (Moonshot AI) cheaper than GPT or Claude?
Usually per token, yes. Compare on your own prompts with the AI Cost Calculator: the cheaper model only saves money if it passes the same acceptance tests.