Grok 4 vs Kimi K3.1 Pro
xAI · US | Moonshot AI · China · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Grok 4 for 256k context with native tool use or real-time data via x integration. Pick Kimi K3.1 Pro for sparse moe with 2.8t total and about 104b active parameters, post-trained from the kimi k3 base or terminal-bench 4.0 of 65.7% (moonshot) and 67% as measured by artificial analysis. On a tight budget at scale, Kimi K3.1 Pro is the value pick.
Grok 4 (xAI, US) and Kimi K3.1 Pro (Moonshot AI, China) line up two different AI ecosystems against each other — a comparison that is as much about cost philosophy and openness as raw capability. Grok 4 is xAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. Kimi K3.1 Pro is moonshot's October 23, 2026 post-training upgrade to Kimi K3 - a 2.8T-parameter MoE at $2/$10 with open weights promised by November 4. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
- ▸Price: Kimi K3.1 Pro is about 1.5× cheaper on input ($2/$10 per 1M tokens vs $3/$15 per 1M tokens) — modest, but it adds up at steady volume.
- ▸Context window: Kimi K3.1 Pro holds 4.1× more — 1M tokens (~1,573 pages) vs 256K (~384 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
- ▸Recency: Kimi K3.1 Pro is the newer model by about 16 months (released October 23, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
- ▸Ecosystem: this is a US-vs-China matchup — they differ in pricing philosophy, data-residency options, and tooling ecosystems, not only benchmarks.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Grok 4 | Kimi K3.1 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI (US) | Moonshot AI (China) |
| Released | July 9, 2025 | October 23, 2026 |
| Context window | 256K (~384 pages) | 1M tokens (~1,573 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $3/$15 per 1M tokens | $2/$10 per 1M tokens |
| Open weight? | No — API only | No — API only |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
256K context with native tool use
Grok 4
Grok 4 lists 256K context with native tool use among its strengths; Kimi K3.1 Pro does not.
Real-time data via X integration
Grok 4
Grok 4 lists real-time data via X integration among its strengths; Kimi K3.1 Pro does not.
Strong academic reasoning
Grok 4
Grok 4 lists strong academic reasoning among its strengths; Kimi K3.1 Pro does not.
Sparse MoE with 2.8T total and about 104B active parameters, post-trained from the Kimi K3 base
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Moonshot's October 23, 2026 post-training upgrade to Kimi K3 - a 2.8T-parameter MoE at $2/$10 with open weights promised by November 4 — and it runs cheaper at $2/$10 per 1M tokens.
Terminal-Bench 4.0 of 65.7% (Moonshot) and 67% as measured by Artificial Analysis
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Grok 4 is comparatively weak here — less independent benchmark coverage
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index of 55, second only to Claude Opus 5.5 (58) among the models AI Weekly lists
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Moonshot's October 23, 2026 post-training upgrade to Kimi K3 - a 2.8T-parameter MoE at $2/$10 with open weights promised by November 4 — and it carries the larger 1M tokens context.
Lowest cost at scale
Kimi K3.1 Pro
At $2/$10 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Its 1M tokens window is about 4.1× larger than Grok 4's 256K, fitting roughly 1,573 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ Kimi K3.1 Pro
At $2/$10 per 1M tokens it undercuts Grok 4, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ Kimi K3.1 Pro
Larger 1M tokens window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is 256k context with native tool use
→ Grok 4
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is sparse moe with 2.8t total and about 104b active parameters, post-trained from the kimi k3 base
→ Kimi K3.1 Pro
That is its strongest area.
An enterprise with regional data-residency rules
→ Grok 4 or Kimi K3.1 Pro
Origin (US vs China) affects where data is processed and which compliance regime applies — check the provider's terms for your region.
Grok 4: where it fits
XAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. Released July 9, 2025 by xAI, it is built for 256K context with native tool use, real-time data via X integration, strong academic reasoning, and no long-context surcharge.
Its trade-offs are real: smaller ecosystem than OpenAI/Google, and less independent benchmark coverage. At $3 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Kimi K3.1 Pro: where it fits
Moonshot's October 23, 2026 post-training upgrade to Kimi K3 - a 2.8T-parameter MoE at $2/$10 with open weights promised by November 4. Released October 23, 2026 by Moonshot AI, it is built for sparse MoE with 2.8T total and about 104B active parameters, post-trained from the Kimi K3 base, terminal-Bench 4.0 of 65.7% (Moonshot) and 67% as measured by Artificial Analysis, artificial Analysis Intelligence Index of 55, second only to Claude Opus 5.5 (58) among the models AI Weekly lists, and standard API price cut by a third versus K3 to $2/$10 per million tokens (Highspeed tier $4/$20).
Its trade-offs: weights promised by November 4, 2026 and not confirmed public as of November 3; license terms not yet disclosed, very high output-token use: roughly 150M output tokens across the Artificial Analysis index, self-hosting is impractical - about 1.4 TB of raw weights even at 4-bit, and most benchmarks are internal or use differing harnesses; no SWE-bench Verified figure published. At $2 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
This is less "which is smarter" and more "which ecosystem fits." Grok 4 (US) and Kimi K3.1 Pro (China) differ on pricing philosophy, data-residency, and tooling as much as on raw scores. Kimi K3.1 Pro is the cheaper option, which matters at volume. The pragmatic move is to run one real task through both and judge the outputs against your own constraints — including where your data is allowed to be processed.
Want both Grok 4 and Kimi K3.1 Pro without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.
See pricingFrequently asked questions
Is Grok 4 or Kimi K3.1 Pro better for coding?
Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Grok 4 leans toward 256k context with native tool use while Kimi K3.1 Pro leans toward sparse moe with 2.8t total and about 104b active parameters, post-trained from the kimi k3 base, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Grok 4 or Kimi K3.1 Pro?
Kimi K3.1 Pro is cheaper — $3/$15 per 1M tokens vs $2/$10 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.5× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Kimi K3.1 Pro — 1M tokens vs 256K, about 4.1× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Grok 4 and Kimi K3.1 Pro together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Grok 4, Kimi K3.1 Pro and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.
Which is newer, Grok 4 or Kimi K3.1 Pro?
Kimi K3.1 Pro — released October 23, 2026, about 16 months after Grok 4.
Related comparisons
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.