Kimi K2.5 vs MiMo-V2.5
Moonshot AI · China | Xiaomi · China · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Kimi K2.5 for native multimodal reasoning and visual coding or agentic tool-calling and self-directed multi-step work. Pick MiMo-V2.5 for native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding or very low cost (~half the inference of the pro tier). On a tight budget at scale, MiMo-V2.5 is the value pick.
Kimi K2.5 (Moonshot AI) and MiMo-V2.5 (Xiaomi) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Kimi K2.5 is moonshot's open-weight multimodal model at $0.60/$2.50 with a 256K window — strong visual coding and agentic work, since superseded by K2.6/K2.7. MiMo-V2.5 is xiaomi's cheap omnimodal model — Pro-level agentic perception across image and video at a fraction of the cost. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
- ▸Price: MiMo-V2.5 is about 3.2× cheaper on input ($0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens vs $0.45/$2.25 per 1M tokens) — meaningful once you are processing millions of tokens a month.
- ▸Context window: MiMo-V2.5 holds 3.8× more — 1M (~1,500 pages) vs 256K (~393 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
- ▸Recency: MiMo-V2.5 is the newer model by about 3 months (released April 22, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Kimi K2.5 | MiMo-V2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Moonshot AI (China) | Xiaomi (China) |
| Released | January 27, 2026 | April 22, 2026 |
| Context window | 256K (~393 pages) | 1M (~1,500 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $0.45/$2.25 per 1M tokens | $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens |
| Open weight? | Yes — self-hostable | Yes — self-hostable |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, audio, video, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
Native multimodal reasoning and visual coding
Kimi K2.5
MiMo-V2.5 is comparatively weak here — not the deepest reasoning tier (see V2.5-Pro)
Agentic tool-calling and self-directed multi-step work
Kimi K2.5
Kimi K2.5 lists agentic tool-calling and self-directed multi-step work among its strengths; MiMo-V2.5 does not.
Open-weight (Modified-MIT) — self-hostable at 256K context
Kimi K2.5
Kimi K2.5 lists open-weight (Modified-MIT) — self-hostable at 256K context among its strengths; MiMo-V2.5 does not.
Native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding
MiMo-V2.5
Kimi K2.5 is comparatively weak here — image input but no audio or video
Very low cost (~half the inference of the Pro tier)
MiMo-V2.5
At $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens it undercuts Kimi K2.5 ($0.45/$2.25 per 1M tokens), and that gap compounds at volume.
Agent-framework integration
MiMo-V2.5
Xiaomi's cheap omnimodal model — Pro-level agentic perception across image and video at a fraction of the cost — and it runs cheaper at $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens.
Lowest cost at scale
MiMo-V2.5
At $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
MiMo-V2.5
Its 1M window is about 3.8× larger than Kimi K2.5's 256K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ MiMo-V2.5
At $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens it undercuts Kimi K2.5, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ MiMo-V2.5
Larger 1M window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is native multimodal reasoning and visual coding
→ Kimi K2.5
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding
→ MiMo-V2.5
That is its strongest area.
Kimi K2.5: where it fits
Moonshot's open-weight multimodal model at $0.60/$2.50 with a 256K window — strong visual coding and agentic work, since superseded by K2.6/K2.7. Released January 27, 2026 by Moonshot AI, it is built for native multimodal reasoning and visual coding, agentic tool-calling and self-directed multi-step work, open-weight (Modified-MIT) — self-hostable at 256K context, and vendor reports around 76.8% on its own SWE-agent coding harness.
Its trade-offs are real: its coding score uses Moonshot's own harness, not the standard SWE-Bench Verified protocol, superseded within Moonshot's line by Kimi K2.6 and K2.7, openRouter shows a promo price below Moonshot's $0.60/$2.50 list, and image input but no audio or video. At $0.45 in / $2.25 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.
MiMo-V2.5: where it fits
Xiaomi's cheap omnimodal model — Pro-level agentic perception across image and video at a fraction of the cost. Released April 22, 2026 by Xiaomi, it is built for native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding, very low cost (~half the inference of the Pro tier), agent-framework integration, and 1M context for full documents in one pass.
Its trade-offs: not the deepest reasoning tier (see V2.5-Pro), and limited Western tooling and support. At $0.14 in / $0.28 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Kimi K2.5 and MiMo-V2.5 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. MiMo-V2.5 costs less per token; MiMo-V2.5 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Kimi K2.5 for native multimodal reasoning and visual coding, MiMo-V2.5 for native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Want both Kimi K2.5 and MiMo-V2.5 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 Kimi K2.5 or MiMo-V2.5 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, Kimi K2.5 leans toward native multimodal reasoning and visual coding while MiMo-V2.5 leans toward native omnimodal — strong image and video understanding, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Kimi K2.5 or MiMo-V2.5?
MiMo-V2.5 is cheaper — $0.45/$2.25 per 1M tokens vs $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens, roughly 3.2× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
MiMo-V2.5 — 1M vs 256K, about 3.8× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Kimi K2.5 and MiMo-V2.5 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Kimi K2.5, MiMo-V2.5 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, Kimi K2.5 or MiMo-V2.5?
MiMo-V2.5 — released April 22, 2026, about 3 months after Kimi K2.5.
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.