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open-weight multimodal model at $0.60/$2.50 with a 256K window — strong visual coding and agentic work, since superseded by K2.6/K2.7.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

Side-by-side specs

SpecKimi K2.5MiMo-V2.5
ProviderMoonshot AI (China) Xiaomi (China)
ReleasedJanuary 27, 2026 April 22, 2026
Context window256K (~393 pages) 1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)$0.6/$2.5 per 1M tokens $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens
Open weight?Yes — self-hostable Yes — self-hostable
Modalitiestext, image, code text, image, audio, video, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1MNot 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 ($0.6/$2.5 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 $0.6 in / $2.5 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 pricing

Frequently 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 — $0.6/$2.5 per 1M tokens vs $0.14/$0.28 per 1M tokens, roughly 4.3× 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.