Skip to content
ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

Kimi K3 vs Hy4 preview

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and Hy4 preview (Tencent) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 3 September 2026

As of 3 September 2026, Kimi K3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#6 vs #19); Hy4 preview is 6× cheaper per output token ($2.50/1M vs $15.00/1M); and Hy4 preview ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #6 against #19 (81.4 vs 68.6 points).
  • you want provider choice — 15 listed API providers against 1.

Choose Hy4 preview if…

  • API cost matters — $2.50/1M output tokens against $15.00/1M, about 6× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.834/1M against $3.00/1M.
  • you want to self-host: Hy4 preview ships open weights while Kimi K3 is restricted license.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Hy4 preview was listed 28 August 2026, Kimi K3 16 July 2026.

Kimi K3 vs Hy4 preview: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Kimi K3 and Hy4 preview
FieldKimi K3Moonshot AIHy4 previewTencent
ModelCap Index position#6#19
Index score81.468.6
EvidenceMeasuredEstimated
Input price / 1M tokens$3.00$0.834
Output price / 1M tokens$15.00$2.50
Context window1M tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens944K64K
API providers listed151
Weight accessRestricted licenseOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, Image, VideoText
First listed16 July 202628 August 2026
PublisherMoonshot AITencent

Evidence: 6 public benchmark observations across 6 boards · placed against measured peers on publisher-reported benchmarks, discounted for self-report optimism; floored directly above its measured family predecessor. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Kimi K3 vs Hy4 preview

Public benchmark boards where Kimi K3 or Hy4 preview has a published result
BoardKimi K3Hy4 previewLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15421533–1551MaxOnly one result
LMArena AgentLMArena8.7%8.1%–9.4%MaxOnly one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation60.4%MaxOnly one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis59.7intelligence-indexOnly one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis85.0%terminal-bench-2.1Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis46.9%humanitys-last-examOnly one result
WildClawBench OpenClawWildClawBench54.5Only one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Kimi K3 vs Hy4 preview: common questions

Is Kimi K3 better than Hy4 preview?

Kimi K3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 3 September 2026: #6 against #19. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than Hy4 preview?

Hy4 preview is cheaper on output tokens: $2.50/1M against $15.00/1M. Input tokens are $3.00/1M for Kimi K3 and $0.834/1M for Hy4 preview. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, Kimi K3 or Hy4 preview?

Both publish a 1M-token context window.

Which is better for coding, Kimi K3 or Hy4 preview?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are Kimi K3 and Hy4 preview open-weight models?

Kimi K3: Restricted license. Hy4 preview: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Kimi K3 and Hy4 preview?

ModelCap currently lists 15 API providers for Kimi K3 and 1 for Hy4 preview, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Kimi K3 vs Hy4 preview comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 3 September 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

Explore further