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ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and GLM 5.3 (Z.ai) 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 2 October 2026

As of 2 October 2026, Kimi K3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#9 vs #11); and GLM 5.3 is 3.1× cheaper per output token ($4.40/1M vs $13.50/1M).

Which should you choose?

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #9 against #11 (81.6 vs 80.0 points).
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1488 against 1479.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1541 against 1521.
  • LMArena Agent is your yardstick — 4.0% against 2.6%.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 85.0% against 83.9%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 46.9% against 42.3%.

Choose GLM 5.3 if…

  • API cost matters — $4.40/1M output tokens against $13.50/1M, about 3.1× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.40/1M against $2.70/1M.
  • you want provider choice — 32 listed API providers against 19.
  • AA Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 44.8 against 43.6.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 was listed 18 August 2026, Kimi K3 16 July 2026.

Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3
FieldKimi K3Moonshot AIGLM 5.3Z.ai
ModelCap Index position#9#11
Index score81.680.0
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$2.70$1.40
Output price / 1M tokens$13.50$4.40
Context window1M tokens1M tokens
Declared route output cap944K131K
API providers listed1932
Weight accessRestricted licenseRestricted license
Input modalitiesText, Image, VideoText
First listed16 July 202618 August 2026
PublisherMoonshot AIZ.ai

Evidence: 6 public benchmark observations across 6 boards · 4 public benchmark observations across 4 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3

Public benchmark boards where Kimi K3 or GLM 5.3 has a published result
BoardKimi K3GLM 5.3Leads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14881483–1493Max14791474–1485MaxKimi K3
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15411533–1549Max15211512–1531MaxKimi K3
LMArena AgentLMArena4.0%3.5%–4.5%Max2.6%1.9%–3.3%MaxKimi K3
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation60.4%Max—Only one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis43.6Max44.8MaxGLM 5.3
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis85.0%Max83.9%MaxKimi K3
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis46.9%Max42.3%MaxKimi K3
Terminal-Bench 4.0Terminal-Bench (Laude Institute)—41.8%38.6%–45.1%Claude Code · MaxOnly one result
WildClawBench OpenClawWildClawBench54.5—Only 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 GLM 5.3: common questions

Is Kimi K3 better than GLM 5.3?

Kimi K3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 2 October 2026: #9 against #11. 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. Their published uncertainty intervals overlap, so the rank difference alone does not establish a reliable capability advantage for your workload.

Is Kimi K3 cheaper than GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 is cheaper on output tokens: $4.40/1M against $13.50/1M. Input tokens are $2.70/1M for Kimi K3 and $1.40/1M for GLM 5.3. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $12.15 for Kimi K3 versus $5.00 for GLM 5.3. GLM 5.3 costs 58.8% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, Kimi K3 or GLM 5.3?

Both publish a 1M-token context window. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Kimi K3 or GLM 5.3?

Arena coding: Kimi K3 1541, GLM 5.3 1521 — Kimi K3 leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: Kimi K3 85.0%, GLM 5.3 83.9% — Kimi K3 leads.

Are Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3 open-weight models?

Kimi K3: Restricted license. GLM 5.3: Restricted license. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3?

ModelCap currently lists 19 API providers for Kimi K3 and 32 for GLM 5.3, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3 comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 2 October 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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