Skip to content
ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash

Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) and GLM 5.3 Flash (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 24 October 2026

As of 24 October 2026, Kimi K3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#10 vs #24); GLM 5.3 Flash is 21.6× cheaper per output token ($0.50/1M vs $10.80/1M); and GLM 5.3 Flash ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #10 against #24 (80.4 vs 77.3 points).
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1487 against 1476.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1539 against 1525.
  • LMArena Agent is your yardstick — 1.6% against -1.8%.

Choose GLM 5.3 Flash if…

  • API cost matters — $0.50/1M output tokens against $10.80/1M, about 21.6× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.15/1M against $0.239/1M.
  • you want to self-host: GLM 5.3 Flash ships open weights while Kimi K3 is restricted license.
  • you want provider choice — 34 listed API providers against 21.
  • ARC-AGI-2 is your yardstick — 65.8% against 60.4%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 Flash was listed 26 August 2026, Kimi K3 16 July 2026.

Kimi K3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3 Flash
FieldKimi K3Moonshot AIGLM 5.3 FlashZ.ai
ModelCap Index position#10#24
Index score80.477.3
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.239$0.15
Output price / 1M tokens$10.80$0.50
Context window1M tokens1M tokens
Declared route output cap944K944K
API providers listed2134
Weight accessRestricted licenseOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, Image, VideoText, Image, Video
First listed16 July 202626 August 2026
PublisherMoonshot AIZ.ai

Evidence: 4 public benchmark observations across 4 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 Flash

Public benchmark boards where Kimi K3 or GLM 5.3 Flash has a published result
BoardKimi K3GLM 5.3 FlashLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14871483–1492Max14761471–1481Not reportedKimi K3
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15391532–1546Max15251518–1532Kimi K3
LMArena AgentLMArena1.6%0.8%–2.3%Max-1.8%-2.4%–-1.1%Kimi K3
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation60.4%Max65.8%MaxGLM 5.3 Flash
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis—41.8ReasoningOnly one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis—84.3%ReasoningOnly one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis—39.9%ReasoningOnly one result
Terminal-Bench 4.0Terminal-Bench (Laude Institute)—35.8%32.2%–39.3%Claude Code · NoneOnly 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 Flash: common questions

Is Kimi K3 better than GLM 5.3 Flash?

Kimi K3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 24 October 2026: #10 against #24. 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 Flash?

GLM 5.3 Flash is cheaper on output tokens: $0.50/1M against $10.80/1M. Input tokens are $0.239/1M for Kimi K3 and $0.15/1M for GLM 5.3 Flash. 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 $5.88 for Kimi K3 versus $0.55 for GLM 5.3 Flash. GLM 5.3 Flash costs 90.6% 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 Flash?

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 Flash?

Arena coding: Kimi K3 1539, GLM 5.3 Flash 1525 — Kimi K3 leads.

Are Kimi K3 and GLM 5.3 Flash open-weight models?

Kimi K3: Restricted license. GLM 5.3 Flash: Open weights. 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 Flash?

ModelCap currently lists 21 API providers for Kimi K3 and 34 for GLM 5.3 Flash, 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 Flash comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 24 October 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

Explore further