DeepSeek vs Moonshot AI Kimi — API Comparison
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, and use case fit. Updated November 5, 2026.
⚡ Verdict: DeepSeek wins on price and reasoning; Kimi wins on 128K context window.
💰 Pricing Comparison
| Metric | DeepSeek | Moonshot AI Kimi |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price | DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.14/M token (≈$0.02), R1: ¥0.14/M | K3.1 Pro: ¥13/M 未命中、¥1.30/M 缓存命中；Highspeed ¥26/M；K3: ¥20/M、¥2/M 缓存；K2.7/K2.6: ¥6.50/M |
| Output Price | DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.28/M token (≈$0.04), R1: ¥0.28/M | K3.1 Pro: ¥68/M；Highspeed ¥136/M；K3: ¥100/M；K2.7/K2.6: ¥27/M |
| China Access | ✅ Direct access in China | ✅ Direct access intended for Mainland China |
| Free Tier | New-user credit cannot be spent on the K3 series; K3 models unlock after a minimum $1 top-up, with rate-limit tiers set by cumulative recharge | |
| Models | 3+ | 5+ |
| Overall Rank | #4 | #9 |
🤖 Supported Models
DeepSeek
Moonshot AI Kimi
✨ Pros
DeepSeek
- ✓ Industry-lowest pricing: DeepSeek-V3 ¥0.14/M input
- ✓ R1 reasoning model: o1-comparable capabilities at ¥0.14/M
- ✓ Direct China access, no proxy needed
- ✓ ¥500 free credits on signup, generous trial
- ✓ Fully open-source model series, active community
- ✓ Chinese-optimized, excellent for local use cases
Moonshot AI Kimi
- ✓ Kimi K3.1 Pro: 3T-class open-weight flagship, 1M-token context, native vision; vendor reports 65.7% on Terminal-Bench 4.0
- ✓ K3 series supports low/high/max reasoning_effort, tool calls, tool_choice, dynamic tools, and JSON Schema
- ✓ Cache hits at 10% of input price for repository-scale agents; Batch API at 60% of standard rate
- ✓ K3.1 Pro Highspeed is the same model at ~2-3x speed; K2.7 Code/K2.6 are the 256K budget options (retiring end of 2026)
⚠️ Cons
DeepSeek
- × Limited model selection (only 3)
- × API occasional instability under high China traffic
- × English capabilities slightly behind GPT-4o/Claude
- × No multimodal output
- × Limited Function Calling (R1 doesn't support, V3 limited)
Moonshot AI Kimi
- × The K3 series always reasons; there is no no-thinking mode
- × Highspeed output is expensive (CNY 136 / $20 per 1M)
- × K3 models require a top-up to unlock; new-user credit is not eligible
- × Official docs flag web search as still being upgraded; use cautiously in production
🎯 Best For
DeepSeek
China-based developers; cost-sensitive applications; reasoning tasks (R1); bilingual scenarios
Moonshot AI Kimi
China-based developers needing 1M context, vision, and long-running agents; long documents and repository-scale coding
❓ FAQ
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Moonshot AI Kimi? ▼
DeepSeek — Input: DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.14/M token (≈$0.02), R1: ¥0.14/M, Output: DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.28/M token (≈$0.04), R1: ¥0.28/M. Moonshot AI Kimi — Input: K3.1 Pro: ¥13/M 未命中、¥1.30/M 缓存命中；Highspeed ¥26/M；K3: ¥20/M、¥2/M 缓存；K2.7/K2.6: ¥6.50/M, Output: K3.1 Pro: ¥68/M；Highspeed ¥136/M；K3: ¥100/M；K2.7/K2.6: ¥27/M.
Which is better for China access? ▼
DeepSeek: ✅ Direct access in China. Moonshot AI Kimi: ✅ Direct access intended for Mainland China.
What is the overall verdict? ▼
DeepSeek wins on price and reasoning; Kimi wins on 128K context window.