Head-to-head comparison

Kimi K2.6 vs. Mistral Large 4

Compare published benchmark results from matching versions and cohorts, API pricing, and technical specifications. Any documented test setup differences remain visible.

shared result series: 0
distinct benchmarks: 0
latest retrieval: No data

First modelSecond model

Specifications

General specifications

Release date, availability, context window, architecture, and published parameter counts at a glance. Undisclosed details remain marked as unavailable.

Specifications for Kimi K2.6 and Mistral Large 4
Attribute	Kimi K2.6	Mistral Large 4
Provider	Moonshot AI	Mistral AI
Released	Apr 20, 2026	Oct 6, 2026
Availability	Active	Preview
Model type	Open Weights	Open weights announced; currently an API preview
Parameters	1T, 32B active	1.05T
Architecture	Mixture of Experts	Mixture of Experts
Context window	262,144 tokens	1M tokens (Mistral); 524,288 tokens (OpenRouter)
Knowledge cutoff	Not published	Not published
Technical sources	Model, Context	Model, Context

Pricing

API pricing compared

The table compares official standard API rates per 1M tokens, including published cache pricing. Batch, fast, priority, regional surcharges, tool calls, and cloud platform pricing are excluded.

API pricing for Kimi K2.6 and Mistral Large 4
Price type	Kimi K2.6	Mistral Large 4
API input	$0.95	$1.36
API output	$4	$4.18
Cache read	$0.16	$0.14
Cache write (5 min.)	Not listed	Not listed
Cache write (1 hr.)	Not listed	Not listed
Price verified	09/22/2026 Source	10/07/2026 Source
Mistral Large 4, Launch pricing announced October 6, 2026 Mistral announced a 50% discount for two weeks. The published introductory rates are $0.68 input, $2.09 output and $0.07 cache read per 1M tokens. Price comparisons use the standard rates. Source

Kimi K2.6Mistral Large 4

API inputUSD per 1M tokens, base tier

Kimi K2.6$0.95

Mistral Large 4$1.36

API outputUSD per 1M tokens, base tier

Kimi K2.6$4

Mistral Large 4$4.18

Cache readUSD per 1M tokens, base tier

Kimi K2.6$0.16

Mistral Large 4$0.14

Key to the marks:better valuebetter, but not conclusivetie

Pricing by provider

Direct developer pricing and provider endpoint tariffs routed through OpenRouter are listed separately. Prices are in USD per 1M tokens. Context-dependent direct tiers plus regional, Flex, Priority, and other OpenRouter tariffs remain individually identifiable.

No provider tariff for Mistral Large 4 is available in the stored OpenRouter snapshot. The official direct price is still shown.

Provider pricing for Kimi K2.6 and Mistral Large 4
Model	Provider	Purchase route and tariff	Input per 1M tokens	Output per 1M tokens	Source
Kimi K2.6	Moonshot AI	Direct from developerStandard API	$0.95	$4	Source09/22/2026
	AtlasCloud	Via OpenRouteratlas-cloud/int4	$0.95	$4	Source10/12/2026
	Baidu	Via OpenRouterbaidu/fp4	Lowest listed price: $0.4342	Lowest listed price: $1.828	Source10/12/2026
	Chutes	Via OpenRouterchutes/int4	$0.5	$2.85	Source10/12/2026
	Cloudflare	Via OpenRoutercloudflare	$0.95	$4	Source10/12/2026
	CoreWeave	Via OpenRoutercoreweave/fp4	$0.65	$3.41	Source10/12/2026
	Crusoe	Via OpenRoutercrusoe/bf16	$0.7	$3.5	Source10/12/2026
	DeepInfra	Via OpenRouterdeepinfra/fp4	$0.75	$3.5	Source10/12/2026
	DigitalOcean	Via OpenRouterdigitalocean	$0.57	$2.4	Source10/12/2026
	GMICloud	Via OpenRoutergmicloud/fp8	$0.855	$3.6	Source10/12/2026
	Inceptron	Via OpenRouterinceptron/int4	$0.4344	$2.45	Source10/12/2026
	Moonshot AI	Via OpenRoutermoonshotai/int4	$0.95	$4	Source10/12/2026
	Novita	Via OpenRouternovita	$0.8	$3.4	Source10/12/2026
	Parasail	Via OpenRouterparasail/int4	$0.75	$3.5	Source10/12/2026
	Phala	Via OpenRouterphala	$1.09	$4.6	Source10/12/2026
	SiliconFlow	Via OpenRoutersiliconflow/fp8	$0.77	$3.4	Source10/12/2026
	StreamLake	Via OpenRouterstreamlake/fp8	$0.5985	$2.52	Source10/12/2026
	Venice	Via OpenRoutervenice/int4	$0.75	$3.5	Source10/12/2026
Mistral Large 4	Mistral AI	Direct from developerStandard API	Lowest listed price: $1.36	Lowest listed price: $4.18	Source10/07/2026

Performance

Shared benchmarks

Only published results with the same benchmark version, task, metric, and comparison cohort are paired. Different reasoning levels, agents, harnesses, or output limits appear directly in the table.

Capability profile from matched benchmarks

Each axis averages directly matched benchmark families. A value of 100 means the stronger value within this pair, not a universal quality score.

Not enough directly matched categories for a reliable radar

Only 0 of at least 5 categories have comparable, direct model measurements. The benchmark tables below show the available evidence without filling missing axes.

No directly comparable result series yet

No published benchmark for Kimi K2.6 and Mistral Large 4 currently matches in version, task, metric, and comparison cohort. We therefore show no estimated or blended values.

Our model tests

Our tests

Compare how the models respond to the same prompt. Each test shows the latest attempt, with no subsequent fixes to the generated code. Earlier runs remain available in the test details. These results do not contribute to an overall score.

Pelican on a bicycle

A community classic for free-form SVG drawing.

Kimi K2.6

Output withheld for safety

Reasoning (requested): high

Current attempt

Run date: Oct 5, 2026
API provider: openrouter
Requested API model: moonshotai/kimi-k2.6
API model reported in response: moonshotai/kimi-k2.6
Reasoning setting: high
Pinned endpoint: Moonshot AI | moonshotai/kimi-k2.6-20260420
Temperature: Provider default
Token limit including reasoning: 8,192 tokens
Test protocol: community-visual-tests-v1
Technical checks: Failed
Response time: 124 s

Not yet visually reviewed. A successful recording does not confirm correct physics or full compliance with the prompt.

Earlier attempts (3)

Oct 2, 2026Output withheld for safetyReasoning setting: high
Oct 1, 2026Output withheld for safetyReasoning setting: high
Sep 7, 2026API request failedReasoning setting: high

Mistral Large 4

Not tested yet

Prompt and test conditions

Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle

Token limit including reasoning: 8,192 tokens

Task origin (Simon Willison)

How to read this comparison

Winning one benchmark is not an overall verdict

Your workload, budget, and required context length matter most. A coding benchmark says little about visual understanding or agent performance.

The standard price table uses direct developer rates. The provider comparison labels OpenRouter endpoints, regions, and special tariffs separately.

Every result links to its measurement source and retrieval date. Labels distinguish vendor reports, official benchmark leaderboards, and independent evaluations. Disputed or archived results are excluded.

More matchups

Compare Kimi K2.6 and Mistral Large 4 with other leading models using the same data and benchmark logic.

View the complete LLM comparison