Model comparison

Claude Opus 4.6 vs Kimi K3

Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)

Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic) and Kimi K3 (Moonshot), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.

Specs and pricing

anthropic logoClaude Opus 4.6moonshotai logoKimi K3
ProviderAnthropicMoonshot
Input (per 1M tokens)¥850¥536.1
Output (per 1M tokens)¥4,200¥2,680.5
Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls)¥2,950¥1,876
Context window1,000,000 tokens1,048,576 tokens
Release date2/4/20267/16/2026
Input modalitiestext, imagetext, image
Arena · overall#5 · ELO 1,497#10 · ELO 1,489
Arena · Japanese#16 · ELO 1,482#4 · ELO 1,510
Arena · coding#5 · ELO 1,546#6 · ELO 1,543

Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.

Which should you pick?

  • On price, Kimi K3: ¥2,680.5 per 1M output tokens, 36% less than Claude Opus 4.6.
  • On the Overall arena board, Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher (#5; Kimi K3 is #10).
  • On the Japanese arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#4; Claude Opus 4.6 is #16).
  • On the Coding arena board, Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher (#5; Kimi K3 is #6).
  • For long documents, Kimi K3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 1,000,000 for Claude Opus 4.6.
  • If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.

Real answers to the same prompts

Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.

Claude Opus 4.6

I need to count the number of 'r's in the word 'strawberry'. Let me go through it letter by letter. **s** - not an r **t** - not an r **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 1) **a** - not an r **w** - not an r **b** - not an r **e** - not an r **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 2) **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 3) **y** - not an r There are **3** r's in 'strawberry'.
3.2s158 output tokens

Kimi K3

# Counting the 'r's in "strawberry" **Step 1: Write out each letter with its position** | Position | Letter | |----------|--------| | 1 | s | | 2 | t | | 3 | **r** ✓ | | 4 | a | | 5 | w | | 6 | b | | 7 | e | | 8 | **r** ✓ | | 9 | **r** ✓ | | 10 | y | **Step 2: Identify each 'r'** - Position 3: the 'r' in "st**r**" - Position 8: the first 'r' in "be**r**ry" - Position 9: the second 'r' in "ber**r**y" **Step 3: Verify by splitting the word** "Strawberry" = "straw" + "berry" - "straw" contains **1** r - "berry" contains **2** r's **Answer: There are 3 r's in "strawberry."** 🍓
12.2s594 output tokens

Debug This Error

I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…

Claude Opus 4.6

# Understanding the Error The error `Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` means that **`users` is `undefined`** when the component renders. You're trying to call `.map()` on a value that doesn't exist yet. This typically happens when: - The parent component doesn't pass the `users` prop - The data is being fetched asynchronously and hasn't loaded yet - The prop name is misspelled ## Solutions ### 1. Add a Default Parameter Value (Simplest Fix) ```javascript function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} </ul> ); } ``` ### 2. Add a Guard with Optional Chaining ```javascript function UserList({…
10.5s599 output tokens

Kimi K3

## What's causing it The error means `users` is `undefined` when the component renders — `.map()` only exists on arrays, so calling it on `undefined` throws. Your component code is fine; the problem is **upstream**: whatever renders `<UserList />` isn't passing a valid array. The most common culprit is **async data fetching with uninitialized state** in the parent: ```jsx function App() { const [users, setUsers] = useState(); // ← undefined! useEffect(() => { fetch('/api/users') .then(res => res.json()) .then(setUsers); }, []); return <UserList users={users} />; // undefined on first render } ``` The component renders *before* the fetch resolves, so `users` is `…
47.5s1756 output tokens

Code Review

Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…

Claude Opus 4.6

# Code Review: `get_data` Function ## Original Issues Identified 1. **Imports inside function** – reduces clarity and adds per-call overhead 2. **Bare `except`** – catches everything including `KeyboardInterrupt` and `SystemExit` 3. **`== True` comparison** – non-Pythonic 4. **Manual list building** – could use a list comprehension 5. **No logging** – failures happen silently 6. **No response validation** – assumes JSON is always a list of dicts with specific keys 7. **Magic numbers** – `timeout=10`, `sleep(2)` unexplained 8. **Vague function/variable names** – `r`, `data`, `get_data` --- ## Improved Version ```python import logging import time from typing import Any import requests fr…
19.9s1223 output tokens

Kimi K3

This works, but there are several issues worth addressing. Here's a breakdown, followed by an improved version. ## Issues ### Correctness & best practices 1. **Bare `except:`** — catches *everything*, including `KeyboardInterrupt` and programming bugs like `KeyError` on a malformed item (which then get pointlessly retried). Catch `requests.RequestException` specifically. 2. **Silent failures** — errors are swallowed with no logging, and returning `[]` makes "API is down" indistinguishable from "no active items." At minimum, log; ideally, raise after the final attempt. 3. **Retrying non-retryable errors** — a 400/401/404 will never succeed on retry, but the code sleeps and retries anyway. O…
57.6s8060 output tokens

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Opus 4.6 or Kimi K3?
Per 1M output tokens, Claude Opus 4.6 is ¥4,200 and Kimi K3 is ¥2,680.5 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Kimi K3 is cheaper.
How do the context windows of Claude Opus 4.6 and Kimi K3 compare?
Claude Opus 4.6 takes 1,000,000 tokens; Kimi K3 takes 1,048,576.
Which ranks higher, Claude Opus 4.6 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 ranks higher on the public arena (Claude Opus 4.6 #16, Kimi K3 #4). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
Can I use Claude Opus 4.6 and Kimi K3 with the same API key?
Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "anthropic-claude-opus-4-6" or "kimi-k3" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.

Try both on one API key

Create an account and add credit to call Claude Opus 4.6 and Kimi K3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.

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