Gemini 3.5 Flash vs Kimi K3
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
Gemini 3.5 Flash (Google) 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
 Gemini 3.5 Flash |  Kimi K3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Moonshot | |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥268.05 | ¥536.1 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥1,608.3 | ¥2,680.5 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥1,072 | ¥1,876 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 5/19/2026 | 7/16/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image, video, file, audio | text, image |
| Arena · overall | #18 · ELO 1,476 | #11 · ELO 1,486 |
| Arena · Japanese | #20 · ELO 1,456 | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #45 · ELO 1,507 | #8 · ELO 1,530 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Gemini 3.5 Flash: ¥1,608.3 per 1M output tokens, 40% less than Kimi K3.
- On the Overall arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#11; Gemini 3.5 Flash is #18).
- On the Coding arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#8; Gemini 3.5 Flash is #45).
- 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.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
There are **3** 'r's in the word "strawberry".
Here is the step-by-step breakdown of how to count them:
1. **Break the word down into its individual letters:**
* 1st letter: **s**
* 2nd letter: **t**
* 3rd letter: **r** (First 'r')
* 4th letter: **a**
* 5th letter: **w**
* 6th letter: **b**
* 7th letter: **e**
* 8th letter: **r** (Second 'r')
* 9th letter: **r** (Third 'r')
* 10th letter: **y**
2. **Identify and count only the 'r's:**
* s - t - **r** (1) - a - w - b - e - **r** (2) - **r** (3) - y
By counting them as we go through the word, we find a total of **3** 'r's.
4.8s601 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…
Gemini 3.5 Flash
### What is causing this error?
The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` means that your `UserList` component is trying to call `.map()` on the `users` variable, but **`users` is currently `undefined`**.
This usually happens for one of two reasons:
1. **The parent component forgot to pass the prop:** `<UserList />` was rendered without the `users` attribute.
2. **Asynchronous data fetching:** The parent component fetches the users from an API, but the API request hasn't finished yet when the component first renders, so `users` starts as `undefined`.
---
### How to fix it
Here are the three best ways to fix this, depending on how you want your UI to beh…
11.2s1524 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):…
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Here is a review of your function, followed by two improved versions (one that keeps your structure but makes it Pythonic, and one production-ready version that uses industry best practices).
---
### Key Areas for Improvement
1. **Imports inside the function:** `import requests` and `import time` should be at the top of the file (PEP 8). Keeping them inside the function slows down execution if the function is called repeatedly.
2. **Bare `except:` clause:** Using `except:` without specifying an exception type is a major anti-pattern. It catches things you don't want to catch, like `KeyboardInterrupt` (Ctrl+C) or `SystemExit`. It should target `requests.RequestException`.
3. **Implicit `Tr…
19.7s2975 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
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.5 Flash or Kimi K3?
- Per 1M output tokens, Gemini 3.5 Flash is ¥1,608.3 and Kimi K3 is ¥2,680.5 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Gemini 3.5 Flash is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Gemini 3.5 Flash and Kimi K3 compare?
- Gemini 3.5 Flash takes 1,048,576 tokens; Kimi K3 takes 1,048,576.
- Which ranks higher, Gemini 3.5 Flash or Kimi K3?
- Kimi K3 ranks higher on the public arena (Gemini 3.5 Flash #20, Kimi K3 #11). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Gemini 3.5 Flash and Kimi K3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gemini-3.5-flash" 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 Gemini 3.5 Flash and Kimi K3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.