Grok 4.5 vs Kimi K2.6
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
Grok 4.5 (xAI) and Kimi K2.6 (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
 Grok 4.5 |  Kimi K2.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | Moonshot |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥357.4 | ¥169.77 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥1,072.2 | ¥714.8 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥894 | ¥527 |
| Context window | 500,000 tokens | 262,144 tokens |
| Release date | 7/8/2026 | 4/20/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image, file | text, image |
| Arena · overall | #35 · ELO 1,468 | #41 · ELO 1,461 |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | #25 · ELO 1,449 |
| Arena · coding | #28 · ELO 1,516 | #30 · ELO 1,515 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Kimi K2.6: ¥714.8 per 1M output tokens, 33% less than Grok 4.5.
- On the Overall arena board, Grok 4.5 ranks higher (#35; Kimi K2.6 is #41).
- On the Coding arena board, Grok 4.5 ranks higher (#28; Kimi K2.6 is #30).
- For long documents, Grok 4.5: a 500,000-token context window against 262,144 for Kimi K2.6.
- 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.
Grok 4.5
The word "strawberry" is spelled as follows:
**s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y**
- Position 1: **s**
- Position 2: **t**
- Position 3: **r** ← (1st "r")
- Position 4: **a**
- Position 5: **w**
- Position 6: **b**
- Position 7: **e**
- Position 8: **r** ← (2nd "r")
- Position 9: **r** ← (3rd "r")
- Position 10: **y**
There are **3** occurrences of the letter "r".
6.5s350 output tokens
Kimi K2.6
Here is the step-by-step count:
**Step 1:** Write out the word and number each letter.
1. s
2. t
3. **r** ← 1st 'r'
4. a
5. w
6. b
7. e
8. **r** ← 2nd 'r'
9. **r** ← 3rd 'r'
10. y
**Step 2:** Identify the positions containing the letter 'r'.
- The 3rd letter is **r**
- The 8th letter is **r**
- The 9th letter is **r**
**Step 3:** Tally the total.
There are **3** letter 'r's in "strawberry".
4.5s352 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…
Grok 4.5
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when the component renders, so calling `.map()` on it fails.
This commonly happens when:
- The parent component doesn’t pass a `users` prop at all
- The data is loaded asynchronously and is still `undefined` on the first render
- The prop is accidentally set to `undefined`/`null` instead of an array
### Fixes
**1. Default to an empty array (simplest)**
```js
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
```
**2. Optional chaining (also fine)**
```js
function UserList({ users }) {
return (
<ul>
{users?.map(user => (…
7.9s507 output tokens
Kimi K2.6
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when your component renders. The `.map()` method only works on arrays, so calling it on `undefined` throws this error.
This usually happens when:
- The parent component hasn't finished fetching data yet
- The `users` prop isn't being passed at all
- The prop is misspelled in the parent component
## Quick Fix
Set a **default value** for the `users` prop:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
## Alternative Fixes
**Optional chaining** (renders nothing if undefined):
```jsx
{users?.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
```…
71.8s864 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):…
Grok 4.5
## Code Review: `get_data`
### Issues
| Area | Problem |
|------|---------|
| **Imports** | `requests` / `time` inside the function — re-imported on every call; belong at module level |
| **Exceptions** | Bare `except:` swallows `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and hides bugs |
| **Boolean check** | `item["active"] == True` is unidiomatic; truthiness is enough |
| **Loop** | Manual `for` + `append` can be a list comprehension |
| **Retries** | Sleeps on non-200 but never logs or distinguishes failure modes; unused loop variable `i` |
| **Robustness** | No guard for non-list JSON, missing keys (`KeyError`), or invalid JSON |
| **API** | Magic numbers (`timeout=10`, `sleep=2`); no docstrin…
25.3s1363 output tokens
Kimi K2.6
Here is a refactored version followed by a breakdown of the improvements.
### Refactored Function
```python
import logging
import time
from typing import Any
import requests
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
def fetch_active_items(
url: str,
*,
retries: int = 3,
timeout: float = 10.0,
backoff: float = 2.0,
) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
"""Fetch active items from an API endpoint with retry logic.
Args:
url: The API endpoint URL.
retries: Number of retry attempts for transient failures.
timeout: HTTP request timeout in seconds.
backoff: Base delay in seconds between retries (linear backoff).
Returns:
A list of activ…
17.9s4061 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Grok 4.5 or Kimi K2.6?
- Per 1M output tokens, Grok 4.5 is ¥1,072.2 and Kimi K2.6 is ¥714.8 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Kimi K2.6 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 compare?
- Grok 4.5 takes 500,000 tokens; Kimi K2.6 takes 262,144.
- Which ranks higher, Grok 4.5 or Kimi K2.6?
- Kimi K2.6 ranks higher on the public arena (Grok 4.5 #35, Kimi K2.6 #25). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "grok-4.5" or "kimi-k2.6" 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 Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.