Kimi K3 vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
Kimi K3 (Moonshot) and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (Meta), 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
 Kimi K3 |  Llama 3.1 8B Instruct | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Moonshot | Meta |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥504 | ¥8.94 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥2,520 | ¥14.3 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥1,764 | ¥16 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Release date | 7/16/2026 | 7/23/2024 |
| Input modalities | text, image | text |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #17 · ELO 1,485 | #329 · ELO 1,211 |
| Arena · Japanese | #2 · ELO 1,511 | #243 · ELO 1,087 |
| Arena · coding | #7 · ELO 1,538 | #323 · ELO 1,260 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct: ¥14.3 per 1M output tokens, 99% less than Kimi K3.
- On the Overall arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#17; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #329).
- On the Japanese arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#2; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #243).
- On the Coding arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#7; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #323).
- For long documents, Kimi K3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 131,072 for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
- 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.
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
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
To count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry', I will break down the word into its individual letters and examine each one. Here's the step-by-step process:
1. The word 'strawberry' consists of the following letters: s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y.
2. I will start by counting the letters that are not 'r'. The word has 1 's', 1 't', 1 'a', 1 'w', 1 'b', 1 'e', 1 'y'.
3. Next, I will count the number of 'r's. The word has 2 'r's, one of which is part of the letter combination 'rr'.
Therefore, there are 2 'r's in the word 'strawberry'.
9.7s169 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…
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
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` typically occurs when you're trying to access a property (in this case, `map`) on an object that is `undefined`.
In your case, the `users` prop passed to the `UserList` component is `undefined`. This is likely because the parent component that renders `UserList` is not passing the `users` prop, or the prop is not being properly initialized.
To fix this error, you can add a simple check to ensure that `users` is not `undefined` before trying to call `map` on it:
```javascript
function UserList({ users }) {
if (!users) return null; // or return a default message, e.g. "No users found"
return (
<ul>
{us…
7.9s292 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):…
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
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Here are some suggestions for improving the function's readability, performance, and best practices:
**Readability Improvements**
1. **Function name**: Consider renaming `get_data` to `fetch_active_items` to better reflect its purpose.
2. **Variable naming**: Use more descriptive variable names, such as `response` instead of `r`, and `active_items` instead of `result`.
3. **Code organization**: Break up the function into smaller, more focused sections. This will improve readability and make it easier to understand the logic.
4. **Type hints**: Add type hints for function parameters and return types to make the code more self-documenting.
**Performance Improvements**
1. **Use a more effic…
29.7s533 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Kimi K3 or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
- Per 1M output tokens, Kimi K3 is ¥2,520 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is ¥14.3 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Kimi K3 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct compare?
- Kimi K3 takes 1,048,576 tokens; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct takes 131,072.
- Which ranks higher, Kimi K3 or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
- Kimi K3 ranks higher on the public arena (Kimi K3 #2, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct #243). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Kimi K3 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "kimi-k3" or "llama-3.1-8b-instruct" 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 Kimi K3 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.