GPT-6.1 Sol vs Kimi K3
GPT-6.1 Sol scores higher on the Models at Work leaderboard (82 vs 60 out of 100). Kimi K3 is about 1.7× cheaper per blended million tokens ($2.31 vs $4, one figure an Artificial Analysis estimate). On Artificial Analysis' independent Intelligence Index, GPT-6.1 Sol leads 52 to 44.
| GPT-6.1 Sol · OpenAI | Kimi K3 · Moonshot | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaderboard rank | #5 | #11 |
| Score (0–100) | 82 | 60 |
| Tier | Workhorse | Open weights |
| Price per 1M tokens | $2 in · $10 out | $2.31 blended (estimate) |
| Context window | 1M | Not verified |
| Open weights | No | Yes |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index | 52 | 44 |
| Humanity's Sixth Sense (Scale) | 46.6 | — |
| Arena text score | — | 1488 |
| Best for | OpenAI-standardised teams, Agents API and Decisions API, Cost-controlled reasoning | Self-hosting, Open-licence requirements, Arena-style chat quality |
Choose GPT-6.1 Sol if…
- you need openai-standardised teams
- you need agents api and decisions api
- you need cost-controlled reasoning
Near-Astra intelligence at a fifth of the price, which is OpenAI's own line and, for once, the index agrees.
Choose Kimi K3 if…
- you need self-hosting
- you need open-licence requirements
- you need arena-style chat quality
The highest-placed open-licence model on Arena, and the one most teams have not tried yet.
Caveats: Price is Artificial Analysis' blended figure, not a vendor list price; context not verified from a primary source.
What practitioners say
GPT-6.1 Sol: The launch thread's title did the arguing: 'near-Astra for a fifth of the price' drew 955 comments, most of them about routing.
Questions people ask
Which is better, GPT-6.1 Sol or Kimi K3?
GPT-6.1 Sol scores higher on the Models at Work leaderboard (82 vs 60 out of 100). Kimi K3 is about 1.7× cheaper per blended million tokens ($2.31 vs $4, one figure an Artificial Analysis estimate). On Artificial Analysis' independent Intelligence Index, GPT-6.1 Sol leads 52 to 44.
When should I choose GPT-6.1 Sol over Kimi K3?
Choose GPT-6.1 Sol for openai-standardised teams, agents api and decisions api, cost-controlled reasoning. Near-Astra intelligence at a fifth of the price, which is OpenAI's own line and, for once, the index agrees.
When should I choose Kimi K3 over GPT-6.1 Sol?
Choose Kimi K3 for self-hosting, open-licence requirements, arena-style chat quality. The highest-placed open-licence model on Arena, and the one most teams have not tried yet.
Which is cheaper, GPT-6.1 Sol or Kimi K3?
GPT-6.1 Sol costs $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens on OpenAI's list price (OpenAI API pricing, read Oct 10, 2026). Moonshot does not publish a simple list price for Kimi K3; Artificial Analysis estimates a blended $2.31 per million tokens (three input to one output).
Scores come from the Models at Work leaderboard: Score is 0 to 100: 50% independent evals normalised within this table, 20% price-performance, 15% practitioner sentiment from Signals and community threads, 15% operational fit (context, speed, availability, open weights). Models within three points are a tie in practice. Vendor-published figures are labelled as such and never counted as independent. Prices are vendor list prices where published; blended figures assume three input tokens per output token.