This model is deprecated. We only continue performance benchmarking for the default 10k input token workload. Results for other workloads are historical and no longer updated.
Kimi has launched a newer model, Kimi K2.5. We suggest considering it instead.
For more information, see comparison of Kimi K2.5 to other models and API provider benchmarks for Kimi K2.5.
Kimi K2 Thinking API Provider Benchmarking & Analysis
This analysis is intended to support you in choosing the best API provider of Kimi K2 Thinking for your use-case.
Fastest
Google Vertex
Azure
Amazon
NovitaOutput speed
Total 4 providers
Lowest Latency
Google VertexAzureAmazonNovitaTime to first answer token
Total 4 providers
Lowest Price
NovitaAmazonAzureGoogle VertexBlended price (per 1M tokens)
Total 4 providers
Kimi K2 Thinking is available through 4 API providers, each offering different performance characteristics and pricing. Below is a comparison of the key metrics across providers.
- For output speed, the top providers are Google Vertex (220.4 t/s), Azure (176.0 t/s), and Amazon (118.4 t/s). Speed varies significantly across providers, with a 452% difference between the fastest and slowest.
- For latency, Google Vertex (9.84s), Azure (13.33s), and Amazon (18.31s) offer the lowest time to first answer token.
- For pricing, Novita (0.79), Amazon (0.79), and Azure (0.79) offer the lowest blended prices per 1M tokens.
- Google Vertex offers the best performance with both the highest speed and lowest latency. For cost optimization, Novita provides the most competitive pricing.
Highlights
Pricing
Pricing: Cache Hit, Input, and Output
Pricing: Blended Price
Output Speed vs. Price
Speed
Measured by Output Speed (tokens per second)
Output Speed: Kimi K2 Thinking
Latency vs. Output Speed
Latency
Measured by Time (seconds) to First Token
Time to First Answer Token
End-to-End Response Time
Seconds to output 500 tokens, calculated based on time to first token, 'thinking' time for reasoning models, and output speed
End-to-End Response Time
Key Comparison Metrics & API Features
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kimi K2 Thinking providers
Kimi K2 Thinking is available through 4 API providers: Novita, Amazon, Azure, and Google Vertex. Each provider offers different performance characteristics and pricing.
Kimi K2 Thinking is currently available through 4 API providers that we benchmark and track.
The fastest providers for Kimi K2 Thinking by output speed are Google Vertex (220.4 t/s), Azure (176.0 t/s), and Amazon (118.4 t/s). Output speed measures how quickly tokens are generated after the model starts responding.
The providers with the lowest time to first answer token for Kimi K2 Thinking are Google Vertex (9.84s), Azure (13.33s), and Amazon (18.31s). Lower latency means faster initial response time.
Output speed for Kimi K2 Thinking varies significantly across providers. Google Vertex is the fastest at 220.4 t/s, which is 5.5x faster than Novita at 39.9 t/s.
3 of 4 providers support JSON mode for Kimi K2 Thinking: Novita, Azure, and Google Vertex.
All 4 providers of Kimi K2 Thinking support function calling (tool use).
For Kimi K2 Thinking, Google Vertex offers the best performance with highest speed and lowest latency. For cost optimization, Novita provides the most competitive pricing.
When choosing a provider for Kimi K2 Thinking, consider: output speed (for throughput-intensive tasks), latency (for interactive applications requiring quick first responses), pricing (for cost-sensitive workloads), and API features like JSON mode or function calling.
Yes, provider performance can vary over time due to infrastructure changes, load balancing, and updates. We continuously benchmark all providers and display historical performance trends in the "Over Time" charts.
For information about Kimi K2 Thinking's intelligence, capabilities, modalities, and how it compares to other models, see the model overview page. View model overview