Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Kimi K3 256K
Gemini 3.6 Flash was superseded by Gemini 3.8 Flash. The grades below are the last ones measured, so read them as history rather than as this week's board. See the current roster.
Gemini 3.6 Flash leads overall, C to D+. Gemini 3.6 Flash is about 3.8x cheaper per task. By suite, real-world issues is even at C- and Gemini 3.6 Flash takes vibe coding (C+ to F). The data gives no reason to pick Kimi K3 256K over Gemini 3.6 Flash this week.Measured
Each agent graded on the same private suites, running headless through its own tools. Advantages are oriented so a win is a win, whichever way the metric runs.
Verdict: Kimi K3 256K vs Gemini 3.6 Flash
Gemini 3.6 Flash leads overall, C to D+. By suite: real-world issues is even at C- (60% vs 60% capability); Gemini 3.6 Flash takes vibe coding, C+ to F (72% vs 34% capability). Only Kimi K3 256K has run spec planning. Gemini 3.6 Flash used 12.6% of Google AI Pro's weekly limit per pass, $0.039 per task at the listed price. Kimi K3 256K used 31% of Kimi Allegretto's weekly limit per pass, $0.146 per task at the listed price. Per task, Gemini 3.6 Flash is about 3.8x cheaper ($0.039 vs $0.146). Gemini 3.6 Flash is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 2m 17s against 3m 31s. Both finished every task on it. The data gives no reason to pick Kimi K3 256K over Gemini 3.6 Flash this week.
Changed since the previous graded week: Gemini 3.6 Flash unchanged; Kimi K3 256K: real-world issues usage 23% to 21% of the weekly limit, spec planning D+ to C-, spec planning usage 11% to 10% of the weekly limit, vibe coding usage 3% to 2.6% of the weekly limit.
| Dimension | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Kimi K3 256K | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 60% | 60% | Even |
| Median task time | 2m 17s | 3m 31s | 1m 15s faster (Gemini 3.6 Flash leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.039 / task | $0.126 / task | $0.087 / task lower (Gemini 3.6 Flash leads) |
Gemini 3.6 Flash: 12.6% of Google AI Pro (about 72.1% / 5h, 12.6% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds 6 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Kimi K3 256K: 104.0% of Kimi Allegretto (104.0% / 5h, 21.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 5 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Only Kimi K3 256K has run this suite, so there is no head-to-head yet.
| Dimension | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Kimi K3 256K | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 72% | 34% | +37% (Gemini 3.6 Flash leads) |
| Median task time | 1m 54s | 7m 33s | 5m 39s faster (Gemini 3.6 Flash leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.038 / task | $0.233 / task | $0.196 / task lower (Gemini 3.6 Flash leads) |
Gemini 3.6 Flash: 0.8% of Google AI Pro (4.9% / 5h, 0.8% / 1w) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds 6 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Kimi K3 256K: 13.2% of Kimi Allegretto (13.2% / 5h, 2.6% / 1w) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 5 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Grades and deltas are comparable only within a suite version. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for coding, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Kimi K3 256K?
They are even on our ladder: both clear tier 4 of 5 at 60% capability on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-08-10.
Which is cheaper per task, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Kimi K3 256K?
Gemini 3.6 Flash used 12.6% of Google AI Pro's weekly limit per pass, $0.039 per task at the listed price. Kimi K3 256K used 31% of Kimi Allegretto's weekly limit per pass, $0.146 per task at the listed price. Per task, Gemini 3.6 Flash is about 3.8x cheaper ($0.039 vs $0.146).