Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Kimi K3 256K
Kimi K3 256K leads overall, D+ to F. Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 12x cheaper per task. By suite, Kimi K3 256K takes real-world issues (C- to D-) and spec planning (C- to F). Take Claude Haiku 4.5 anyway when you want the side that is cheaper per task and faster on real-world issues.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 Claude Haiku 4.5
Kimi K3 256K leads overall, D+ to F. By suite: Kimi K3 256K takes real-world issues, C- to D- (60% vs 37% capability); Kimi K3 256K takes spec planning, C- to F (56% vs 21% capability); vibe coding is even at F (22% vs 34% capability). Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 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, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 12x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.146). Claude Haiku 4.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 3m 8s against 3m 31s. Both finished every task on it. Reasons to pick Claude Haiku 4.5 anyway: it is cheaper per task ($0.012 vs $0.146) and it is faster on real-world issues (3m 8s vs 3m 31s median).
Changed since W39: Claude Haiku 4.5: real-world issues D+ to D-; 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 | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Kimi K3 256K | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 37% | 60% | +23% (Kimi K3 256K leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 8s | 3m 31s | 23s faster (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.126 / task | $0.110 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 8.0% of Claude Max 5x (8.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 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.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 1826 vs Kimi K3 256K 140 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 18.26 vs 3.60 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Kimi K3 256K | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 21% | 56% | +35% (Kimi K3 256K leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 8s | 5m 26s | 3m 18s faster (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.002 / task | $0.224 / task | $0.223 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 1.0% of Claude Max 5x (1.0% / 5h) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Kimi K3 256K: 52.0% of Kimi Allegretto (52.0% / 5h, 10.0% / 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.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 14610 vs Kimi K3 256K 281 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 146.10 vs 7.20 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Kimi K3 256K | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 22% | 34% | +12% (Kimi K3 256K leads) |
| Median task time | 4m 4s | 7m 33s | 3m 29s faster (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.009 / task | $0.233 / task | $0.225 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 1.3% of Claude Max 5x (1.3% / 5h) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 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.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 11688 vs Kimi K3 256K 1107 good solves per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 116.88 vs 28.38 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
Grades and deltas are comparable only within a suite version. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for coding, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Kimi K3 256K?
Kimi K3 256K clears higher: tier 4 of 5 versus tier 2 for Claude Haiku 4.5 on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-09-28.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Kimi K3 256K?
Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 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, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 12x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.146).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Kimi K3 256K?
Claude Haiku 4.5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 18.26 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 3.60 for Kimi K3 256K (at $100/month priced 2026-07-20, and $39/month priced 2026-07-20). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike raw quota shares they are comparable across plans.
What do Claude Haiku 4.5 and Kimi K3 256K cost a month?
Claude Haiku 4.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-20). Kimi K3 256K runs on Kimi Allegretto at $39/month (public price as of 2026-07-20).