Electricity Bench

ChatGPT Go vs Kimi Moderato

ChatGPT Go is our pick of the entry band. Kimi Moderato costs $19/mo, 2.4x ChatGPT Go's $8/mo.

Our verdict

The OpenAI ladder. Every paid ChatGPT rung runs the same Codex CLI and the same GPT 5.6 models; upgrading changes the weekly allowance and nothing else. Plus is already the lightest quota burn we measure, about 3% of its window per real-world run, so the upper rungs sell headroom most people never touch.

The Moonshot AI ladder. Every Kimi tier runs the same open-weight K3 on the same credit mechanics, and the rungs are credit multiples of the $19 tier (roughly 2x, 5x and 10x its allowance). Pick a rung by how much you will use; the model is identical everywhere.

ChatGPT Go is our pick of the entry band.

ChatGPT Go is for a cheap first step onto Codex; Kimi Moderato is for sampling Kimi before committing.

Kimi Moderato costs $19/mo, 2.4x ChatGPT Go's $8/mo.

We have not measured ChatGPT Go on its own plan; its card below points at the closest graded evidence.

We have not measured Kimi Moderato on its own plan; its card below points at the closest graded evidence.

OpenAIOur pick

ChatGPT Go

$8/mo per chatgpt.com/pricing, 2026-08-12

Go exists to get you onto the Codex ladder for $8. It runs the same CLI family as Plus, so nothing changes when you upgrade except the limit, and the limit is what you will notice first.

Pros

  • The cheapest way onto the Codex ladder
  • Same CLI family as Plus

Cons

  • Tight enough that you will soon want Plus
  • A stepping stone, not a home

Best for A cheap first step onto Codex.

How far it goes: we have not measured this plan

Same Codex CLI family as ChatGPT Plus with tighter limits - the Plus scorecards are the closest evidence.

The leaderboard lists every plan we do grade.

Moonshot AI

Kimi Moderato

$19/mo per kimi.com/pricing, 2026-08-12

A small allowance of a model heading the wrong way. K3 does less with the same prompts than it did a few months ago, and the $19 tier's credits were always the first thing in the Kimi family to run out.

Pros

  • The cheapest way to sample K3
  • Long context is still a real strength

Cons

  • Credits drain fast at this size
  • K3 does less than it did a few months ago

Best for Sampling Kimi before committing.

How far it goes: we have not measured this plan

No graded Kimi subject at the moment; see the leaderboard for graded alternatives.

The leaderboard lists every plan we do grade.

Verdicts and prices are the quiz's versioned editorial catalog, last reviewed 2026-08-20; usage figures come from our own published runs and stay a share of each plan's own allowance. Any other pair composes on the subscription comparison, and the quiz turns your answers into a recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

Which should I pick, ChatGPT Go or Kimi Moderato?

ChatGPT Go is our pick of the entry band. ChatGPT Go is for a cheap first step onto Codex; Kimi Moderato is for sampling Kimi before committing.

How much do ChatGPT Go and Kimi Moderato cost?

ChatGPT Go costs $8/month (public price as of 2026-08-12); Kimi Moderato costs $19/month (public price as of 2026-08-12).