Kimi API Platform

What is Kimi API Platform?

The Kimi API Platform, also called the Kimi Open Platform, is where developers call Moonshot AI's Kimi language models over an API. The newest model is K3.1 Pro, with native visual understanding, a 1M-token context window and a focus on coding, 3D creation, financial research and modeling; a Highspeed variant runs about three times faster at a higher rate, and the earlier K3 model remains available. Billing is pay-as-you-go per million tokens, with separate prices for input, output, cache writes and cache hits, and no subscription plan. You top up a balance by WeChat Pay or Alipay, or via sales for business accounts, and rate limits rise with cumulative recharge. Official plug-and-play tools include web search, memory, Excel analysis, a Python code runner, a QuickJS runner and URL fetch. It suits teams building coding agents, research tools and assistants.

Use cases

• Build autonomous coding agents
• Run long-context document analysis
• Add web search to an LLM app
• Automate contract and patent review
• Analyze conversation data at scale
• Create financial research assistants

Who it's for

• AI developers
• Startups
• Enterprise engineering teams
• Researchers

Why use Kimi API Platform

• Pay-as-you-go billing means no subscription and you pay only for the tokens you use.
• Flat per-token pricing with no tiering by context length keeps K3.1 Pro costs predictable.
• Context caching lowers the cost of repeated prefixes, with cache hits priced well below fresh input.
• Built-in tools such as web search, memory and code execution save you from wiring up separate services.
• Daily project budgets and balance alerts help control spend when coding tools retry heavily.

Kimi API Platform features

• Kimi K3.1 Pro with native visual understanding
• K3.1 Pro Highspeed variant at about 3x the speed
• 1M-token context window on K3 series models
• Automatic context caching with 5-minute and 1-hour TTL tiers
• Tool calling
• Official web search tool with cited sources
• Memory tool for conversation history and preferences
• Excel and CSV analysis tool
• Python and QuickJS code runners
• Project daily spending budgets and balance alerts

Kimi API Platform integrations

• Tencent CodeBuddy
• Verdent
• KiloClaw
• WeChat Pay
• Alipay

How to get started with Kimi API Platform

1. Create an account on platform.kimi.ai and recharge at least $1 to start using the API.
2. Create an API key and choose a model such as kimi-k3.1-pro or the Highspeed variant.
3. Send requests, optionally enabling tool calling and official tools like web search or the code runner.
4. Repeated request prefixes are cached automatically, and billing is split into input, output and cache charges.
5. Raise rate limits by topping up further or by submitting the rate-limit increase form, and set daily budgets in project settings.

Kimi API Platform limitations

• A minimum recharge of $1 is needed to start, with higher rate limits tied to cumulative top-ups
• Vouchers do not count toward the cumulative recharge total used for rate-limit tiers
• K2 series models close to new users from October 31, 2026 and are planned to retire by the end of December 2026
• Online top-ups for individuals use WeChat Pay and Alipay QR codes
• Account deletion is not currently supported

Kimi API Platform pricing

Kimi API Platform has no free plan. Plans start at $2 usage-based, according to the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026.

Kimi API Platform plans

• K3.1 Pro

  $2.00 input /$10.00 output per MTok

  pay as you go

  • Cache write $2.00 per MTok
  • Cache hit $0.20 per MTok
  • 1M-token context

• K3.1 Pro Highspeed

  $4.00 input /$20.00 output per MTok

  pay as you go

  • Cache write $4.00 per MTok
  • Cache hit $0.20 per MTok
  • About 3x the speed of K3.1 Pro

• K3

  $3.00 input /$15.00 output per MTok

  pay as you go

  • Cache write $3.00 per MTok
  • Cache hit $0.30 per MTok
  • 1M-token context

Plans as listed on the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026. Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Kimi API Platform alternatives

The main Kimi API Platform alternatives listed on Debuly are OpenAI API, DeepSeek API, OpenRouter, Browserbase, Cognee and E2B. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   Browserbase

   Cloud platform of headless browsers, search and fetch APIs and agent runtime for building AI agents that browse and act on the web.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   FreemiumVisit Browserbase (official site)
2. 

   Cognee

   Open-source memory engine for AI agents that combines vector search, knowledge graphs and relational storage, with a hosted cloud.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsResearch and search
   FreemiumVisit Cognee (official site)
3. 

   DeepSeek API

   Pay-per-token API for DeepSeek V4 models with a 1M-token context, thinking modes, tool calls and OpenAI or Anthropic formats.

   Developer platformsCoding
   PaidVisit DeepSeek API (official site)
4. 

   E2B

   Cloud sandboxes where AI agents run code safely, with Python and JavaScript SDKs and per-second usage billing.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   FreemiumVisit E2B (official site)
5. 

   OpenAI API

   Developer API for OpenAI's GPT models, image generation, realtime voice and transcription, priced per million tokens with batch and flex options.

   Developer platformsCodingAudio and voice
   PaidVisit OpenAI API (official site)
6. 

   OpenRouter

   Unified OpenAI-compatible API for 500+ AI models with provider fallbacks, pay-as-you-go credits and a free tier

   Developer platformsChat assistantsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit OpenRouter (official site)

Kimi API Platform FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from platform.kimi.ai · fetched 24 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

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