The Kimi Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Kimi in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Kimi

The Insider’s Guide

AI assistant and agent for research, slides, documents and code

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Kimi’s own pages.

Made by Moonshot AI · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com

3.0GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Kimi’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Kimi’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

3.0

GPA, above 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade

Kimi is Moonshot AI's assistant for chat, deep research and agent tasks that produce slides, documents, spreadsheets and websites. Kimi Work on the desktop works with local files and a browser agent, Agent Swarm runs subtasks in parallel, and Kimi Code brings the same models into the terminal and IDEs. A free tier called Adagio sits below four paid plans: Plus, Pro, Max and Ultra.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Kimi, taken from its own pages and our grades.

You ask in chat and it does the legwork.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for turning research into slides and reports
Kimi is Moonshot AI's assistant for turning research into finished files: slides, a report, a spreadsheet or a website, with Agent Swarm splitting big jobs across sub-agents.
2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month, billed annually ($180), or $19 billed monthly.
3
There is a free plan
Adagio plan: 1 concurrent agent task, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 widget tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage.
4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
5
Deep Research and Agent Swarm
Runs research as an agent task. Agent Swarm splits large jobs such as literature reviews or long industry reports across parallel sub-agents.
6
Slides, documents and spreadsheets
Generates formatted presentations in the visual style of references you upload, and its Office agent works across PPT, Word, Excel and PDF files.
7
Kimi Work on the desktop
The desktop app reads and creates files in local folders, automates web tasks with a browser agent and adds dashboards, plugins and scheduled tasks.
8
A 3.0 GPA, above 39 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
To replace Kimi you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Kimi at a glance

Pricing: Free plan, from $15 per month, billed annually ($180), or $19 billed monthly
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: None stated
Runs on: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
Made by: Moonshot AI, since 2023
Category: AI Assistants
Our grade: 3.0 GPA, very good
Store rating: 4.7 on the App Store, 5,249 ratings

The report card

Best for turning research into slides and reports

Kimi is Moonshot AI's assistant for turning research into finished files: slides, a report, a spreadsheet or a website, with Agent Swarm splitting big jobs across sub-agents. The free plan runs 1 agent task at a time with 2 projects, Deep Research needs Plus at $15 a month billed annually, and Goal mode and the 1M-token context sit on plans from $31 to $79.

ToolGPA report cardKimiGraded Oct 10, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	C	Plus is $15 a month billed annually, which is $180 up front, or $19 monthly. That's the dear end of this category. Goal mode waits for Pro at $31, and the 1M-token context for Max at $79.
Free plan and trial	C	Adagio, the free plan, is tight: 1 agent task at a time, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage. Kimi Code and website deployment are marked paid, and Deep Research and Swarm are listed on Plus.
Features	B	Deep Research as an agent task, Agent Swarm splitting big jobs across sub-agents, and the results handed back as slides, Word and Excel files or a website. Add scheduled tasks, a desktop app that works on your own files, and Kimi Code. The job's covered.
Ease of use	A	4.7 from about 5,200 App Store ratings. You ask in chat and it does the legwork. One thing to know: Work mode conversations stay on the desktop where you made them, and only Chat mode syncs to the web and your phone.
Platforms and integrations	A	Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and extensions for Chrome and Edge, with Kimi Code in VS Code, Cursor, Zed and JetBrains. Kimi Work needs Windows or an Apple-silicon Mac, and on Intel Macs the desktop app is chat only.

Grade point averageVery good, out of 4.03.0

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Kimi is for

Fits if you need research turned into a slide deck, a report or a spreadsheet
Works for developers who want a coding agent in the terminal or IDE

Who it is not for

Tight if you're staying free, with 1 agent task at a time, 2 projects, 500MB of storage and no Deep Research
Skip it if you have an Intel Mac and want Kimi Work, as the desktop app is chat only there
Pricey if you want Goal mode, from Pro at $31 a month, or the 1M-token context, from Max at $79, both billed annually
Watch out: Work mode chats stay on the desktop where you made them, and only Chat mode syncs to web and phone
Watch out: Plus is $180 paid up front for the year, or $19 a month billed monthly

Good to know

Good for

Turning research into slide decks, reports and spreadsheets
Agent work that runs many subtasks in parallel
Developers who want a coding agent in the terminal or IDE

Worth knowing

The free Adagio plan is limited to 1 concurrent agent task, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage.
Goal mode and Kimi Claw deployment start at Pro, and the 1M-token context is listed only on Max and Ultra.
Kimi Work runs on Windows and Apple-silicon Macs; on Intel-based Macs the desktop app supports Kimi Chat only.
Work mode conversations stay on the desktop where they were created; only Chat mode conversations sync to web and mobile.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$15

A month to start. There is a free plan too

Kimi has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed annually ($180), or $19 billed monthly.

Kimi Code and website deployment are marked paid, and Deep Research and Swarm are listed on Plus.

From our grade for free plan and trial

Adagio
$0
1 concurrent agent task, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage.
Plus
$15
per month, billed annually ($180); $19 billed monthly
More agent credits, 2 concurrent agent tasks, Deep Research, website deployment, Kimi Code, Swarm, 10 scheduled tasks and 20GB of project storage.
Pro
$31
per month, billed annually ($372); $39 billed monthly
2x agent credits, Goal mode, one-click Kimi Claw deployment, 15 scheduled tasks and 20 projects.
Max
$79
per month, billed annually ($948); $99 billed monthly
5x agent credits, up to 1M tokens of context, 20 scheduled tasks, 100 projects and 50GB of project storage.
Ultra
$159
per month, billed annually ($1,908); $199 billed monthly
10x agent credits, 4 concurrent agent tasks, 25 scheduled tasks, 100 projects and 50GB of project storage.

The free plan

Adagio plan: 1 concurrent agent task, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 widget tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage.

Read from kimi.com on Oct 5, 2026.

Ways to pay less

Annual discount
Up to $480 a year off with annual billing
Kimi's pricing page prices annual billing at $15, $31, $79 and $159 a month against $19, $39, $99 and $199 billed monthly, and states a saving of up to $480.
Stated on kimi.com

What the app costs elsewhere

Each country’s App Store price for “Moderato”, against $19.00 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.

Country	Price there	In dollars	Against the US
Turkey	₺799,99	$16.27	14% less
Indonesia	Rp 299ribu	$16.72	12% less
Canada	$25.00	$17.57	8% less
Philippines	₱ 1,190.00	$18.94	about the same
Brazil	R$ 119,90	$23.96	26% more
South Africa	R399.99	$24.19	27% more
Germany	22,00 €	$24.65	30% more
United Kingdom	£19.00	$25.12	32% more

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Browser extension

AI assistant and agent for research, slides, documents and code. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, chat assistant, AI agents, app builder, research, presentations.

Add scheduled tasks, a desktop app that works on your own files, and Kimi Code.

From our grade for features

Deep Research and Agent Swarm: Runs research as an agent task. Agent Swarm splits large jobs such as literature reviews or long industry reports across parallel sub-agents.
Slides, documents and spreadsheets: Generates formatted presentations in the visual style of references you upload, and its Office agent works across PPT, Word, Excel and PDF files.
Kimi Work on the desktop: The desktop app reads and creates files in local folders, automates web tasks with a browser agent and adds dashboards, plugins and scheduled tasks.
Website building: Builds a website from a prompt. Paid plans include website deployment, and the plan cards list publishing sites with database support.
Kimi Code: A coding agent for the terminal and for IDEs including VS Code, Cursor, Zed and JetBrains. The pricing table marks it as available on the paid plans.
Scheduled tasks and plugins: Scheduled tasks run automatically and push results: 2 on Adagio, rising to 25 on Ultra. Plugins connect professional financial and economic databases.

Where it runs

Web
macOS
Windows
iOS
Android
Browser extension

What it works with

VS Code
Cursor
Zed
JetBrains
Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge

Kimi is made by Moonshot AI, and has been around since 2023.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

39/57

Other AI assistants it is graded above

Kimi's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 45 of 57) and worst on value for money (C, above 5).

Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 29 of the 38 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Kimi’s own letter is outlined.

CValue for money
Above 5 of 57
CFree plan and trial
Above 5 of 57
BFeatures
Above 28 of 57
AEase of use
Above 44 of 57
APlatforms and integrations
Above 45 of 57

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Kimi is the marked dot.

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Kimi you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade. It costs $180 a year.

What you could not

An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
A library of papers and sources to search.
A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
A slide editor.
Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
It plugs into other products, VS Code, Cursor and Zed among them, and has an API.
The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Kimi’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Qwen Studio and Z.ai

The 5 tools Kimi is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- Only Kimi lists a browser extension.
- Only ChatGPT lists a Linux app.
- Kimi also covers AI agents, app builder, research and presentations.
Kimi and ChatGPT compared in full
3.0GPA
Claude
Free plan · from $17/mo
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis and coding.
- Only Claude lists a Linux app.
- Kimi also covers AI agents, app builder, research and presentations.
- Claude also covers AI search.
Kimi and Claude compared in full
3.0GPA
DeepSeek
Free
Free AI chat assistant built on DeepSeek's openly released models.
- Only Kimi lists a browser extension.
- DeepSeek is open source, according to its own site.
- Kimi also covers app builder, research and presentations.
Kimi and DeepSeek compared in full
2.4GPA
Qwen Studio
Free plan
Alibaba Cloud's chat app for the Qwen family of AI models.
- Only Kimi lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Kimi lists a browser extension.
- Kimi also covers AI agents, app builder, research and presentations.
Kimi and Qwen Studio compared in full
2.6GPA
Z.ai
Free plan · from $12.60/mo
Chat assistant and agent built on Z.ai's GLM models.
- Only Kimi lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Kimi lists a browser extension.
- Kimi also covers research.
Kimi and Z.ai compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Kimi free?

Kimi has a free plan. Adagio plan: 1 concurrent agent task, 2 scheduled tasks, 2 widget tasks, 2 projects and 500MB of project storage.

How much does Kimi cost?

Kimi lists 5 plans. Adagio: $0.

What platforms does Kimi work on?

Kimi is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Kimi offer any discounts?

Kimi publicly lists the following: Up to $480 a year off with annual billing.

How is Kimi rated?

Kimi's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5,249 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Kimi have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Kimi is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Is Kimi open source?

Kimi is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Kimi have an API?

Yes. Kimi offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Kimi integrate with?

Kimi's listing names VS Code, Cursor, Zed, JetBrains, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Who makes Kimi?

Kimi is made by Moonshot AI. It dates from 2023.

What are the alternatives to Kimi?

The closest alternatives to Kimi in our directory are ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Qwen Studio and Z.ai.

How does Kimi compare with other AI assistants?

Kimi's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 39 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 8.

Is Kimi good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Kimi C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 29 of the 38 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Kimi?

To replace Kimi you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Kimi’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kimi's own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. A fresh look at its pricing page on 9 October 2026 got back a page with no readable prices, so they could not be compared again. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-01.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Moonshot AI. Prices change, so check kimi.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

3,189

Tools graded, in 94 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Kimi: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/kimi

Know someone choosing between AI assistants?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/kimi/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded AI assistants after Kimi, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Kimi’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Kimi is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Moonshot AI. Prices and plans change: check kimi.com before you buy.