A fast and intelligent open-licensed model with a massive context window, ideal for verbose content generation and complex instruction following, though its pricing requires careful management.
The Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct model emerges as a compelling option for developers and enterprises seeking a powerful, instruction-tuned language model with an open license. Benchmarked primarily through Parasail, this model demonstrates an impressive blend of speed and intelligence, positioning it favorably against many contemporaries. Its standout feature is arguably the colossal 1 million token context window, enabling it to process and generate exceptionally long and complex sequences of text, a capability that opens doors for advanced applications in content creation, summarization, and intricate data handling.
Performance metrics reveal Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct to be a swift performer, boasting a median output speed of 61 tokens per second and a low time-to-first-token (TTFT) latency of just 0.42 seconds. This speed, combined with its above-average intelligence score of 26 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (ranking #10 out of 33 models), makes it a strong candidate for real-time applications and high-throughput workloads where rapid, intelligent responses are paramount. However, this performance comes with a notable characteristic: verbosity. The model generated 130 million tokens during its Intelligence Index evaluation, significantly higher than the average of 8.5 million, indicating a tendency for detailed and extensive outputs.
From a cost perspective, Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct is positioned as somewhat expensive, particularly when compared to other open-weight, non-reasoning models of similar scale. With an input token price of $0.30 per 1 million tokens and an output token price of $0.60 per 1 million tokens on Parasail, its blended rate (3:1 input to output) comes to $0.38 per 1 million tokens. While these prices are above the observed averages, the model's high intelligence and speed can justify the investment for use cases where quality and performance are critical. Users will need to carefully manage prompt engineering and output length to optimize cost-efficiency, especially given its verbose nature.
Overall, Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct is a robust, open-source model from Kimi, designed for demanding text-based tasks. Its combination of an expansive context window, high speed, and strong intelligence makes it suitable for applications requiring deep contextual understanding and detailed generative capabilities. While its pricing and verbosity require strategic consideration, its strengths offer significant value for advanced AI deployments.
26 (#10 / 33 / 33)
61 tokens/s
$0.30 / 1M tokens
$0.60 / 1M tokens
130M tokens
0.42 seconds
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kimi |
| License | Open |
| Context Window | 1M tokens |
| Input Type | Text |
| Output Type | Text |
| Intelligence Index Score | 26 |
| Intelligence Index Rank | #10 / 33 |
| Output Speed (median) | 61 tokens/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 0.42 seconds |
| Input Token Price | $0.30 / 1M tokens |
| Output Token Price | $0.60 / 1M tokens |
| Blended Price (3:1) | $0.38 / 1M tokens |
| Verbosity (Intelligence Index) | 130M tokens |
| Model Type | Instruction-tuned, non-reasoning |
Choosing the right provider for Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct involves balancing performance, cost, and specific operational needs. Currently, Parasail is the primary benchmarked provider, offering a robust platform for deploying this model. When evaluating providers, consider your priorities:
| Priority | Pick | Why | Tradeoff to accept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority | Pick | Why | Tradeoff |
| Performance & Speed | Parasail | Demonstrated low latency (0.42s TTFT) and high output speed (61 tokens/s) in benchmarks. Optimized infrastructure for rapid inference. | May not be the absolute cheapest option for every use case, especially if verbosity is unmanaged. |
| Cost-Efficiency (Balanced) | Parasail | Offers a competitive blended rate ($0.38/1M tokens) for its performance tier. Good for workloads with a balanced input/output ratio. | Requires diligent prompt engineering and output control to prevent cost overruns due to verbosity. |
| Reliability & Uptime | Parasail | As an established API provider, Parasail typically offers strong uptime guarantees and robust infrastructure. | Reliance on a single provider can introduce vendor lock-in; multi-cloud strategies might be more complex. |
| Ease of Integration | Parasail | Standardized API access and documentation simplify integration into existing applications and workflows. | Less direct control over underlying hardware and software stack compared to self-hosting. |
| Large Context Workloads | Parasail | Optimized to handle the model's 1M token context window efficiently, crucial for complex tasks. | Processing very large contexts can still incur higher costs due to increased token counts, regardless of provider. |
Note: Provider recommendations are based on available benchmark data and general industry practices. Specific performance and pricing may vary based on your unique usage patterns and negotiated terms.
Understanding the real-world cost implications of Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct requires examining typical use cases. The following scenarios illustrate estimated costs based on its input ($0.30/1M) and output ($0.60/1M) token prices, highlighting how its verbosity and context window can influence expenses.
| Scenario | Input | Output | What it represents | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario | Input | Output | What it represents | Estimated Cost |
| Long-Form Content Generation | 1,000 tokens | 5,000 tokens | Drafting a detailed blog post, article, or marketing copy. Leverages verbosity for rich output. | $0.0003 + $0.003 = $0.0033 |
| Extensive Document Summarization | 50,000 tokens | 2,000 tokens | Condensing a large report or legal document into a concise summary. Utilizes the large context window. | $0.015 + $0.0012 = $0.0162 |
| Multi-Turn Chatbot Interaction | 3,000 tokens | 800 tokens | A complex customer service dialogue with historical context. Balances input context with concise responses. | $0.0009 + $0.00048 = $0.00138 |
| Code Generation & Explanation | 2,000 tokens | 1,500 tokens | Generating a complex function and providing detailed comments/explanation. Benefits from intelligence and verbosity. | $0.0006 + $0.0009 = $0.0015 |
| Data Extraction (Structured) | 10,000 tokens | 1,000 tokens | Extracting specific entities from a long unstructured text into JSON. Relies on context and instruction following. | $0.003 + $0.0006 = $0.0036 |
| Creative Writing (Story Plot) | 500 tokens | 3,000 tokens | Developing a detailed plot outline or character backstory. Leverages generative capabilities. | $0.00015 + $0.0018 = $0.00195 |
These scenarios highlight that while Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct's capabilities are powerful, its cost is heavily influenced by output length. Tasks requiring extensive generation or processing of very long inputs will naturally incur higher costs. Strategic prompt engineering to control output verbosity and efficient management of context are crucial for optimizing expenses.
Leveraging Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct effectively means not just understanding its capabilities, but also mastering strategies to optimize its cost. Given its somewhat higher token prices and verbose nature, a proactive approach to cost management is essential.
The model's verbosity is a double-edged sword. While it can provide rich, detailed outputs, it can also lead to unnecessary token consumption. Crafting precise prompts is key.
Beyond prompt engineering, programmatic controls can prevent excessive output generation, especially in dynamic or user-facing applications.
max_tokens parameter in your API calls to cap the response length.The 1M token context window is powerful, but filling it unnecessarily can increase input costs. Be strategic about what context you provide.
For non-real-time workloads, batching requests and processing them asynchronously can improve efficiency and potentially reduce costs, depending on the provider's pricing model.
Continuous monitoring of token usage and costs is crucial for identifying inefficiencies and areas for optimization.
Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct is an instruction-tuned, open-licensed large language model developed by Kimi. It's designed for text-to-text generation, excels at following complex instructions, and features an exceptionally large 1 million token context window.
It scores 26 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, placing it above the average of 22 and ranking #10 out of 33 models. This indicates strong capabilities in understanding and generating high-quality, relevant text, particularly for a non-reasoning model of its size.
While its input ($0.30/1M) and output ($0.60/1M) token prices are somewhat above average, its high intelligence, speed, and massive context window can make it cost-effective for tasks where these features are critical. However, its verbose nature means careful prompt engineering and output management are essential to control costs.
Its primary strengths include an industry-leading 1 million token context window, above-average intelligence, high output speed (61 tokens/s), low latency (0.42s TTFT), and its open-license status, offering flexibility and control to developers.
It's ideal for applications requiring deep contextual understanding, long-form content generation, complex instruction following, detailed summarization of extensive documents, and any task where a large memory of previous interactions or source material is beneficial.
With a median output speed of 61 tokens per second, Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct is faster than the average model. This makes it well-suited for applications demanding quick responses and high throughput.
Kimi Linear 48B A3B Instruct boasts an impressive 1 million token context window. This allows it to process and generate extremely long pieces of text, maintaining coherence and relevance over vast amounts of information.
The model is described as 'very verbose' because it generated 130 million tokens during its Intelligence Index evaluation, significantly more than the average of 8.5 million. This means it tends to produce detailed and extensive outputs, which can be beneficial for rich content but also increases token usage and cost.