Gemini 4 Argon vs Kimi K3.1 Pro: which is faster?

Gemini 4 Argon leads the intelligence index 50.4 to 46.5. Kimi K3.1 Pro costs 50% less on blended price. See token costs, speed and which to pick.

Metric	Gemini 4 Argon (High)	Kimi K3.1 Pro
Intelligence Index	50.4	46.5
Input price (per 1M tokens)	$4.00	$2.00
Output price (per 1M tokens)	$20.00	$10.00
Output speed (tokens/s)	89	27
Time to first token	51s	3.0s
Release date	2026-09-30	2026-10-23

Metric

Gemini 4 Argon (High)

Kimi K3.1 Pro

Intelligence Index

50.4

46.5

Input price (per 1M tokens)

$4.00

$2.00

Output price (per 1M tokens)

$20.00

$10.00

Output speed (tokens/s)

Time to first token

51s

3.0s

Release date

2026-09-30

2026-10-23

Here is how Gemini 4 Argon (High), built by Google, lines up against Kimi K3.1 Pro from Kimi. The figures come from tracked catalogue data, not from our own testing, so treat them as a starting point for a trial on your tasks. Once text starts flowing, Gemini 4 Argon is the quicker writer by a wide margin, at 3.3 times the output speed of Kimi K3.1 Pro.

Gemini 4 Argon is the faster writer

Once a response is under way, Gemini 4 Argon produces roughly 89 tokens per second against 27 tokens per second for Kimi K3.1 Pro. Gemini 4 Argon is ahead by 230% on throughput. The wait for the first token averages 51 seconds on Gemini 4 Argon against 3.0 seconds on Kimi K3.1 Pro. Short replies favour Kimi K3.1 Pro; beyond about 1,900 tokens, Gemini 4 Argon claws the time back. A first-token wait of that length suits background work better than live conversation.

Add the two numbers up for a 600-token reply and Kimi K3.1 Pro finishes first: 58 seconds for Gemini 4 Argon, 25 seconds for Kimi K3.1 Pro.

Token pricing and a sample bill

Per million tokens, Gemini 4 Argon charges $4.00 for input and $20.00 for output, while Kimi K3.1 Pro charges $2.00 and $10.00. For output tokens, Gemini 4 Argon is twice the price of Kimi K3.1 Pro.

For a sample workload of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens, Gemini 4 Argon would cost $8.00 and Kimi K3.1 Pro $4.00, a difference of $4.00. Scale it up to a support assistant answering 10,000 conversations of 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each and the bill is $180 for Gemini 4 Argon against $90.00 for Kimi K3.1 Pro.

Release timing

Gemini 4 Argon came first, on September 30, 2026; Kimi K3.1 Pro followed on October 23, 2026. That is close enough to count them as the same generation.

Benchmark scores

On the intelligence index, Gemini 4 Argon scores 50.4 against 46.5 for Kimi K3.1 Pro. A lead of this size is hard to dismiss as noise.

Across the 109 active models with an intelligence score in the catalogue, Gemini 4 Argon ranks 15th and Kimi K3.1 Pro ranks 23rd.

There are no coding or math index scores for either model in the catalogue, which keeps this comparison at the aggregate level.

Score per dollar

Dividing the blended price by the intelligence index gives a rough cost per point: $0.16 for Gemini 4 Argon and $0.086 for Kimi K3.1 Pro, per million tokens. Kimi K3.1 Pro delivers each index point for 46% less; whether Gemini 4 Argon's extra 3.9 points are worth the premium depends on how often your tasks need them.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kimi K3.1 Pro better than Gemini 4 Argon?

Not across the board: Gemini 4 Argon scores higher on the intelligence index, 50.4 to 46.5; Kimi K3.1 Pro is 50% cheaper on blended price; Gemini 4 Argon streams output 3.3 times as fast; and Kimi K3.1 Pro reaches its first token sooner.

When were Gemini 4 Argon and Kimi K3.1 Pro released?

Kimi K3.1 Pro is newer. It was released on October 23, 2026, 23 days after Gemini 4 Argon (September 30, 2026).

Who makes Gemini 4 Argon and Kimi K3.1 Pro?

Gemini 4 Argon is made by Google and Kimi K3.1 Pro by Kimi. Gemini 4 Argon was released on September 30, 2026 and Kimi K3.1 Pro on October 23, 2026.

Which is cheaper, Gemini 4 Argon or Kimi K3.1 Pro?

Kimi K3.1 Pro is cheaper on a blended basis. Gemini 4 Argon lists $4.00 per million input tokens and $20.00 per million output tokens; Kimi K3.1 Pro lists $2.00 and $10.00. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $8.00 against $4.00.

Does Gemini 4 Argon respond faster than Kimi K3.1 Pro?

Gemini 4 Argon generates output faster, at 89 tokens per second against 27 tokens per second. Kimi K3.1 Pro reaches its first token sooner (3.0 seconds against 51 seconds). Counting the first-token wait, Kimi K3.1 Pro finishes short replies first and Gemini 4 Argon pulls ahead beyond about 1,900 tokens.

Final whistle

In one line: on balance the numbers favour Kimi K3.1 Pro, though Gemini 4 Argon keeps a case of its own. Pick Kimi K3.1 Pro if users are waiting on the first word and cost matters ($10.00 against $20.00 per million output tokens). Pick Gemini 4 Argon if your outputs often run past about 1,900 tokens and you need the higher overall score (50.4 against 46.5).

Where the numbers come from

The scores, speed and prices in this comparison come from independent third-party model evaluations that Franklin AI syncs each day, and the article was written from a snapshot of them. For the latest results, open the Gemini 4 Argon (High) and Kimi K3.1 Pro pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.