Kimi K2.6 full guide
Released April 2026, still listed
It depends where you use it. As of 2026-10-21 kimi-k2.6 is still on Moonshot AI's official model list (256k context, vision and text input, thinking and non-thinking modes), and the official changelog dates its Open Platform API release to April 2026. On QCode, use the newer kimi-k3 instead (1M context, July 2026).
Updated 2026-10-22
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Four key facts
Release date
Kimi K2.6's release date — after the earlier K2-series releases, before the later Kimi K3 that same year.
Availability (still listed)
As of 2026-10-21, QCode's /models does not list kimi-k2.6. Moonshot AI's model list still has kimi-k2.6. On QCode, kimi-k3 is available from the same family.
Sale status
K2.6 wasn't retired after K3 shipped — as of 2026-10-21 it is still on Moonshot AI's official model list (256k context), and both are on sale on Moonshot's side.
Vendor
The Kimi series is developed by Moonshot AI; K2.6 is a newer iteration within the K2 series.
What Kimi K2.6 is
Kimi K2.6 is an iteration within Moonshot AI's K2 series; the official changelog dates its Open Platform API release to April 2026. The newer Kimi K3 shipped in July 2026 — old and new versions ran in parallel for a while, which is not unusual in model releases, and gives users who have already tuned prompts or workflows against the older version time to migrate. QCode offers K3 on its side.
Why K2.6's sale status needed its own verification
Our earlier K3/K4 tracking pages said "kimi-k3 and kimi-k2.6 are both callable" but never gave K2.6 its own page. There is no fixed rule for when a vendor retires an older model, so this page was re-checked against Moonshot AI's changelog and model list: K2.6 shipped through the Open Platform API in April 2026 and is still listed officially; the same changelog records the kimi-k2 series as retired in May 2026 and kimi-k2.5 plus the moonshot-v1 series as retired in August 2026 — K2.6 is in neither batch.
Timeline
Kimi K2.6 releases.
Moonshot AI releases the newer Kimi K3 in July 2026 (1M context); its changelog also records the kimi-k2 series as retired in May 2026 and kimi-k2.5 plus the moonshot-v1 series in August 2026 — K2.6 is in neither batch.
QCode: use kimi-k3 from the same family instead. K2.6 is still on Moonshot AI's official model list (April 2026 release).
Confirmed vs. needs your own verification
Confirmed
Kimi K2.6 shipped in April 2026 through the Open Platform API; the official model list still has kimi-k2.6. On QCode, kimi-k3 from the same family is the one to call.
Needs your own verification
The specific capability gap between K2.6 and K3 — and in particular whether Moonshot AI will retire K2.6 at some future point — is worth testing on your own tasks rather than assuming the two perform identically.
Choosing between K2.6 and K3
Already tuned for K2.6
If your prompts and workflows are already tuned for K2.6's output style and you're satisfied with it, sticking with it is the safe choice, especially with no announced retirement date.
New projects or want the latest capability
New projects should generally try the newer Kimi K3 first, which usually brings capability improvements, unless you have a specific reason to stay on K2.6.
How to use it
Call kimi-k3 directly by model ID on QCode, with the same interface as other Kimi-series models; to use kimi-k2.6, go through Moonshot AI's own hosted API.
What to do on QCode
For kimi-k2.6 use Moonshot AI's own API; on QCode point the same key at kimi-k3 (1M context). Not ready for a monthly plan? Users on a personal plan buy a booster pack when the day's quota is short; without a plan, buy a Pay-as-you-go Pack from $4 for a one-time quota you use within 7 days (top-ups start at $5).
FAQ
Is Kimi K2.6 still usable right now?
Through Moonshot AI it still works: the official model list still has kimi-k2.6 (256k context, vision and text input, thinking and non-thinking modes). On QCode use kimi-k3; to call K2.6 you need Moonshot's own hosted API.
Will K2.6 be retired soon now that K3 has shipped?
There's no officially announced retirement timeline right now; K2.6 and K3 are on sale in parallel — watch Moonshot AI's official announcements for updates.
How do I choose between K2.6 and K3?
If your prompts are already tuned for K2.6 and you're satisfied, keep using it; for new projects, try the newer K3 first.
When did K2.6 release?
April 2026. The official changelog dates the Open Platform API release to April 2026, and the official blog post "Kimi K2.6: Advancing Open-Source Coding" went out at the same time.
Is K2.6's call volume large?
That id is not on QCode, so there is no call volume to quote; kimi-k3 from the same family is on sale.
How is K2.6 billed on QCode?
Billed per token — see /models for each model's price; same as the other Kimi-series models.
Sources
Kimi K2.6's release date comes from Moonshot AI's official changelog (April 2026), not from the earlier K3/K4 tracking page on this site; 'alongside K3' refers to Moonshot's official model list, while QCode's side follows its /models page (pulled 2026-10-21). Also archived: the official model list (kimi-k2.6 still listed, 256k context), the official blog post "Kimi K2.6: Advancing Open-Source Coding", and the changelog's retirement records for the kimi-k2 series (May 2026) and kimi-k2.5 plus moonshot-v1 (August 2026).
One key covers both Kimi K2.6 and K3
A QCode key calls Kimi K3 (1M context); kimi-k2.6 goes through Moonshot AI's own API.
Related reading
Kimi K3 / K4 tracking: who's using it and how
Availability tracking for Moonshot AI's latest models.
The complete QCode.cc pricing guide
The 7 plan tiers and how billing works.
Kimi K2 retirement: 2026-10-31 and end of 2026
Checked 2026-10-26: from 2026-10-31 K2 series models are closed to new users; existing users are unaffected; Moonshot plans full retirement by end-December 2026; affected IDs and the kimi-k3.1-pro target.
Crypto payment guide
Nine coins, 56 networks, zero platform fee for AI coding API credits.
This page's status is based on Moonshot AI's official changelog and model list and on QCode's /models page (checked 2026-10-21); it is not an official Moonshot AI statement. On QCode, /models decides which models are callable.