Kimi: what you get free and paid, and the right setup for every task
Kimi, from Moonshot AI, is the assistant that turns a request into a real file: a Word report, an Excel sheet, a PowerPoint deck or a live website. It now lives at kimi.ai and its paid plans were recently renamed Plus, Pro, Max and Ultra. Here is what you get for free, what is worth paying for, where it is weak and the right setup for 20 common office tasks. Checked October 2026.
01What Kimi is and who it suits
Kimi is the assistant of the Chinese company Moonshot AI. The international service is now www.kimi.ai (the app itself says Kimi has been rebranded as Kimi.ai; kimi.com still loads, but use kimi.ai). Besides chat it has agents that deliver finished work: Docs (Word and PDF), Sheets (Excel), Slides (editable PPTX, Google Slides, PDF), Deep Research with cited reports and Build, which makes a website and deploys it.
The flagship model, Kimi K3 (July 2026), has open weights: anyone can download it from Hugging Face, and the API is cheap. It suits an engineer or a small office that makes decks, reports and spreadsheets, and developers who want Kimi Code or a low-cost model in their own tools. Upload limits are generous: 50 files at a time, 100 MB each.
It suits less well people who work mainly in Hebrew, need images, video or meeting transcription, or need CAD. There is no Hebrew interface, and those tasks are weak. Prices and features checked October 2026.
02Kimi as a prepaid fuel card
Kimi works like one prepaid fuel card for the whole office car fleet. Chat, slides, research, code and agents all fill up from the same card. The free card gets a small top-up you cannot see in numbers; paid plans get a bigger one each month on your subscription date. What you do not use does not roll over, and when the card is empty everything waits for the next refill, or you buy an extra top-up.
03Free vs paid: what you really get
Free: real agents, small fuel tank
- Docs, Sheets and Slides that return real files: Word, PDF, xlsx, editable PPTX and Google Slides
- Deep Research with cited reports (one report uses about 5 to 10 percent of free credits)
- Kimi Build: a website generated and deployed
- Uploads of up to 50 files at a time, 100 MB each: PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, images, video
- Web search with a source link on every search-based answer
- 2 scheduled tasks, a dashboard and 2 Projects with 500MB
- Plugins, including image and short video generation
Limit: The free credit amount and message cap are not published, there is one agent task at a time, chat holds about 128K tokens, and at peak hours you may see Kimi is a bit tired.
Plus and above: more credits and stronger agents
Plus 19 USD per month, or 15 USD billed yearly; Pro 39 USD, or 31 USD yearly; Max 99 USD, or 79 USD yearly; Ultra 199 USD, or 159 USD yearly; Business 600 USD per seat per year
- More agent credits: about 60 a month on Plus, 150 on Pro, 360 on Max and 720 on Ultra (help-page figures), and 2 or more tasks in parallel
- Kimi Code: coding agent in the terminal, desktop app, VS Code and Cursor
- Swarm: parallel sub-agents for large research jobs (2 to 8 subtasks by plan)
- Full-stack websites with a database
- Goal mode (agent works until done) and Kimi Claw cloud agents from Pro
- K3 Extra Long chat with 1 million tokens on Max and Ultra
- More Projects (20 or 100) and storage (20GB or 50GB)
When paying is worth it: When you make decks, reports or research every week and keep hitting the free cap, Plus is enough. Pay for Max only if you really need 1 million tokens in one chat. For an office handling client files, Business is the safer choice because it does not train on your content by default.
04The weak sides
In the free version
- No published numbers: credit amount and conversation cap are hidden, and peak hours bring Kimi is a bit tired errors
- Chat holds about 128K tokens; the 1 million token K3 chat needs Max (99 USD)
- Only 1 agent task at a time, 2 Projects with 500MB, no Swarm and no Kimi Code
- Images, video and voice only via plugins: clips of 4 to 12 seconds, text-to-speech voices in Mandarin only
- Your content may be used for training until you switch it off
- No Hebrew interface
Even when you pay
- One credit pool for everything: heavy slides and research eat your coding budget, and vice versa
- No published message or task counts; credits reset monthly and do not roll over
- Plans were renamed recently (Moderato, Allegretto, Allegro and Vivace became Plus, Pro, Max and Ultra, same prices), but help pages and some App Store purchase names still use the old names
- Kimi Code limits are unclear: a help page mentions 5-hour and weekly limits, the Kimi Code page says no more weekly cap
- No meeting transcription, no CAD output, and no official Gmail, Outlook, Drive or WhatsApp connection was found
- Business is annual only, 2 seats minimum, and its features are on web and desktop only; upgrades must go through the channel you bought on
05Plans and prices
| Plan | Price per month | For whom | Main limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 | Trying Kimi: chat, files, an occasional deck or report | Undisclosed credits, 1 task at a time, 2 Projects, no Swarm or Kimi Code |
| Plus (was Moderato) | 19 USD, or 15 USD billed yearly (180 USD a year) | An engineer making decks, reports and research, light coding | About 60 credits a month, Swarm with 2 subtasks, no Goal mode, no 1M chat |
| Pro (was Allegretto) | 39 USD, or 31 USD billed yearly (372 USD a year) | Daily professional use, long agent runs | About 150 credits a month, Swarm with 4 subtasks, no 1M chat |
| Max (was Allegro) | 99 USD, or 79 USD billed yearly (948 USD a year) | Heavy users who need the 1M-token context | About 360 credits a month, 4 parallel tasks |
| Ultra (was Vivace) | 199 USD, or 159 USD billed yearly (1,908 USD a year) | Full-time agent and coding work; overkill for most small offices | About 720 credits a month |
| Kimi Business | 600 USD per seat per year (about 50 USD per seat per month) | Offices that need no training by default and an admin workspace | Annual only, 2 seats minimum (from 1,200 USD a year), up to 150 seats per purchase |
| Extra Usage | Top-ups from 10 USD | Subscribers who run out of credits | Not for Free users, not refundable |
| Kimi API | Pay as you go: K3 3 USD input (0.30 USD on a cache hit) and 15 USD output per 1M tokens | Developers building their own tools | No subscription; prices exclude tax |
| Full comparison | AI Price Comparison: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi and GLM | All assistants in one table | Prices in USD, tax not included; the Israel price was not verified |
06How credits work, in plain words
One pool for everything
Every chat model, agents, Kimi Code, Kimi Work and Kimi Claw draw on the same monthly credit pool. Kimi publishes no message counts, only relative multiples.
What a task costs
On Free, Kimi's help pages estimate a simple deck at about 1 to 2 percent of credits, a deep research report at 5 to 10 percent and a code snippet at 0.5 to 2 percent.
Reset and top-up
Credits reset monthly on your subscription date and do not roll over. Subscribers can buy Extra Usage from 10 USD, priced close to API rates; it is not refundable.
07The best setup for each task
Write an email or letterA clear letter in the right tone, with a subject line and action items.5
Free way
- Kimi chat (K2.6 or K3)Fast drafting, paid for by the free credits.
- Memory SpaceRemembers preferences such as tone and signature; you can view, delete or switch it off.
Paid way
- ProjectsShared context across every chat in the project: company details and standard clauses (20 projects on Plus and Pro).
- Memory SpaceKeeps your style consistent from chat to chat.
- K3 with thinkingIn the app K3 always thinks before it answers, useful for a sensitive letter.
"Write a polite but firm email to a contractor about the delayed anchor installation, 150 words, with a subject line and 3 action items." For Hebrew, ask in Hebrew and proofread: Hebrew is not officially documented.
Write a technical reportA Word or PDF file with fixed sections, data from your files and marked assumptions.5
Free way
- Kimi DocsA document agent that produces finished Word and PDF files, not just chat text.
- File uploadSite notes and photos: up to 50 files per upload, 100 MB each.
Paid way
- Kimi Work (desktop)Reads your local project folder with your approval and writes the report next to it. Which personal plans include it is not stated; Business includes it.
- Deep ResearchProfessional background with cited sources for the introduction.
- Kimi DocsMore credits for long reports.
Upload notes and photos: "Write a technical report in Word with sections Scope, Findings, Calculations, Recommendations; mark every assumption [ASSUMPTION]." The plain chat window does not create downloadable Office files, so use Docs or Agent.
Summarise long documents and PDFsA short summary per file, plus a list of values, standards and deadlines with page numbers.4
Free way
- Chat with file uploadUp to 50 files of 100 MB per upload; K2.6 holds about 128K tokens (about 200,000 words).
- ProjectsFree has 2 projects with 500MB, enough to keep one tender's files together.
Paid way
- K3 Extra Long chat (1M tokens)A whole tender package in one conversation; Max (99 USD) or higher.
- Larger Projects20 projects and 20GB on Plus and Pro, 100 projects and 50GB on Max and Ultra.
"Summarise each uploaded PDF in 5 bullets, then list every load value, standard and deadline with page numbers." If the context fills up, split the files or start a new chat with a summary.
Translate documentsA translation that keeps tables, product codes and units intact.4
Free way
- Kimi chatK2.6 and K3 support multilingual conversation; the languages themselves are not listed.
- Project with a glossaryUpload a term list once and every chat in the project uses it.
Paid way
- Kimi DocsReturns a formatted Word or PDF file instead of chat text.
- Kimi SlidesA translated deck as an editable PPTX file.
"Translate this method statement to English, keep the table layout, and do not translate product codes or units." Hebrew quality is not documented, so check numbers, units and RTL direction.
Solve an engineering problem with a checked calculationFormula, substitution, a calculation that really runs, units and an independent check.6
Free way
- Chat with IPythonA built-in IPython tool runs real calculations, alongside Web Search, Fetch and Memory.
- Kimi SheetsA calculation sheet with formulas you can download as xlsx and check.
- ADIT AAS and ARS calculatorsA free, reliable independent check for anchor and rebar calculations.
Paid way
- K3 at Extreme thinking intensityThe strongest reasoning; Extreme is supported by K3 and K3 Cluster.
- Kimi SheetsMore credits for long calculation sheets.
- ADIT AAS and ARS calculatorsPaid or not, an independent check before you sign.
"Compute the bending moment for a 6 m simply supported beam, q=12 kN/m. Show the formula, run it in Python, re-check by hand and state units." Always verify the code clause yourself.
Analyse Excel data and make chartsA clean xlsx with calculated columns and editable charts.4
Free way
- Kimi SheetsFormulas such as XLOOKUP, bar, line, scatter and pie charts, data cleaning, a downloadable xlsx.
- File conversionsSheets converts to and from PDF, Word, PPT, CSV and JSON.
Paid way
- Kimi Work (desktop)Works on local Excel files in a folder you approve. Which personal plans include it is not stated; Business includes it.
- Dashboard and widget tasksA board of widget tasks that keep results in one place (2 on Free; paid limits are not published).
Upload the test-results xlsx: "Clean duplicates, add a mean and characteristic value column, chart failure load per anchor size, return an editable xlsx." No official Excel add-in was found.
Create a presentationAn editable deck in your template style, with real charts and sources.5
Free way
- Kimi SlidesEditable PPTX with charts and diagrams as native components; also exports to Google Slides, PNG and PDF.
- Template matchingUpload your company PPT template and Slides follows it.
Paid way
- More creditsOn Free a simple deck uses about 1 to 2 percent of credits; paid plans leave room for many more.
- Deep Research firstA cited report that becomes the basis for the slides.
- SwarmParallel research before a large deck (Plus and above).
Upload your company template and report: "Make a 10-slide client deck in my template style, one chart per section, speaker notes, cite sources on slides."
Draw an image or illustrationA clean illustration of one idea on a white background.4
Free way
- Image generation pluginInstall it from the plugin marketplace: 1K, 2K or 4K, transparent background, JPG or PNG.
- A dedicated image toolKimi is weak here. For serious illustration compare options in our ChatGPT guide and Gemini guide guides.
Paid way
- Same plugin, more creditsNo separate paid image model was found.
- A dedicated image toolFor regular image work, a tool built for images is the better choice.
Kimi is not image-first. Install the plugin, then: "Clean isometric illustration of a chemical anchor in concrete, white background, PNG, 2K."
Technical drawings, diagrams and flowchartsA diagram you can edit; not a CAD drawing.4
Free way
- Kimi SlidesCreates native, editable diagrams inside a PPTX.
- Mermaid or SVG code from chatAsk for the diagram as code and paste it into a viewer.
Paid way
- Kimi DesignA design surface inside the web app; the required plan is not stated.
- Kimi SlidesMore credits for a series of diagrams.
Kimi cannot produce DWG or DXF drawings. Ask: "Draw the approval workflow as a Mermaid flowchart" and paste it into a viewer, or ask Slides for an editable diagram.
Video and animationA short clip or an animated page that explains steps.4
Free way
- Video generation pluginClips of 4 to 12 seconds, optionally from a reference image.
- Kimi BuildAn animated web page as a stand-in for a short explainer.
Paid way
- Kimi Build with K3K3 builds playable animated and 3D web pages.
- Video pluginStill short clips only; this is a weak spot.
Weak area: short clips only. For a product animation ask Build: "Make an animated web page that shows the installation steps of an anchor, 5 steps, auto-play."
Web research with sourcesAn answer or report with a link for every claim.5
Free way
- Automatic web searchKimi decides when to search, and every search-based answer includes source links.
- Deep ResearchA multi-step research agent that writes a cited report; on Free one report uses about 5 to 10 percent of credits.
Paid way
- Agent SwarmCalled Agent Cluster on the help page: up to 300 sub-agents for large-scale search (Plus and above).
- Kimi browser extensionAgents open pages, click and fill forms in your own Chrome or Edge; the required plan is not stated.
- Deep ResearchMore reports per month.
"Deep Research: compare post-installed anchor approval routes in Israel and the EU; cite only official or standards-body sources; table at the end." Crawl-restricted and dynamic pages may not be read.
Search standards and regulationsAn exact clause and page quote, or NOT FOUND.4
Free way
- Deep Research plus your own standardsPaywalled standards (SII, EN, ISO) cannot be read from the web, so upload your licensed PDFs (up to 100 MB each).
- A Standards ProjectOne of the two free projects, holding your standards library.
Paid way
- Project plus K3 1M contextAll clauses in one shared context; 1M tokens on Max and above.
- Larger Projects20GB on Plus and Pro, 50GB on Max and Ultra.
Upload the licensed PDFs to a Project, then: "Quote the exact clause and page for minimum edge distance; if it is not in the files, say NOT FOUND."
Write code or a small engineering toolA single-file HTML calculator with input checks and a printable result.7
Free way
- Kimi chatWrites code and runs Python in the chat.
- Kimi BuildTurns a small tool into a working web page.
Paid way
- Kimi CodeA full coding agent on K3: CLI, desktop and IDE; draws on your plan's credits.
- Kimi Code for VS CodeThe official extension.
- Kimi Code for CursorThe same extension through Open VSX.
- Kimi Code in other agentsThe docs name Claude Code, Roo Code and OpenCode, with up to 5 API keys.
- Kimi API in Claude CodeOfficial guide to connect through the Anthropic-compatible endpoint, pay as you go.
"Write a single-file HTML calculator for anchor spacing per my formula sheet, with input validation and a printable result." Paid: run kimi in your project folder.
Build a website or landing pageA live site that works on mobile.4
Free way
- Kimi Build (Websites)Site generation and deployment are included on Free.
- Kimi chatSite copy and page structure before you build.
Paid way
- Sites with a databaseBuild and publish websites with database support on Plus and above.
- Kimi CodeFor a larger site whose code you want to control.
"Build a one-page landing site for our engineering office: hero, services, 6 project photos, contact form; mobile-first; a Hebrew RTL version too." Test the RTL yourself.
Organise files and folders on the PCA reorganisation plan in a table, and moves only after your approval.4
Free way
- Not in web chatThe regular chat cannot operate your computer.
- A plan in chatPaste a file list and get a proposed folder structure to apply by hand.
Paid way
- Kimi Work (desktop)Mounts local folders and asks before changing anything (Ask before acting); Windows and Apple-silicon Macs. Which personal plans include it is not stated; Business includes it.
- Kimi Computer Use pluginClicks and types inside apps on your computer.
In Kimi Work mount one folder only: "Propose a folder structure by project and year and a rename plan; show it as a table and wait for my approval before moving anything."
Meetings: transcription and minutesMinutes with decisions, action items with owner and date, and open issues.4
Free way
- Paste or upload a transcriptNo official recording or transcription feature was found; Kimi is weak here.
- A dedicated recorderMake the transcript in another tool; see the meetings row in our Copilot guide and Gemini guide guides.
Paid way
- Same, no meeting productTranscript from a dedicated tool, minutes written by Kimi.
- Kimi DocsMinutes as a Word file ready to send.
Upload the transcript: "Write minutes: decisions, action items (owner, date), open issues, in a table."
Customer service and repeated repliesStandard answers in one tone that ask for missing details.4
Free way
- Saved Prompts and MemoryThe Saved Prompts setting and Memory keep standard answers at hand.
- A support ProjectOne Q and A document that every chat uses.
Paid way
- Kimi ClawAlways-on cloud bots connected to platforms such as Feishu and WeChat (Pro and above). No official WhatsApp or Gmail connection was found.
- Memory SpaceKeeps the style consistent.
Save a prompt: "Answer as ADIT support: polite, 80 words, ask for anchor type, base material and load if missing, never promise delivery dates."
Learn a new subject (tutor)Short lessons, check questions, and waiting for your answers.4
Free way
- Chat and ProjectsLong context and all course material in one project.
- Memory SpaceRemembers your level and preferences.
Paid way
- Deep ResearchA cited reading pack.
- Kimi SlidesA revision deck for an exam or a training session.
"Teach me EN 1992-4 concrete cone failure in 5 lessons; after each, quiz me with 3 questions and wait for my answers."
Marketing and SEO contentAn article with a heading outline, FAQ and meta title, with no invented figures.4
Free way
- Chat with web searchDrafts with live sources.
- Kimi BuildA landing page for a campaign.
Paid way
- Scheduled tasksRecurring content briefs: 10 tasks on Plus, 15 on Pro.
- SwarmKeyword research in parallel.
"Write a 900-word article on choosing chemical anchors for facades; H2 and H3 outline, FAQ with 5 questions, meta title under 60 characters, no made-up statistics." No official SEO-tool plugin was verified.
Automate a repeating workflow (agents)A task that runs on its own on schedule and sends you the result.5
Free way
- Scheduled tasksTwo scheduled tasks on Free that run on their own and push results.
- DashboardWidget tasks that show results in one place (2 on Free).
Paid way
- Goal modeThe agent works on its own until the goal is done (Pro and above).
- Kimi ClawAlways-on cloud agents with zero deployment (Pro and above).
- Kimi Work (desktop)Local automation, browser automation and scheduled tasks. Which personal plans include it is not stated; Business includes it.
"Every Sunday at 08:00: search for new Israeli standards announcements about anchoring and send me a 5-line summary with links." Check how many credits each run uses before you scale up.
08Privacy and Hebrew
Training on your data
The privacy policy allows using your content to train models. In the app go to Settings, then Security, and switch off Improve the model for everyone. The default is not stated, so assume it is on. Personal plans: do not upload client-confidential files or drawings.
Who runs it and where
The consumer service is run by NOVASCENT PRIVATE LIMITED, a company registered in Singapore, under Singapore law. The policy does not name a storage country; it says data may be stored outside your country (the older 2025 API platform policy named servers in Singapore). The iOS app seller is Beijing Moonshot Technology Co., Ltd, and its App Store label says identifiers may be used for tracking.
Business plans
Kimi Business states no model training on your content by default, with seat management, separate personal and company workspaces and invoices. For sensitive work you can also run the open K3 weights on your own servers, if you have datacenter-class hardware.
Hebrew and region
No Hebrew interface, and Hebrew quality is not documented; RTL support is not stated. Kimi says K2.6 and K3 are multilingual, so check every Hebrew text, number and unit. The App Store Israel page and Google Play load in Israel, and the Terms list no restricted regions; EU availability is not stated officially.
09Set it up in 10 minutes
- 1
Open an account at kimi.ai
Go to www.kimi.ai (not kimi.com) and sign up. Start on Free and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.
- 2
Switch off training
Settings, then Security, then turn off Improve the model for everyone. Do this before your first upload.
- 3
Check memory
Settings, then Personalization, then Memory Space: see what Kimi saved, delete what you do not need, or switch it off.
- 4
Create one Project
Add standing instructions such as "SI units, mark every assumption, say NOT FOUND if it is not in the files" and a few base files. Free allows 2 Projects.
- 5
Try Slides with your template
Upload your company PPT template and a short report, ask for a 6-slide deck, and download the PPTX to check that it is really editable.
- 6
Install the desktop app if needed
From kimi.ai/products/download. Kimi Work runs on Windows and Apple-silicon Macs (Intel Macs get chat only); keep Ask before acting on and mount one folder only.
- 7
A first real task
Upload a specification PDF and ask for every numeric requirement with its page number. Check three of them against the source and note how many credits it used.
10FAQ
Is the free version enough for a small office?
For trying agents, an occasional deck, report or website, yes: Free really includes Docs, Sheets, Slides, Deep Research and Build. But the credit amount is hidden and peak hours can block you. For daily work, Plus at 19 USD (15 USD yearly) is the realistic start.
Which plan for a team of 3?
Kimi Business: 3 seats at 600 USD per seat per year, 1,800 USD in total, billed annually only. You get no training on your content by default, an admin workspace and invoices. Business features work on web and desktop, not in the mobile app.
Plus or Pro?
Plus gives more credits, Kimi Code, Swarm and database websites. Pro adds Goal mode, Kimi Claw and about 150 credits a month instead of 60. If you do not need agents running until done, Plus is enough.
Is it safe to upload work files?
On a personal plan, switch off training first and keep client-confidential files out. The company is registered in Singapore, the storage country is not named and the iOS seller is a Beijing company. For client data use Business or self-hosted open weights.
Does Kimi write good Hebrew?
It is not documented. There is no Hebrew interface and no stated RTL support. Kimi can write in many languages, so test it on a short text and proofread every Hebrew document, especially numbers and units. For Hebrew-first work compare ChatGPT guide, Claude for the office and Gemini guide.
Can I trust its engineering calculations?
Only after checking. Ask it to run the calculation in IPython, show units and assumptions, and check against the standard yourself. For anchor and rebar calculations, ADIT's free AAS and ARS calculators at https://www.adit.org.il/all-the-software/ are a reliable independent check.