Kimi K3.1 Pro: pricing and creator access

What is Kimi K3.1 Pro, and when did it launch?

Searches such as “kimi 3.1 pro” and “kimi k 3.1 pro” refer to Kimi K3.1 Pro. Moonshot describes it as a 3T-class model with a one-million-token context window. Its launch announcement focuses on coding, 3D work and research. These are the developer’s claims; they are not results from our own testing.

There are two relevant dates: Kimi Code’s release notes record the rollout on October 23, 2026; the broader research announcement is dated October 24. The announcement says the full model weights are scheduled for release by November 4, 2026. That planned date does not mean the weights are already available today.

K3.1 Pro vs Highspeed: what changes?

Moonshot positions Highspeed as the same-capability option with roughly two to three times faster model output. This is a vendor estimate, not a guarantee for a complete project. Waiting for tools, downloading files and rendering a video can still dominate the total time.

Kimi K3.1 Pro pricing: API rates vs membership

Do not confuse a Kimi Code subscription with metered model API usage. The API is billed by tokens; membership has its own access and quota rules. The following RMB rates were displayed on the official Chinese API platform on October 24, 2026. They are not a USD quote or a monthly subscription price.

For a simple illustration, 10,000 uncached input tokens plus 2,000 output tokens at the standard rates below gives ¥0.266 in input/output charges: 0.01 × 13 + 0.002 × 68. Cache writes, tools, taxes and any other billable usage are excluded. A short visible answer can still involve reasoning usage; this is arithmetic, not a promised cost per request.

How to access Kimi K3.1 Pro

Choose the channel for your task: Kimi’s web/app experience for interactive work, Kimi Code for development, or the model API for an application. Access conditions and billing are channel-specific. Check the official pages linked below before subscribing.

For developers, the standalone model API uses kimi-k3.1-pro and kimi-k3.1-pro-highspeed. Kimi Code uses k3.1-pro and k3.1-pro-highspeed. Those identifiers belong to different services; copying one into the other service can cause configuration problems. K3.1 Pro uses thinking mode; the documented effort choices are low, high and max.

Can Kimi K3.1 Pro generate a video from a photo?

Image or video understanding is different from generating a new video. The API documentation shows image inspection and video summarization. It does not describe that endpoint returning a newly synthesized scene as an MP4. Kimi’s separate 3D Make feature can export its 3D creations as video or Live Photo; that is a different workflow from animating a customer photo.

For a photo-based social clip, use Kimi as a planning assistant if you find its suggestions useful, then render with a dedicated image-to-video service. When generation is available, SnapToClip automatically selects a standard video model based on photo count and sound. The studio shows the model before confirmation. This article does not add Kimi to that workflow or promise a Kimi-powered video.

A practical Kimi prompt for a five-second video brief

Start with an output you can evaluate. The following is an original prompt example, not a prompt tested on K3.1 Pro. Replace the subject and scene with your own details. Keep only one main action so the result is feasible in a short clip.

“Help me plan a five-second vertical video from one reference photo of my ceramic mug. Keep its shape, handle, glaze and printed logo unchanged. Suggest three realistic concepts, each with one subtle action and one restrained camera move. No cartoon face, speech, extra text or invented product features. For each concept, give a motion brief under 80 words and a checklist for spotting changes to the product. Do not claim you have generated or tested the video.”

A restrained brief you could work toward: “The original ceramic mug stays on a wooden table in soft morning window light. A faint wisp of steam rises while the camera moves slowly closer. Preserve the mug’s proportions, handle, color and printed markings. No face, lettering, hand or scene change.” This is our written example, not a generated sample.

1. Choose one sharp photo and identify details that must stay unchanged.
2. Ask for three ideas, then select one action and one camera move.
3. Remove details your source photo cannot support and any unwanted stylization.
4. In SnapToClip, choose a suitable look, open its prompt editor and adapt the brief before creation.
5. Inspect the downloaded result for product identity, motion and sound. Rewrite a weak brief before spending on another attempt.

What should you check before paying?

Run a small comparison around your own goal: can the assistant produce a usable brief with fewer corrections? Keep the same reference description and constraints, then compare the time you spend editing. A longer context window or a coding benchmark alone does not answer that question.

For the rendered video, inspect the first, middle and last frames. Check recognizable details, extra objects, unwanted text, camera motion and audio. A polished planning response cannot establish the quality of a separate video model. Save the brief and your acceptance notes so future comparisons use the same standard.

Quick answers

Is Kimi K3.1 Pro free? Do not assume unlimited free access. Kimi Code requires an eligible membership, while the standalone API is metered. Check the current channel and account terms.

Is Highspeed twice as expensive? The RMB input/output rates listed above are double the standard rates. Membership quota accounting is separate; do not treat an API rate as a subscription price.

Does SnapToClip use Kimi K3.1 Pro? No. You can use an external writing assistant to prepare a brief, then edit a SnapToClip template prompt yourself. Generated results still depend on the video service and your photo.