Kimi K2 is a pretty interesting model, I'm getting good results when compared to Sonnet 4 and paying 80% less by using it through OpenRouter. So here it goes a small guide if you want to give it a try!

1. Create an account at https://openrouter.ai/ and grab your API key

2. Run: npm install -g u/anthropic-ai/claude-code

3. Run: ​npm install -g u/musistudio/claude-code-router

4. Add the content of this gist to your ~/.claude-code-router/config.json (update it with your OpenRouter API key)

5. Run: ccr code

And that's it!

Cool thing is that you can edit the config.json file and add any other LLM available in openrouter.ai !

If you want more tips and tricks about AI coding like that, check https://aicode.guide !

Which model has the best tool calling with Claude code router?

Been experimenting with claude code router seen seen here: https://github.com/musistudio/claude-code-router

I got Kimi-K2 to work with Groq, but the tool calling seems to cause issues.

Is anyone else having luck with Kimi-k2 or any other models for claude code router (which is of course quite reliant on tool calling). Ive tried trouble shooting it quite abit but wondering if this is a config issue.

I tested Kimi K2 again, against Claude 4 Sonnet (Sonnet 4) this time, here are my findings (vid in comments):

- K2 isn't only less reliable in VSCode tool calling, it's considerably less in Cline as well, vs Claude 4 Sonnet

- I integrated K2 via OpenRouter inference into my own application LIVE and it did the same thing: instead of calling tools, it outputs the tool calls as text, mostly malformed and consolidated

- Ref: https://youtu.be/p2LKJo3EK7w

- Tip for AI coding agent authors: write a parser or a specialized prompt for Kimi K2 - even if it sounds like coupling, the value for money is well worth it

- The "Agent Benchmarks" are definitely not accurate, Sonnet 4 is NATIVELY much better in almost every AI Coding tool

- I'm still going to test K2 in Qwen Coder and maybe a custom coding tool, but it's a very good coder

- K2 is better than Gemini 2.5 Pro in tool calling, according to me

- Currently, the best implementation of K2 I found is in Windsurf (I tested VSCode, Cline, Windsurf and RooCode)

Kimi K2 Thinking model has been released recently with an impressive benchmark.

They got some affordable coding plans from $19 to $199.

And I've found this open-source plugin so we can use their models with Claude Code: Claude Code Switch (CCS)

• Web: https://ccs.kaitran.ca/

• Github: https://github.com/kaitranntt/ccs

It helps you switch between Claude, GLM and Kimi models with just a simple command:

# use Claude models
ccs

# switch to GLM models
ccs glm

# switch to Kimi models
ccs kimi

So far when I tried, it isn't as smart as Claude models, and quite slower sometime. But I think it's great for those who use Pro plan: you can try planning with Claude and then give that plan to Kimi for implementing.

Have a great weekend guys!

Just wondering if anyone here has tried Kimi K2 or Claude Code for real-world coding tasks. What was your experience like—especially compared to each other? Interested in code quality, speed, tool integration, things like that.

Thanks!

Been heavily builidng with claude-sonnet-4@20250514, but threw $5 into OpenRouter and gave K2-0905 and WOW.

Not sure if its a “better” model, but seems to chew through tasks in a “better” way.

Which model has the best tool calling with Claude code router?

Been experimenting with claude code router seen seen here: https://github.com/musistudio/claude-code-router

I got Kimi-K2 to work with Groq, but the tool calling seems to cause issues.

Is anyone else having luck with Kimi-k2 or any other models for claude code router (which is of course quite reliant on tool calling). Ive tried trouble shooting it quite abit but wondering if this is a config issue.

Is it much better than using the recently nerfed opus/claude?

Kimi-K2 from Moonshot AI is a 1T parameter, non-reasoning, open weights model. I've seen glowing reports recently from all the "influencers" (i.e.: affiliate marketers). Naturally, I put it in Roo to give it a go. My first impressions:

1. The price is good, at Input: $2/MTok, Output: $5/MTok (vs. Sonnet's $3/$15).

2. The 128k context is small, but it's workable using Orchestrator mode.

3. Problem is, the model inevitably fails at coding tasks.

I love open weight models and this model is quite an accomplishment. But sadly, after just a couple hours of usage, I had to go back to Sonnet. It's not a Sonnet replacement, by any stretch.

Just followed Gary Svenson’s Medium guide — it works perfectly. You only need to set two environment variables, and Claude Code will start routing requests through the Kimi K2 model.

Here’s what to set:

export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=your Moonshot API key
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.moonshot.ai/anthropic

Then launch Claude Code as usual. It automatically redirects API calls to the new endpoint — no code changes, no extra tools.

The whole setup takes seconds. Claude Code behaves the same as always, but under the hood it’s now powered by K2. It’s a super clean switch, and easy to undo — just clear the variables or revert the URL.

I just hope it helps me get through this rough patch with Claude Code lately.