Model Comparison

Codestral-22B vs DeepSeek R1 ZeroWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Codestral-22B and DeepSeek R1 Zero across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Codestral-22B vs DeepSeek R1 Zero — which is better?

Codestral-22B (by Mistral AI) and DeepSeek R1 Zero (by DeepSeek) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Choose Codestral-22B if…

  • you are already invested in the Mistral AI ecosystem

Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Codestral-22B and DeepSeek R1 Zerodon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

648.8B diff

DeepSeek R1 Zero has 648.8B more parameters than Codestral-22B, making it 2922.5% larger.

Mistral AI
Codestral-22B
22.2Bparameters
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
671.0Bparameters
22.2B
Codestral-22B
671.0B
DeepSeek R1 Zero

License

Usage and distribution terms

Codestral-22B is licensed under MNPL-0.1, while DeepSeek R1 Zero uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Codestral-22B

MNPL-0.1

Open weights

DeepSeek R1 Zero

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Codestral-22B was released on 2024-05-29, while DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20.

DeepSeek R1 Zero is 8 months newer than Codestral-22B.

Codestral-22B

May 29, 2024

2.1 years ago

DeepSeek R1 Zero

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

7mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Mistral AI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

DeepSeek

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Mistral AI
Codestral-22B
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero

FAQ

Common questions about Codestral-22B vs DeepSeek R1 Zero.

Which is better, Codestral-22B or DeepSeek R1 Zero?

Codestral-22B (Mistral AI) and DeepSeek R1 Zero (DeepSeek) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Codestral-22B compare to DeepSeek R1 Zero in benchmarks?

Codestral-22B scores HumanEvalFIM-Average: 91.6%, HumanEval: 81.1%, MBPP: 78.2%, Spider: 63.5%, HumanEval-Average: 61.5%. DeepSeek R1 Zero scores MATH-500: 95.9%, AIME 2024: 86.7%, GPQA: 73.3%, LiveCodeBench: 50.0%.

What are the main differences between Codestral-22B and DeepSeek R1 Zero?

Key differences include licensing (MNPL-0.1 vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Codestral-22B and DeepSeek R1 Zero?

Codestral-22B is developed by Mistral AI and DeepSeek R1 Zero is developed by DeepSeek.

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