DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B vs Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B leads the LLM Stats Score 7.0 to 2.4.
DeepSeek · IBM · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 7.0 to 2.4, ranking #296 overall.
The models split the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
- overall performance matters — it scores 7.0 and ranks #296 on LLM Stats
Choose Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
4 reported for DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B · 14 for Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MATH-500), while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2024).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B has 0.0B more parameters than Granite 3.3 8B Instruct, making it 0.4% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Granite 3.3 8B Instruct specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only Granite 3.3 8B Instruct specifies output context (8,192 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B does not.
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B is licensed under MIT, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B was released on 2025-01-20, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct was released on 2025-04-16.
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is 3 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B.
Jan 20, 2025
1.7 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.4 years ago
2mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-04-01, while DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Granite 3.3 8B Instruct's training data extends to 2024-04-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B's cutoff date.
—
Apr 2024
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B and Granite 3.3 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B vs Granite 3.3 8B Instruct.