Model Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B vs DeepSeek-V3Which is better in 2026?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is 3.5x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B vs DeepSeek-V3 — which is better?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B (by DeepSeek) and DeepSeek-V3 (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.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B outperforms in 4 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MATH-500), while DeepSeek-V3 is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is roughly 3.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 3.5x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B outperforms in 4 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MATH-500), while DeepSeek-V3 is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Jul 01 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B ($0.12/1M tokens) is 2.3x cheaper than DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B ($0.18/1M tokens) is 6.1x cheaper than DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Jul 01 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
Input tokens$0.12
Output tokens$0.18
Best providerDeepinfra
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

638.2B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 638.2B more parameters than DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B, making it 1945.7% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
32.8Bparameters
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
32.8B
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is limited to 128,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Wed Jul 01 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is licensed under MIT, while DeepSeek-V3 uses MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed).

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

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B

MIT

Open weights

DeepSeek-V3

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B was released on 2025-01-20, while DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is 1 month newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

3w newer
DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

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

Provider Availability

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is available from DeepInfra. DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.12/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.18/1M

DeepSeek-V3

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.10/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher AIME 2024 score (83.3% vs 39.2%)
Higher GPQA score (62.1% vs 59.1%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (57.2% vs 37.6%)
Higher MATH-500 score (94.3% vs 90.2%)
DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B and DeepSeek-V3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
✓ Preferred
DeepSeek-V3
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B vs DeepSeek-V3.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B or DeepSeek-V3?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is made by DeepSeek and DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B compare to DeepSeek-V3 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B scores MATH-500: 94.3%, AIME 2024: 83.3%, GPQA: 62.1%, LiveCodeBench: 57.2%. DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%.

Is DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B cheaper than DeepSeek-V3?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B is 2.3x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B costs $0.12/M input and $0.18/M output via deepinfra. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B and DeepSeek-V3?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B supports 128K tokens and DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B and DeepSeek-V3?

Key differences include context window (128K vs 131K), input pricing ($0.12 vs $0.27/M), licensing (MIT vs MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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