Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1 vs Grok-2

Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and Grok-2 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-R1 and Grok-2 don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-R1 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 3.6x cheaper than Grok-2 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens) is 4.6x cheaper than Grok-2 ($10.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-2 is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Apr 12 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input tokens$0.55
Output tokens$2.19
Best providerDeepSeek
xAI
Grok-2
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-R1 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Grok-2's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-2 is limited to 8,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
xAI
Grok-2
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Sun Apr 12 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok-2 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1 does not.

Grok-2 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-R1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1 is licensed under MIT, while Grok-2 uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

Grok-2

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20, while Grok-2 was released on 2024-08-13.

DeepSeek-R1 is 5 months newer than Grok-2.

DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.2 years ago

5mo newer
Grok-2

Aug 13, 2024

1.7 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 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks. Grok-2 is available from xAI.

DeepSeek-R1

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.85/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $7.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.00/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $8.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M

Grok-2

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
xAI
Supports multimodal inputs

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
xAI
Grok-2

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs Grok-2

DeepSeek-R1 (DeepSeek) and Grok-2 (xAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.
Grok-2 scores DocVQA: 93.6%, HumanEval: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, MATH: 76.1%, MMLU-Pro: 75.5%.
DeepSeek-R1 is 3.6x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-R1 costs $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output via deepseek. Grok-2 costs $2.00/M input and $10.00/M output via xai.
DeepSeek-R1 supports 131K tokens and Grok-2 supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.
Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.55 vs $2.00/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.
DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-2 is developed by xAI.