Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek-R1 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-R1 (by DeepSeek) and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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 DeepSeek-R1 if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output

Choose Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct 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

DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instructdon'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

191.0B diff

DeepSeek-R1 has 191.0B more parameters than Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct, making it 39.8% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
671.0Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct
480.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-R1
480.0B
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only DeepSeek-R1 specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only DeepSeek-R1 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Sat Jun 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1 is licensed under MIT, while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.

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

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20, while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct was released on 2025-01-31.

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is 0 month newer than DeepSeek-R1.

DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Jan 31, 2025

1.4 years ago

1w 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

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

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

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-R1 or Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

DeepSeek-R1 (DeepSeek) and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct (Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does DeepSeek-R1 compare to Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct in benchmarks?

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct scores TAU-bench Retail: 77.5%, SWE-Bench Verified: 69.6%, BFCL-v3: 68.7%, Aider-Polyglot: 61.8%, TAU-bench Airline: 60.0%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

DeepSeek-R1 supports 131K tokens and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct supports an unknown number of 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 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

Key differences include licensing (MIT vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-R1 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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