DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Grok 4 Fast
Grok 4 Fast leads the LLM Stats Score 31.7 to 16.0.
DeepSeek · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok 4 Fast leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.7 to 16.0, ranking #110 overall.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok 4 Fast wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok 4 Fast
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.7 and ranks #110 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 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 Zero · 7 for Grok 4 Fast
DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok 4 Fast is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench).
Grok 4 Fast significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Grok 4 Fast specifies input context (2,000,000 tokens). Only Grok 4 Fast specifies output context (30,000 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Grok 4 Fast supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek R1 Zero does not.
Grok 4 Fast can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek R1 Zero
Grok 4 Fast
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Zero is licensed under MIT, while Grok 4 Fast uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while Grok 4 Fast was released on 2025-08-28.
Grok 4 Fast is 7 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Zero.
Jan 20, 2025
1.7 years ago
Aug 28, 2025
1.1 years ago
7mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Zero and Grok 4 Fast side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Grok 4 Fast.