DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the LLM Stats Score 16.2 to -2.4.
DeepSeek · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the overall LLM Stats Score 16.2 to -2.4, ranking #208 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, DeepSeek R1 Zero wins 1; 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
- overall performance matters — it scores 16.2 and ranks #208 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
- you want predictable pricing at $0.03/M input and $0.03/M output
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 · 18 for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek R1 Zero significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek R1 Zero has 663.0B more parameters than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct, making it 8287.5% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Llama 3.1 8B Instruct specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only Llama 3.1 8B Instruct specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Zero is licensed under MIT, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
DeepSeek R1 Zero is 6 months newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
Jan 20, 2025
1.6 years ago
6mo newerJul 23, 2024
2.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-12-31, while DeepSeek R1 Zero's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Llama 3.1 8B Instruct's training data extends to 2023-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek R1 Zero's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2023
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Zero and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.