Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Grok-2Which is better in 2026?
Grok-2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V2.5 is 22.9x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Grok-2 — which is better?
DeepSeek-V2.5 (by DeepSeek) and Grok-2 (by xAI) 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-V2.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Grok-2 is better at 2 benchmarks (MATH, MMLU). Grok-2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V2.5 is roughly 22.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-2 also accepts a larger context window (128,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V2.5 if…
- cost matters — it's about 22.9x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-2 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 128,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V2.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Grok-2 is better at 2 benchmarks (MATH, MMLU).
Grok-2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.14/1M tokens) is 14.3x cheaper than Grok-2 ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 35.7x cheaper than Grok-2 ($10.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-2 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-2 accepts 128,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V2.5's 8,192 tokens. DeepSeek-V2.5 can generate longer responses up to 8,192 tokens, while Grok-2 is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-2 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V2.5 does not.
Grok-2 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V2.5
Grok-2
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V2.5 is licensed under deepseek, while Grok-2 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
deepseek
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V2.5 was released on 2024-05-08, while Grok-2 was released on 2024-08-13.
Grok-2 is 3 months newer than DeepSeek-V2.5.
May 8, 2024
2.1 years ago
Aug 13, 2024
1.8 years ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V2.5 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Hyperbolic. Grok-2 is available from xAI.
DeepSeek-V2.5
Grok-2
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V2.5
View detailsDeepSeek
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Grok-2.