Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V2.5 is 2.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct — which is better?
DeepSeek-V2.5 (by DeepSeek) and Qwen2.5 72B 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.
DeepSeek-V2.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 5 benchmarks (AlignBench, Arena Hard, GSM8k, MATH, MT-Bench). Qwen2.5 72B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V2.5 is roughly 2.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V2.5 if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
Choose Qwen2.5 72B Instruct if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 6 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2024
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V2.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 5 benchmarks (AlignBench, Arena Hard, GSM8k, MATH, MT-Bench).
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.14/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.35/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is more expensive than DeepSeek-V2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V2.5 has 163.3B more parameters than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct, making it 224.6% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V2.5's 8,192 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 8,192 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V2.5 is licensed under deepseek, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct uses Qwen.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
deepseek
Open weights
Qwen
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V2.5 was released on 2024-05-08, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct was released on 2024-09-19.
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is 4 months newer than DeepSeek-V2.5.
May 8, 2024
2.1 years ago
Sep 19, 2024
1.7 years ago
4mo 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. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Fireworks, Together.
DeepSeek-V2.5
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V2.5
View detailsDeepSeek
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V2.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.