Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Grok-4.1 ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinking across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Grok-4.1 Thinking — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 (by DeepSeek) and Grok-4.1 Thinking (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.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 0324 is roughly 12.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok-4.1 Thinking also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 0324 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 12.1x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok-4.1 Thinking if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinkingdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 0324 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 10.7x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($1.14/1M tokens) is 13.2x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($15.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-4.1 Thinking is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3 0324.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input tokens$0.28
Output tokens$1.14
Best providerNovita
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok-4.1 Thinking accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3 0324's 163,840 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 can generate longer responses up to 163,840 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Thinking is limited to 8,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input163,840 tokens
Output163,840 tokens
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input256,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok-4.1 Thinking supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 0324 does not.

Grok-4.1 Thinking can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Grok-4.1 Thinking uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek-V3 0324

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 0324 was released on 2025-03-25, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.

Grok-4.1 Thinking is 8 months newer than DeepSeek-V3 0324.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

Mar 25, 2025

1.3 years ago

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Nov 17, 2025

8 months ago

7mo 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

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is available from Novita. Grok-4.1 Thinking is available from xAI.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.28/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.14/1M

Grok-4.1 Thinking

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (256,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3 0324
✓ Preferred
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Grok-4.1 Thinking.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 0324 or Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 (DeepSeek) and Grok-4.1 Thinking (xAI) 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-V3 0324 compare to Grok-4.1 Thinking in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 scores MATH-500: 94.0%, MMLU-Pro: 81.2%, GPQA: 68.4%, AIME 2024: 59.4%, LiveCodeBench: 49.2%. Grok-4.1 Thinking scores Creative Writing v3: 86.1%, WMDP: 84.0%, EQ-Bench: 79.3%, ProtocolQA: 79.0%, LMArena Text Leaderboard: 74.2%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 0324 cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is 10.7x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 costs $0.28/M input and $1.14/M output via novita. Grok-4.1 Thinking costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 supports 164K tokens and Grok-4.1 Thinking supports 256K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

Key differences include context window (164K vs 256K), input pricing ($0.28 vs $3.00/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-4.1 Thinking is developed by xAI.

Related comparisons