Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Pixtral-12BWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Pixtral-12B across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Pixtral-12B — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 (by DeepSeek) and Pixtral-12B (by Mistral AI) 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, Pixtral-12B is roughly 3.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3 0324 also accepts a larger context window (163,840 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 0324 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 163,840 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025

Choose Pixtral-12B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 3.3x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Pixtral-12Bdon'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

Pixtral-12B costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 1.9x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($1.14/1M tokens) is 7.6x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 0324 is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 13 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input tokens$0.28
Output tokens$1.14
Best providerNovita
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.15
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

658.6B diff

DeepSeek-V3 0324 has 658.6B more parameters than Pixtral-12B, making it 5311.3% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
671.0Bparameters
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
12.4Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3 0324
12.4B
Pixtral-12B

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 0324 accepts 163,840 input tokens compared to Pixtral-12B's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 can generate longer responses up to 163,840 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input163,840 tokens
Output163,840 tokens
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Mon Jul 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Pixtral-12B supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 0324 does not.

Pixtral-12B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Pixtral-12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Pixtral-12B uses Apache 2.0.

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

Pixtral-12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 0324 was released on 2025-03-25, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is 6 months newer than Pixtral-12B.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

Mar 25, 2025

1.3 years ago

6mo newer
Pixtral-12B

Sep 17, 2024

1.8 years ago

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. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

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

Pixtral-12B

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.15/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (163,840 tokens)
Mistral AI
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Pixtral-12B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3 0324
✓ Preferred
Pixtral-12B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Pixtral-12B.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 0324 or Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 (DeepSeek) and Pixtral-12B (Mistral AI) 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 Pixtral-12B in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 scores MATH-500: 94.0%, MMLU-Pro: 81.2%, GPQA: 68.4%, AIME 2024: 59.4%, LiveCodeBench: 49.2%. Pixtral-12B scores DocVQA: 90.7%, ChartQA: 81.8%, VQAv2: 78.6%, MT-Bench: 76.8%, HumanEval: 72.0%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 0324 cheaper than Pixtral-12B?

Pixtral-12B is 1.9x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 costs $0.28/M input and $1.14/M output via novita. Pixtral-12B costs $0.15/M input and $0.15/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 supports 164K tokens and Pixtral-12B supports 128K 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 Pixtral-12B?

Key differences include context window (164K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.28 vs $0.15/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is developed by DeepSeek and Pixtral-12B is developed by Mistral AI.

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