Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Qwen2.5 72B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
DeepSeek-V3 0324 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is 1.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct — which is better?
DeepSeek-V3 0324 (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-V3 0324 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (LiveCodeBench). DeepSeek-V3 0324 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is roughly 1.4x 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 want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 163,840 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
Choose Qwen2.5 72B Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V3 0324 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (LiveCodeBench).
DeepSeek-V3 0324 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-V3 0324 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 1.2x cheaper than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.35/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($1.14/1M tokens) is 2.8x more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 0324 is more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V3 0324 has 598.3B more parameters than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct, making it 823.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V3 0324 accepts 163,840 input tokens compared to Qwen2.5 72B Instruct's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 can generate longer responses up to 163,840 tokens, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is limited to 8,192 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3 0324 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct uses Qwen.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)
Open weights
Qwen
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V3 0324 was released on 2025-03-25, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct was released on 2024-09-19.
DeepSeek-V3 0324 is 6 months newer than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.
Mar 25, 2025
1.2 years ago
6mo newerSep 19, 2024
1.7 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V3 0324 is available from Novita. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Fireworks, Together.
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V3 0324
View detailsDeepSeek
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.