DeepSeek-V3 vs Grok-3 Mini
Grok-3 Mini leads the LLM Stats Score 31.6 to 15.7. Grok-3 Mini is 1.4x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.6 to 15.7, ranking #103 overall.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok-3 Mini wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V3 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-V3
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-3 Mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.6 and ranks #103 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 3 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
20 reported for DeepSeek-V3 · 4 for Grok-3 Mini
DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench).
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 2.2x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Grok-3 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.
Grok-3 Mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V3
Grok-3 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Grok-3 Mini uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.
Grok-3 Mini is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.
Dec 25, 2024
1.7 years ago
Feb 17, 2025
1.6 years ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date.
—
Nov 2024
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.
DeepSeek-V3
Grok-3 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Grok-3 Mini.