DeepSeek-V3 vs Grok-4.1 Thinking Comparison

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

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-V3 and Grok-4.1 Thinking don'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 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 11.1x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 13.6x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($15.00/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Mar 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
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Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok-4.1 Thinking accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Thinking is limited to 8,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input256,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Tue Mar 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok-4.1 Thinking supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 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

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 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

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.

Grok-4.1 Thinking is 11 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.2 years ago

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Nov 17, 2025

4 months ago

10mo 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 is available from DeepSeek. Grok-4.1 Thinking is available from xAI. The availability of providers can affect quality of the model and reliability.

DeepSeek-V3

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.10/1M

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

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Key Takeaways

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

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking