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DeepSeek-V3 vs Grok 4.6

Comparing DeepSeek-V3 and Grok 4.6 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

DeepSeek · xAI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 and Grok 4.6 trade strengths across price, capabilities, and technical limits. The better choice depends on the workload.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 6.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok 4.6 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.

Choose DeepSeek-V3

  • cost matters — it's about 6.3x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok 4.6

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

DeepSeek-V3
DeepSeek
Grok 4.6
xAI
Benchmark wins
—
—
Input price
$0.27 / M
$2.00 / M
Output price
$1.10 / M
$6.00 / M
Context window
131,072
500,000
Released
Dec 2024
Aug 2026
License
MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)
Proprietary

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-V3 and Grok 4.6don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Playground indexes and blind preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 7.4x cheaper than Grok 4.6 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 5.5x cheaper than Grok 4.6 ($6.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok 4.6 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Aug 24 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
xAI
Grok 4.6
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok 4.6 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3's 131,072 tokens. Only DeepSeek-V3 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
xAI
Grok 4.6
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Mon Aug 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok 4.6 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.

Grok 4.6 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok 4.6

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Grok 4.6 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 4.6

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Grok 4.6 was released on 2026-08-12.

Grok 4.6 is 20 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.7 years ago

Grok 4.6

Aug 12, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.6yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok 4.6 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok 4.6's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V3

—

Grok 4.6

Feb 2026

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. Grok 4.6 is available from xAI.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Grok 4.6

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Grok 4.6 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Grok 4.6
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Grok 4.6.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Grok 4.6?

DeepSeek-V3 (DeepSeek) and Grok 4.6 (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 compare to Grok 4.6 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Grok 4.6 scores CursorBench v3.2: 69.9%, DeepSWE 1.1: 65.9%, FrontierCode: 61.3%, AA-Index: 61.0%, GDPval-AA: 58.4%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Grok 4.6?

DeepSeek-V3 is 7.4x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Grok 4.6 costs $2.00/M input and $6.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Grok 4.6?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Grok 4.6 supports 500K 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 and Grok 4.6?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 500K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $2.00/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 and Grok 4.6?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Grok 4.6 is developed by xAI.

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