Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 405B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 1.9x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct (by Meta) 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 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (IFEval). DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 1.9x 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.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024

Choose Llama 3.1 405B Instruct if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.89/M input and $0.89/M output
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (IFEval).

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

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 3.3x cheaper than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Meta
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
Input tokens$0.89
Output tokens$0.89
Best providerLambda
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

266.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 266.0B more parameters than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct, making it 65.7% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Meta
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
405.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
405.0B
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 405B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community 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

Llama 3.1 405B Instruct

Llama 3.1 Community License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.

DeepSeek-V3 is 5 months newer than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

5mo newer
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct

Jul 23, 2024

1.9 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 is available from DeepSeek. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Fireworks, Bedrock, Together, Hyperbolic, Google, Replicate.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Llama 3.1 405B Instruct

lambda logo
Lambda
Input Price:Input: $0.89/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.89/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $1.79/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.79/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $3.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.50/1M
hyperbolic logo
Hyperbolic
Input Price:Input: $4.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $5.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $16.00/1M
replicate logo
Replicate
Input Price:Input: $9.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $9.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Higher DROP score (91.6% vs 84.8%)
Higher GPQA score (59.1% vs 50.7%)
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 87.3%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (75.9% vs 73.3%)
Meta
Less expensive output tokens
Higher IFEval score (88.6% vs 86.1%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Meta
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Llama 3.1 405B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is made by Meta. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 compare to Llama 3.1 405B Instruct in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct scores ARC-C: 96.9%, GSM8k: 96.8%, API-Bank: 92.0%, Multilingual MGSM (CoT): 91.6%, HumanEval: 89.0%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 is 3.3x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct costs $0.89/M input and $0.89/M output via lambda.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct 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 and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.89/M), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Llama 3.1 Community License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is developed by Meta.

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