Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 8B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 15.9x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Llama 3.1 8B 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 5 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is roughly 15.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024

Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 15.9x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 9.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 36.7x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.03
Best providerLambda
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

663.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 663.0B more parameters than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct, making it 8287.5% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
8.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
8.0B
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 131,072 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 131,072 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Llama 3.1 8B 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 8B 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 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.

DeepSeek-V3 is 5 months newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

5mo newer
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Jul 23, 2024

2.0 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-12-31, while DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Llama 3.1 8B Instruct's training data extends to 2023-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V3

—

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Dec 2023

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Hyperbolic, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

lambda logo
Lambda
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.03/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.05/1M
groq logo
Groq
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.08/1M
sambanova logo
Sambanova
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
cerebras logo
Cerebras
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
hyperbolic logo
Hyperbolic
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.22/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.22/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Higher DROP score (91.6% vs 59.5%)
Higher GPQA score (59.1% vs 30.4%)
Higher IFEval score (86.1% vs 80.4%)
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 69.4%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (75.9% vs 48.3%)
Meta
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Llama 3.1 8B 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 8B 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 8B Instruct scores GSM-8K (CoT): 84.5%, ARC-C: 83.4%, API-Bank: 82.6%, IFEval: 80.4%, BFCL: 76.1%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 9.0x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct costs $0.03/M input and $0.03/M output via lambda.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct supports 131K 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 8B Instruct?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.03/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 8B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is developed by Meta.

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