Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 4 MaverickWhich is better in 2026?

Llama 4 Maverick shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Llama 4 Maverick is 1.7x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 4 Maverick — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Llama 4 Maverick (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 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Llama 4 Maverick is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MMLU-Pro). Llama 4 Maverick shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Llama 4 Maverick is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Llama 4 Maverick also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output

Choose Llama 4 Maverick if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Llama 4 Maverick is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MMLU-Pro).

Llama 4 Maverick shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 4 Maverick costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.6x more expensive than Llama 4 Maverick ($0.17/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 1.8x more expensive than Llama 4 Maverick ($0.60/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than Llama 4 Maverick.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Meta
Llama 4 Maverick
Input tokens$0.17
Output tokens$0.60
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

271.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 271.0B more parameters than Llama 4 Maverick, making it 67.8% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Meta
Llama 4 Maverick
400.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
400.0B
Llama 4 Maverick

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Llama 4 Maverick accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3's 131,072 tokens. Llama 4 Maverick can generate longer responses up to 1,000,000 tokens, while DeepSeek-V3 is limited to 131,072 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meta
Llama 4 Maverick
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output1,000,000 tokens
Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Llama 4 Maverick supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.

Llama 4 Maverick can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Llama 4 Maverick

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Llama 4 Maverick uses Llama 4 Community License Agreement.

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 4 Maverick

Llama 4 Community License Agreement

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Llama 4 Maverick was released on 2025-04-05.

Llama 4 Maverick is 3 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

Llama 4 Maverick

Apr 5, 2025

1.2 years ago

3mo 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. Llama 4 Maverick is available from DeepInfra, Novita, Lambda, Groq, Fireworks, Together, Sambanova.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Llama 4 Maverick

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.17/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.17/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.85/1M
lambda logo
Lambda
Input Price:Input: $0.18/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
groq logo
Groq
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.22/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.88/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.85/1M
sambanova logo
Sambanova
Input Price:Input: $0.63/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.79/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 85.5%)
Meta
Larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (69.8% vs 59.1%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (43.4% vs 37.6%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (80.5% vs 75.9%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Meta
Llama 4 Maverick

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Llama 4 Maverick.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Llama 4 Maverick?

Llama 4 Maverick shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Llama 4 Maverick 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 4 Maverick in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Llama 4 Maverick scores DocVQA: 94.4%, MGSM: 92.3%, ChartQA: 90.0%, MMLU: 85.5%, MMLU-Pro: 80.5%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Llama 4 Maverick?

Llama 4 Maverick is 1.6x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Llama 4 Maverick costs $0.17/M input and $0.60/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 4 Maverick?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Llama 4 Maverick supports 1.0M 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 4 Maverick?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 1.0M), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.17/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Llama 4 Community License Agreement). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 and Llama 4 Maverick?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Llama 4 Maverick is developed by Meta.

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