Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 1.1x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, SWE-Bench Verified).

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Apr 17 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 1.1x cheaper than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 ($1.20/1M tokens).

In conclusion, LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Apr 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Meituan
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$1.20
Best providerMeituan
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

111.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 111.0B more parameters than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601, making it 19.8% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Meituan
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601
560.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
560.0B
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is limited to 128,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meituan
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Fri Apr 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 uses MIT.

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

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 was released on 2026-01-14.

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is 13 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.3 years ago

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

Jan 14, 2026

3 months ago

1.1yr 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. LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is available from Meituan.

DeepSeek-V3

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

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

meituan logo
Meituan
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.20/1M
* 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
Less expensive output tokens
Meituan
Higher GPQA score (80.5% vs 59.1%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (82.8% vs 37.6%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (70.0% vs 42.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Meituan
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601

LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is made by Meituan. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.
DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 scores AIME 2025: 99.6%, Tau2 Telecom: 99.3%, Tau2 Retail: 88.6%, LiveCodeBench: 82.8%, GPQA: 80.5%.
DeepSeek-V3 is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 costs $0.30/M input and $1.20/M output via meituan.
DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.
Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.30/M), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.
DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is developed by Meituan.