Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Pixtral-12BWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Pixtral-12B is 3.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Pixtral-12B — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Pixtral-12B (by Mistral AI) 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 2 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Pixtral-12B is roughly 3.2x 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 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024

Choose Pixtral-12B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 3.2x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 04 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Pixtral-12B costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.8x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 7.3x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 04 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.15
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

658.6B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 658.6B more parameters than Pixtral-12B, making it 5311.3% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
12.4Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
12.4B
Pixtral-12B

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Pixtral-12B's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Sat Jul 04 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Pixtral-12B supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.

Pixtral-12B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Pixtral-12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Pixtral-12B uses Apache 2.0.

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

Pixtral-12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.

DeepSeek-V3 is 3 months newer than Pixtral-12B.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

3mo newer
Pixtral-12B

Sep 17, 2024

1.8 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. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Pixtral-12B

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.15/1M
* 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)
Higher IFEval score (86.1% vs 61.3%)
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 69.2%)
Mistral AI
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Pixtral-12B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Pixtral-12B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Pixtral-12B.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Pixtral-12B is made by Mistral AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 compare to Pixtral-12B in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Pixtral-12B scores DocVQA: 90.7%, ChartQA: 81.8%, VQAv2: 78.6%, MT-Bench: 76.8%, HumanEval: 72.0%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Pixtral-12B?

Pixtral-12B is 1.8x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Pixtral-12B costs $0.15/M input and $0.15/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Pixtral-12B 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 Pixtral-12B?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.15/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 and Pixtral-12B?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Pixtral-12B is developed by Mistral AI.

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