Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, SWE-Bench Verified). Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

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

Choose Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, SWE-Bench Verified).

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Jun 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

191.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 191.0B more parameters than Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct, making it 39.8% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct
480.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
480.0B
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only DeepSeek-V3 specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only DeepSeek-V3 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Mon Jun 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct 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

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct was released on 2025-01-31.

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is 1 month newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

Jan 31, 2025

1.4 years ago

1mo 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

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Higher Aider-Polyglot score (61.8% vs 49.6%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (69.6% vs 42.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 compare to Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct scores TAU-bench Retail: 77.5%, SWE-Bench Verified: 69.6%, BFCL-v3: 68.7%, Aider-Polyglot: 61.8%, TAU-bench Airline: 60.0%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct supports an unknown number of 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 Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

Key differences include 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 Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.