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
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.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V3 has 191.0B more parameters than Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct, making it 39.8% larger.
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).
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.
MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)
Open weights
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.
Dec 25, 2024
1.5 years ago
Jan 31, 2025
1.4 years ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V3
View detailsDeepSeek
Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Coder 480B A35B Instruct.