Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 1.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking (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-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, MMLU-Pro, MMLU-Redux). Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

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 process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window

Choose Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, MMLU-Pro, MMLU-Redux).

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 28 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 1.8x more expensive than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerNovita
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

591.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 591.0B more parameters than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking, making it 738.8% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking
80.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
80.0B
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking's 65,536 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is limited to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking
Input65,536 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking 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-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking was released on 2025-09-10.

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is 9 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.6 years ago

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Sep 10, 2025

10 months ago

8mo 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. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is available from Novita.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
* 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 output tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Less expensive input tokens
Higher GPQA score (77.2% vs 59.1%)
Higher IFEval score (88.9% vs 86.1%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (82.7% vs 75.9%)
Higher MMLU-Redux score (92.5% vs 89.1%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking 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-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking scores MMLU-Redux: 92.5%, IFEval: 88.9%, AIME 2025: 87.8%, WritingBench: 84.6%, MMLU-Pro: 82.7%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is 1.8x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking costs $0.15/M input and $1.50/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking supports 66K 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-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 66K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.15/M), 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-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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