Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 2.5x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 5 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMLU-Redux, SimpleQA). Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 2.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.5x cheaper per token

Choose Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 5 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMLU-Redux, SimpleQA).

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Jul 15 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 1.7x cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($0.45/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 3.2x cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($3.49/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Input tokens$0.45
Output tokens$3.49
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

435.0B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 435.0B more parameters than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking, making it 184.3% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
236.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
236.0B
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3's 131,072 tokens. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while DeepSeek-V3 is limited to 131,072 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Input262,144 tokens
Output262,144 tokens
Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 9 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.6 years ago

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Sep 22, 2025

9 months ago

9mo 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking is available from DeepInfra, Novita.

DeepSeek-V3

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

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.45/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.49/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.98/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.95/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Larger context window (262,144 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher IFEval score (88.2% vs 86.1%)
Higher MMLU score (90.6% vs 88.5%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (83.8% vs 75.9%)
Higher MMLU-Redux score (93.7% vs 89.1%)
Higher SimpleQA score (44.4% vs 24.9%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking scores ZebraLogic: 97.3%, DocVQAtest: 96.5%, ScreenSpot: 95.4%, CountBench: 93.7%, MMLU-Redux: 93.7%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 is 1.7x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking costs $0.45/M input and $3.49/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking supports 262K 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 262K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.45/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 Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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