Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V3.1 vs Grok-4Which is better in 2026?
Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.1 is 13.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V3.1 vs Grok-4 — which is better?
DeepSeek-V3.1 (by DeepSeek) and Grok-4 (by xAI) 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-V3.1 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-4 is better at 4 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, LiveCodeBench). Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V3.1 is roughly 13.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-4 also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V3.1 if…
- cost matters — it's about 13.3x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-4 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V3.1 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-4 is better at 4 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, LiveCodeBench).
Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.1 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 11.1x cheaper than Grok-4 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.1 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 15.0x cheaper than Grok-4 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-4 accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3.1's 163,840 tokens. DeepSeek-V3.1 can generate longer responses up to 163,840 tokens, while Grok-4 is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3.1 does not.
Grok-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V3.1
Grok-4
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3.1 is licensed under MIT, while Grok-4 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V3.1 was released on 2025-01-10, while Grok-4 was released on 2025-07-09.
Grok-4 is 6 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.1.
Jan 10, 2025
1.4 years ago
Jul 9, 2025
11 months ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-12-31, while DeepSeek-V3.1's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-4's training data extends to 2024-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3.1's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2024
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V3.1 is available from DeepInfra, Novita. Grok-4 is available from xAI.
DeepSeek-V3.1
Grok-4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V3.1
View detailsDeepSeek
Detailed Comparison
| Feature |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.1 vs Grok-4.