Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs DeepSeek-V3.2-SpecialeWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is 1.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp (by DeepSeek) and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale (by DeepSeek) 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-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is better at 5 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CodeForces, HMMT 2025, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Verified). DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp also accepts a larger context window (163,840 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 163,840 token context window

Choose DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is better at 5 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CodeForces, HMMT 2025, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Verified).

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.0x cheaper than DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale ($0.28/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.41/1M tokens) is 1.0x cheaper than DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale ($0.42/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$0.41
Best providerNovita
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale
Input tokens$0.28
Output tokens$0.42
Best providerDeepSeek
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

0.0M diff

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale has 0.0B more parameters than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp, making it 0.0% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
685.0Bparameters
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale
685.0Bparameters
685.0B
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
685.0B
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp accepts 163,840 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is limited to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Input163,840 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under MIT.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

MIT

Open weights

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp was released on 2025-09-29, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale was released on 2025-12-01.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Sep 29, 2025

9 months ago

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale

Dec 1, 2025

7 months ago

2mo 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-V3.2-Exp is available from Novita. DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is available from DeepSeek.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.41/1M

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.28/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.42/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (163,840 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
DeepSeek
Higher AIME 2025 score (96.0% vs 89.3%)
Higher CodeForces score (90.0% vs 70.7%)
Higher HMMT 2025 score (99.2% vs 83.6%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (30.6% vs 19.8%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (73.1% vs 67.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
✓ Preferred
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp or DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is made by DeepSeek and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is made by DeepSeek. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp compare to DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp scores SimpleQA: 97.1%, AIME 2025: 89.3%, MMLU-Pro: 85.0%, HMMT 2025: 83.6%, GPQA: 79.9%. DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale scores HMMT 2025: 99.2%, AIME 2025: 96.0%, CodeForces: 90.0%, t2-bench: 80.3%, SWE-Bench Verified: 73.1%.

Is DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp cheaper than DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is 1.0x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp costs $0.27/M input and $0.41/M output via novita. DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale costs $0.28/M input and $0.42/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale?

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp supports 164K tokens and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale?

Key differences include context window (164K vs 131K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.28/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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