DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Nova 2 Lite
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Nova 2 Lite are closely matched at 28.2 and 25.4 on the LLM Stats Score. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is 2.8x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Nova 2 Lite are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 28.2 and 25.4.
In the 6 individual benchmarks reported for both models, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp wins 5; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is roughly 2.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Nova 2 Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 5 of 6 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 2.8x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Nova 2 Lite
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
14 reported for DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp · 19 for Nova 2 Lite
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 5 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MMLU-Pro, SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than Nova 2 Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.41/1M tokens) is 6.1x cheaper than Nova 2 Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Nova 2 Lite is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Nova 2 Lite accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp's 163,840 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Nova 2 Lite supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp does not.
Nova 2 Lite can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Nova 2 Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is licensed under MIT, while Nova 2 Lite 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-V3.2-Exp was released on 2025-09-29, while Nova 2 Lite was released on 2025-12-02.
Nova 2 Lite is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.
Sep 29, 2025
11 months ago
Dec 2, 2025
9 months ago
2mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is available from Novita. Nova 2 Lite is available from Bedrock.
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Nova 2 Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Nova 2 Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Nova 2 Lite.