DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Qwen3 Max
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is 5.3x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified). DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is roughly 5.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen3 Max also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 5.3x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Qwen3 Max
- you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified).
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.9x cheaper than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp ($0.41/1M tokens) is 12.2x cheaper than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3 Max is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3 Max has 315.0B more parameters than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp, making it 46.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3 Max accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp's 163,840 tokens. Qwen3 Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is limited to 65,536 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is licensed under MIT, while Qwen3 Max 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 Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
Qwen3 Max is 3 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp.
Sep 29, 2025
11 months ago
Dec 15, 2025
8 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. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita.
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp vs Qwen3 Max.