Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Grok-3 Mini across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 (by DeepSeek) and Grok-3 Mini (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.
On price, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is roughly 3.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 if…
- cost matters — it's about 3.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-3 Mini if…
- you want predictable pricing at $0.30/M input and $0.50/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Grok-3 Minidon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 ($0.09/1M tokens) is 3.3x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 ($0.18/1M tokens) is 2.8x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-3 Mini is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-3 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 does not.
Grok-3 Mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
Grok-3 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is licensed under MIT, while Grok-3 Mini 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-V4-Flash-0731 was released on 2026-07-31, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is 18 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.
Jul 31, 2026
3 days ago
1.4yr newerFeb 17, 2025
1.5 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731's cutoff date.
—
Nov 2024
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Novita. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
Grok-3 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731Grok-3 MiniDetailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Grok-3 Mini.