Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3 FlashWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max has a slight edge in benchmark performance. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 9.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3 Flash — which is better?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max (by DeepSeek) and Gemini 3 Flash (by Google) 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-V4-Flash-Max outperforms in 4 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.0), while Gemini 3 Flash is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, SimpleQA, Toolathlon). DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max has a slight edge in benchmark performance.

On price, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is roughly 9.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max 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-Max if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 7 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 9.0x 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 Apr 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Gemini 3 Flash if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $3.00/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

7 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max outperforms in 4 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.0), while Gemini 3 Flash is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, SimpleQA, Toolathlon).

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max has a slight edge in benchmark performance.

Fri Jul 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.10/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.20/1M tokens) is 15.0x cheaper than Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3 Flash is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 24 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.20
Best providerDeepinfra
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$3.00
Best providerGoogle
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Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Gemini 3 Flash's 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Fri Jul 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemini 3 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max does not.

Gemini 3 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemini 3 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is licensed under MIT, while Gemini 3 Flash uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

MIT

Open weights

Gemini 3 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max was released on 2026-04-23, while Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 4 months newer than Gemini 3 Flash.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

Apr 23, 2026

3 months ago

4mo newer
Gemini 3 Flash

Dec 17, 2025

7 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

—

Gemini 3 Flash

Jan 2025

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Fireworks, Novita. Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M

Gemini 3 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (45.1% vs 43.5%)
Higher MCP Atlas score (69.0% vs 57.4%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (79.0% vs 78.0%)
Higher Terminal-Bench 2.0 score (56.9% vs 47.6%)
Google
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (90.4% vs 88.1%)
Higher SimpleQA score (68.7% vs 34.1%)
Higher Toolathlon score (49.4% vs 47.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
✓ Preferred
Gemini 3 Flash
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Google
Gemini 3 Flash

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3 Flash.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max or Gemini 3 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max has a slight edge in benchmark performance. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is made by DeepSeek and Gemini 3 Flash is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max compare to Gemini 3 Flash in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max scores CodeForces: 100.0%, HMMT Feb 26: 94.8%, LiveCodeBench: 91.6%, IMO-AnswerBench: 88.4%, GPQA: 88.1%. Gemini 3 Flash scores Vending-Bench 2: 100.0%, AIME 2025: 99.7%, Global PIQA: 92.8%, MMMLU: 91.8%, GPQA: 90.4%.

Is DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max cheaper than Gemini 3 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 5.0x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max costs $0.10/M input and $0.20/M output via deepinfra. Gemini 3 Flash costs $0.50/M input and $3.00/M output via google.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max supports 1.0M tokens and Gemini 3 Flash supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3 Flash?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 1.0M), input pricing ($0.10 vs $0.50/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is developed by DeepSeek and Gemini 3 Flash is developed by Google.

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