Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3.5 FlashWhich is better in 2026?

Gemini 3.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 27.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3.5 Flash — which is better?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max (by DeepSeek) and Gemini 3.5 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 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while Gemini 3.5 Flash is better at 5 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0, Toolathlon). Gemini 3.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is roughly 27.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max if…

  • cost matters — it's about 27.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 6 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while Gemini 3.5 Flash is better at 5 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0, Toolathlon).

Gemini 3.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 17 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 15.0x cheaper than Gemini 3.5 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.20/1M tokens) is 45.0x cheaper than Gemini 3.5 Flash ($9.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.5 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 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.20
Best providerDeepinfra
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$9.00
Best providerGoogle
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 1,048,576 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 3.5 Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemini 3.5 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max does not.

Gemini 3.5 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 3.5 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is licensed under MIT, while Gemini 3.5 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 3.5 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max was released on 2026-04-23, while Gemini 3.5 Flash was released on 2026-05-19.

Gemini 3.5 Flash is 1 month newer than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

Apr 23, 2026

2 months ago

Gemini 3.5 Flash

May 19, 2026

1 months ago

3w newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.5 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-01-31, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash's training data extends to 2026-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

—

Gemini 3.5 Flash

Jan 2026

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Fireworks, Novita. Gemini 3.5 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 3.5 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $1.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $9.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (45.1% vs 40.2%)
Google
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GDPval-AA score (45.7% vs 40.1%)
Higher MCP Atlas score (83.6% vs 69.0%)
Higher SWE-Bench Pro score (55.1% vs 52.6%)
Higher Terminal-Bench 2.0 score (76.2% vs 56.9%)
Higher Toolathlon score (56.5% vs 47.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3.5 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
✓ Preferred
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemini 3.5 Flash.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max or Gemini 3.5 Flash?

Gemini 3.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is made by DeepSeek and Gemini 3.5 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 3.5 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 3.5 Flash scores CharXiv-R: 84.2%, MCP Atlas: 83.6%, MMMU-Pro: 83.6%, OSWorld-Verified: 78.4%, Terminal-Bench 2.0: 76.2%.

Is DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max cheaper than Gemini 3.5 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 15.0x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max costs $0.10/M input and $0.20/M output via deepinfra. Gemini 3.5 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $9.00/M output via google.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemini 3.5 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max supports 1.0M tokens and Gemini 3.5 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 3.5 Flash?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.10 vs $1.50/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 3.5 Flash?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is developed by DeepSeek and Gemini 3.5 Flash is developed by Google.

Related comparisons