Model Comparison

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

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 2.4x cheaper per token.

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

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max (by DeepSeek) and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (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-Pro-Max outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro), while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is roughly 2.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.4x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro), while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max ($1.60/1M tokens) is 5.3x more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max ($3.20/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite.*

* 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-Pro-Max
Input tokens$1.60
Output tokens$3.20
Best providerNovita
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$2.50
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. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is limited to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Fri Jul 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is licensed under MIT, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max

MIT

Open weights

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max was released on 2026-04-23, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-07-21.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 3 months newer than DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max.

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max

Apr 23, 2026

3 months ago

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Jul 21, 2026

2 days ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Mar 2026

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is available from Novita, DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Fireworks, Together. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is available from Google.

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $1.60/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.20/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $1.74/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.48/1M
deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $1.74/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.48/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $1.74/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.48/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $1.74/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.48/1M

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Has open weights
Higher GDPval-AA score (44.4% vs 38.0%)
Higher SWE-Bench Pro score (55.4% vs 54.2%)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

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

FAQ

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

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

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is made by DeepSeek and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max compare to Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max scores CodeForces: 100.0%, HMMT Feb 26: 95.2%, LiveCodeBench: 93.5%, MathArena Apex: 90.2%, GPQA: 90.1%. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite scores CharXiv-R: 76.5%, OSWorld-Verified: 74.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 54.2%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 54.0%, MLE-Bench: 39.2%.

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 5.3x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max costs $1.60/M input and $3.20/M output via novita. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs $0.30/M input and $2.50/M output via google.

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

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

Key differences include input pricing ($1.60 vs $0.30/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite?

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