DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs Inkling 2 Small
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and Inkling 2 Small are closely matched at 49.2 and 47.1 on the LLM Stats Score. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 1.4x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · Thinking Machines Lab · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and Inkling 2 Small are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 49.2 and 47.1.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Inkling 2 Small wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,040,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,040,000 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Inkling 2 Small
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
20 reported for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash · 11 for Inkling 2 Small
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Inkling 2 Small is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam).
Inkling 2 Small significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.22/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than Inkling 2 Small ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.66/1M tokens) is 1.5x cheaper than Inkling 2 Small ($1.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Inkling 2 Small is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash has 169.2B more parameters than Inkling 2 Small, making it 28.5% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash accepts 1,040,000 input tokens compared to Inkling 2 Small's 256,000 tokens. Only DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash specifies output context (393,216 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and Inkling 2 Small support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Inkling 2 Small
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is licensed under MIT, while Inkling 2 Small 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-V4.1-Flash was released on 2026-09-10, while Inkling 2 Small was released on 2026-11-05.
Inkling 2 Small is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.
Sep 10, 2026
2 months ago
Nov 5, 2026
4 days ago
1mo 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-V4.1-Flash is available from Fireworks, DeepInfra, Novita. Inkling 2 Small is available from Thinking Machines Lab.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Inkling 2 Small
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and Inkling 2 Small side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs Inkling 2 Small.