Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-1.5

DeepSeek VL2 Small shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek VL2 Small outperforms in 2 benchmarks (DocVQA, MathVista), while Grok-1.5 is better at 1 benchmark (MMMU).

DeepSeek VL2 Small shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Wed May 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports multimodal inputs, whereas Grok-1.5 does not.

DeepSeek VL2 Small can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-1.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Small is licensed under deepseek, while Grok-1.5 uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek VL2 Small

deepseek

Open weights

Grok-1.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Small was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok-1.5 was released on 2024-03-28.

DeepSeek VL2 Small is 9 months newer than Grok-1.5.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Dec 13, 2024

1.4 years ago

8mo newer
Grok-1.5

Mar 28, 2024

2.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Supports multimodal inputs
Has open weights
Higher DocVQA score (92.3% vs 85.6%)
Higher MathVista score (60.7% vs 52.8%)
xAI
Higher MMMU score (53.6% vs 48.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
xAI
Grok-1.5

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-1.5.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Small or Grok-1.5?

DeepSeek VL2 Small shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek VL2 Small is made by DeepSeek and Grok-1.5 is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek VL2 Small compare to Grok-1.5 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Small scores DocVQA: 92.3%, ChartQA: 84.5%, OCRBench: 83.4%, TextVQA: 83.4%, MMBench: 80.3%. Grok-1.5 scores GSM8k: 90.0%, DocVQA: 85.6%, MMLU: 81.3%, HumanEval: 74.1%, MMMU: 53.6%.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-1.5?

Key differences include multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (deepseek vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-1.5?

DeepSeek VL2 Small is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-1.5 is developed by xAI.