Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-3 Mini

Comparing DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Grok-3 Mini specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only Grok-3 Mini specifies output context (8,000 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Thu May 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-3 Mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Small is licensed under deepseek, while Grok-3 Mini 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-3 Mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Small was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.

Grok-3 Mini is 2 months newer than DeepSeek VL2 Small.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Dec 13, 2024

1.4 years ago

Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.2 years ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while DeepSeek VL2 Small's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek VL2 Small's cutoff date.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

—

Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (128,000 tokens)
DeepSeekDeepSeek VL2 Small
xAIGrok-3 Mini
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
xAI
Grok-3 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Small or Grok-3 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 Small (DeepSeek) and Grok-3 Mini (xAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does DeepSeek VL2 Small compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Small scores DocVQA: 92.3%, ChartQA: 84.5%, OCRBench: 83.4%, TextVQA: 83.4%, MMBench: 80.3%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports an unknown number of tokens and Grok-3 Mini supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include licensing (deepseek vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-3 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 Small is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-3 Mini is developed by xAI.