Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-4.1 Thinking

Comparing DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-4.1 Thinking 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-4.1 Thinking 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-4.1 Thinking specifies input context (256,000 tokens). Only Grok-4.1 Thinking specifies output context (8,000 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input256,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-4.1 Thinking 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-4.1 Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Small is licensed under deepseek, while Grok-4.1 Thinking 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-4.1 Thinking

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Small was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.

Grok-4.1 Thinking is 11 months newer than DeepSeek VL2 Small.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Dec 13, 2024

1.4 years ago

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Nov 17, 2025

5 months ago

11mo newer

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

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (256,000 tokens)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok-4.1 Thinking.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Small or Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek VL2 Small (DeepSeek) and Grok-4.1 Thinking (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-4.1 Thinking in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Small scores DocVQA: 92.3%, ChartQA: 84.5%, OCRBench: 83.4%, TextVQA: 83.4%, MMBench: 80.3%. Grok-4.1 Thinking scores Creative Writing v3: 86.1%, WMDP: 84.0%, EQ-Bench: 79.3%, ProtocolQA: 79.0%, LMArena Text Leaderboard: 74.2%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports an unknown number of tokens and Grok-4.1 Thinking supports 256K 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-4.1 Thinking?

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

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

DeepSeek VL2 Small is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-4.1 Thinking is developed by xAI.