Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok Code Fast 1Which is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok Code Fast 1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok Code Fast 1 — which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 Small (by DeepSeek) and Grok Code Fast 1 (by xAI) 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.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 Small if…

  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok Code Fast 1 if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok Code Fast 1don'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 Code Fast 1 specifies input context (256,000 tokens). Only Grok Code Fast 1 specifies output context (10,000 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Input256,000 tokens
Output10,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports multimodal inputs, whereas Grok Code Fast 1 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 Code Fast 1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Small is licensed under deepseek, while Grok Code Fast 1 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 Code Fast 1

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Small was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok Code Fast 1 was released on 2025-08-28.

Grok Code Fast 1 is 9 months newer than DeepSeek VL2 Small.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Dec 13, 2024

1.6 years ago

Grok Code Fast 1

Aug 28, 2025

10 months ago

8mo 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
Supports multimodal inputs
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (256,000 tokens)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok Code Fast 1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek VL2 Small
✓ Preferred
Grok Code Fast 1
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Grok Code Fast 1.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Small or Grok Code Fast 1?

DeepSeek VL2 Small (DeepSeek) and Grok Code Fast 1 (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 Code Fast 1 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Small scores DocVQA: 92.3%, ChartQA: 84.5%, OCRBench: 83.4%, TextVQA: 83.4%, MMBench: 80.3%. Grok Code Fast 1 scores SWE-Bench Verified: 70.8%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 Small and Grok Code Fast 1?

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports an unknown number of tokens and Grok Code Fast 1 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 Code Fast 1?

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 Code Fast 1?

DeepSeek VL2 Small is developed by DeepSeek and Grok Code Fast 1 is developed by xAI.

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