Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?

Nova Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Nova Lite — which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 Small (by DeepSeek) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) 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.

DeepSeek VL2 Small outperforms in 1 benchmarks (TextVQA), while Nova Lite is better at 3 benchmarks (ChartQA, DocVQA, MMMU). Nova Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 Small if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Nova Lite if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek VL2 Small outperforms in 1 benchmarks (TextVQA), while Nova Lite is better at 3 benchmarks (ChartQA, DocVQA, MMMU).

Nova Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Nova Lite specifies input context (300,000 tokens). Only Nova Lite specifies output context (2,048 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Amazon
Nova Lite
Input300,000 tokens
Output2,048 tokens
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both DeepSeek VL2 Small and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.

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

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Small is licensed under deepseek, while Nova Lite 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

Nova Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Small was released on 2024-12-13, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.

DeepSeek VL2 Small is 1 month newer than Nova Lite.

DeepSeek VL2 Small

Dec 13, 2024

1.6 years ago

3w newer
Nova Lite

Nov 20, 2024

1.7 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

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Has open weights
Higher TextVQA score (83.4% vs 80.2%)
Amazon
Larger context window (300,000 tokens)
Higher ChartQA score (86.8% vs 84.5%)
Higher DocVQA score (92.4% vs 92.3%)
Higher MMMU score (56.2% vs 48.0%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek VL2 Small and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek VL2 Small
✓ Preferred
Nova Lite
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2 Small
Amazon
Nova Lite

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Small vs Nova Lite.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Small or Nova Lite?

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

How does DeepSeek VL2 Small compare to Nova Lite in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Small scores DocVQA: 92.3%, ChartQA: 84.5%, OCRBench: 83.4%, TextVQA: 83.4%, MMBench: 80.3%. Nova Lite scores GSM8k: 94.5%, ARC-C: 92.4%, DocVQA: 92.4%, IFEval: 89.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.8%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 Small and Nova Lite?

DeepSeek VL2 Small supports an unknown number of tokens and Nova Lite supports 300K 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 Nova Lite?

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

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 Small and Nova Lite?

DeepSeek VL2 Small is developed by DeepSeek and Nova Lite is developed by Amazon.

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