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DeepSeek VL2 Tiny vs Grok-2 mini

Grok-2 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

DeepSeek · xAI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-2 mini is better at 3 benchmarks (DocVQA, MathVista, MMMU). Grok-2 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 Tiny

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

Choose Grok-2 mini

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

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny
DeepSeek
Grok-2 mini
xAI
Benchmark wins
0 of 3
3 of 3
Input price
— / M
— / M
Output price
— / M
— / M
Context window
—
—
Released
Dec 2024
Aug 2024
License
deepseek
Proprietary

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-2 mini is better at 3 benchmarks (DocVQA, MathVista, MMMU).

Grok-2 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Playground indexes and blind preference scores

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both DeepSeek VL2 Tiny and Grok-2 mini support multimodal inputs.

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

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-2 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny is licensed under deepseek, while Grok-2 mini uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny

deepseek

Open weights

Grok-2 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok-2 mini was released on 2024-08-13.

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny is 4 months newer than Grok-2 mini.

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny

Dec 13, 2024

1.7 years ago

4mo newer
Grok-2 mini

Aug 13, 2024

2.0 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→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek VL2 Tiny and Grok-2 mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny
✓ Preferred
Grok-2 mini
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 Tiny vs Grok-2 mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 Tiny or Grok-2 mini?

Grok-2 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek VL2 Tiny is made by DeepSeek and Grok-2 mini is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek VL2 Tiny compare to Grok-2 mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny scores DocVQA: 88.9%, ChartQA: 81.0%, OCRBench: 80.9%, TextVQA: 80.7%, AI2D: 71.6%. Grok-2 mini scores DocVQA: 93.2%, MMLU: 86.2%, HumanEval: 85.7%, MATH: 73.0%, MMLU-Pro: 72.0%.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek VL2 Tiny and Grok-2 mini?

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

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 Tiny and Grok-2 mini?

DeepSeek VL2 Tiny is developed by DeepSeek and Grok-2 mini is developed by xAI.

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