Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok-2 miniWhich is better in 2026?

Grok-2 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok-2 mini — which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 (by DeepSeek) and Grok-2 mini (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.

DeepSeek VL2 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (DocVQA), while Grok-2 mini is better at 2 benchmarks (MathVista, MMMU). Grok-2 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 if…

  • 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 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek VL2 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (DocVQA), while Grok-2 mini is better at 2 benchmarks (MathVista, MMMU).

Grok-2 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only DeepSeek VL2 specifies input context (129,280 tokens). Only DeepSeek VL2 specifies output context (129,280 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
Input129,280 tokens
Output129,280 tokens
xAI
Grok-2 mini
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

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

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

DeepSeek VL2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-2 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 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

deepseek

Open weights

Grok-2 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

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

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

DeepSeek VL2

Dec 13, 2024

1.5 years ago

4mo newer
Grok-2 mini

Aug 13, 2024

1.9 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
Larger context window (129,280 tokens)
Has open weights
Higher DocVQA score (93.3% vs 93.2%)
xAI
Higher MathVista score (68.1% vs 62.8%)
Higher MMMU score (63.2% vs 51.1%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

DeepSeek VL2
✓ Preferred
Grok-2 mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
xAI
Grok-2 mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok-2 mini.

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

Grok-2 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek VL2 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 compare to Grok-2 mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 scores DocVQA: 93.3%, ChartQA: 86.0%, TextVQA: 84.2%, AI2D: 81.4%, OCRBench: 81.1%. Grok-2 mini scores DocVQA: 93.2%, MMLU: 86.2%, HumanEval: 85.7%, MATH: 73.0%, MMLU-Pro: 72.0%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 and Grok-2 mini?

DeepSeek VL2 supports 129K tokens and Grok-2 mini supports an unknown number of 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 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 and Grok-2 mini?

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

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