Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok 4.5Which is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok 4.5 — which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 (by DeepSeek) and Grok 4.5 (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.

Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 if…

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

Choose Grok 4.5 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5don'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

Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek VL2's 129,280 tokens. Only DeepSeek VL2 specifies output context (129,280 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
Input129,280 tokens
Output129,280 tokens
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5 support multimodal inputs.

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

DeepSeek VL2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 is licensed under deepseek, while Grok 4.5 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 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 was released on 2024-12-13, while Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16.

Grok 4.5 is 19 months newer than DeepSeek VL2.

DeepSeek VL2

Dec 13, 2024

1.6 years ago

Grok 4.5

Jul 16, 2026

3 days ago

1.6yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while DeepSeek VL2's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok 4.5's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek VL2's cutoff date.

DeepSeek VL2

—

Grok 4.5

Feb 2026

Provider Availability

DeepSeek VL2 is available from Replicate. Grok 4.5 is available from xAI.

DeepSeek VL2

replicate logo
Replicate

Grok 4.5

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Has open weights
xAI
Larger context window (500,000 tokens)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek VL2
✓ Preferred
Grok 4.5
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
xAI
Grok 4.5

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 vs Grok 4.5.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 or Grok 4.5?

DeepSeek VL2 (DeepSeek) and Grok 4.5 (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 compare to Grok 4.5 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 scores DocVQA: 93.3%, ChartQA: 86.0%, TextVQA: 84.2%, AI2D: 81.4%, OCRBench: 81.1%. Grok 4.5 scores GPQA: 93.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 83.3%, Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index v1.1: 76.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 64.7%, AA-Omniscience Index: 63.0%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5?

DeepSeek VL2 supports 129K tokens and Grok 4.5 supports 500K 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 4.5?

Key differences include context window (129K vs 500K), licensing (deepseek vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 and Grok 4.5?

DeepSeek VL2 is developed by DeepSeek and Grok 4.5 is developed by xAI.

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