DeepSeek VL2 vs Nova Lite
DeepSeek VL2 and Nova Lite are closely matched at 3.1 and 7.7 on the LLM Stats Score.
DeepSeek · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek VL2 and Nova Lite are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 3.1 and 7.7.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
Nova Lite also accepts a larger context window (300,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek VL2
- 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
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 300,000 token context window
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
14 reported for DeepSeek VL2 · 27 for Nova Lite
DeepSeek VL2 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (DocVQA, TextVQA), while Nova Lite is better at 2 benchmarks (ChartQA, MMMU).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Nova Lite accepts 300,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek VL2's 129,280 tokens. DeepSeek VL2 can generate longer responses up to 129,280 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both DeepSeek VL2 and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
DeepSeek VL2
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek VL2 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
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek VL2 was released on 2024-12-13, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
DeepSeek VL2 is 1 month newer than Nova Lite.
Dec 13, 2024
1.7 years ago
3w newerNov 20, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek VL2 is available from Replicate. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
DeepSeek VL2
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek VL2 and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 vs Nova Lite.