Model Comparison

DeepSeek VL2 vs Phi 4 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek VL2 and Phi 4 Mini across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek VL2 vs Phi 4 Mini — which is better?

DeepSeek VL2 (by DeepSeek) and Phi 4 Mini (by Microsoft) 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.

Choose DeepSeek VL2 if…

  • you are already invested in the DeepSeek ecosystem

Choose Phi 4 Mini if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek VL2 and Phi 4 Minidon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

23.2B diff

DeepSeek VL2 has 23.2B more parameters than Phi 4 Mini, making it 603.1% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
27.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini
3.8Bparameters
27.0B
DeepSeek VL2
3.8B
Phi 4 Mini

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
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Thu Jun 11 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

DeepSeek VL2 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 Mini does not.

DeepSeek VL2 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek VL2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Phi 4 Mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek VL2 is licensed under deepseek, while Phi 4 Mini uses MIT.

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

DeepSeek VL2

deepseek

Open weights

Phi 4 Mini

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek VL2 was released on 2024-12-13, while Phi 4 Mini was released on 2025-02-01.

Phi 4 Mini is 2 months newer than DeepSeek VL2.

DeepSeek VL2

Dec 13, 2024

1.5 years ago

Phi 4 Mini

Feb 1, 2025

1.4 years ago

1mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while DeepSeek VL2's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Phi 4 Mini's training data extends to 2024-06-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek VL2's cutoff date.

DeepSeek VL2

—

Phi 4 Mini

Jun 2024

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (129,280 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Microsoft

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek VL2
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek VL2 vs Phi 4 Mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek VL2 or Phi 4 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 (DeepSeek) and Phi 4 Mini (Microsoft) 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 Phi 4 Mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek VL2 scores DocVQA: 93.3%, ChartQA: 86.0%, TextVQA: 84.2%, AI2D: 81.4%, OCRBench: 81.1%. Phi 4 Mini scores GSM8k: 88.6%, ARC-C: 83.7%, BoolQ: 81.2%, OpenBookQA: 79.2%, PIQA: 77.6%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek VL2 and Phi 4 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 supports 129K tokens and Phi 4 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 Phi 4 Mini?

Key differences include multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (deepseek vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek VL2 and Phi 4 Mini?

DeepSeek VL2 is developed by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Mini is developed by Microsoft.

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