Model Comparison

Grok-3 vs DeepSeek-V3Which is better in 2026?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 12.6x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok-3 vs DeepSeek-V3 — which is better?

Grok-3 (by xAI) and DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) 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-3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench), while DeepSeek-V3 is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 12.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok-3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 12.6x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

Grok-3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench), while DeepSeek-V3 is better at 0 benchmarks.

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Jun 08 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 costs less

For input processing, Grok-3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 11.1x more expensive than DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok-3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 13.6x more expensive than DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-3 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jun 08 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok-3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Grok-3's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-3 is limited to 8,000 tokens.

xAI
Grok-3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Mon Jun 08 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok-3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3 does not.

Grok-3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Grok-3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

DeepSeek-V3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Grok-3 is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-V3 uses MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed).

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

Grok-3

Proprietary

Closed source

DeepSeek-V3

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17, while DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25.

Grok-3 is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-V3.

Grok-3

Feb 17, 2025

1.3 years ago

1mo newer
DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok-3's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date.

Grok-3

Nov 2024

DeepSeek-V3

—

Provider Availability

Grok-3 is available from xAI. DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek.

Grok-3

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

DeepSeek-V3

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.10/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher AIME 2024 score (93.3% vs 39.2%)
Higher GPQA score (84.6% vs 59.1%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (79.4% vs 37.6%)
DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
xAIGrok-3
DeepSeekDeepSeek-V3
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-3
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-3 vs DeepSeek-V3.

Which is better, Grok-3 or DeepSeek-V3?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 is made by xAI and DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok-3 compare to DeepSeek-V3 in benchmarks?

Grok-3 scores AIME 2024: 93.3%, AIME 2025: 93.3%, GPQA: 84.6%, LiveCodeBench: 79.4%, MMMU: 78.0%. DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%.

Is Grok-3 cheaper than DeepSeek-V3?

DeepSeek-V3 is 11.1x cheaper for input tokens. Grok-3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for Grok-3 and DeepSeek-V3?

Grok-3 supports 128K tokens and DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok-3 and DeepSeek-V3?

Key differences include context window (128K vs 131K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.27/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok-3 and DeepSeek-V3?

Grok-3 is developed by xAI and DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek.

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