DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite vs Llama 3.1 405B
DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite (2024) and Llama 3.1 405B (2024) compare a coding-specialized model against a standalone API model. DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite ships a 128k-token context window, while Llama 3.1 405B ships a 128k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite leads by 0.9 pts. This page treats the result as workflow and deployment fit, not a universal model winner.
Treat this as a product-type comparison: DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite is coding-specialized model, while Llama 3.1 405B is standalone API model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Coding-specialized model | Standalone API model |
| Best for | custom coding agents and code generation | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Coding, Long context, and Classification | Coding, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $0.50/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 4 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 0.9 points.
- DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite for Coding, Long context, and Classification.
- Llama 3.1 405B holds a shared-benchmark lead on HumanEval, ahead by 7.9 points.
- Local decision data tags Llama 3.1 405B for Coding, Long context, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite
$525
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Llama 3.1 405B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite and Llama 3.1 405B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 3.1 405B and DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-06-17 | 2024-07-23 |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Parameters | 16B | 405B |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | DeepSeek License | Llama 3 Community |
| Openness | Open weights | Open weights |
| Weights | Available | Available |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-11 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $0.50/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 52.4 | 51.5 |
| HumanEval | 81.1 | 89.0 |
| Massive Multitask Language Understanding | 78.9 | 88.6 |
| HellaSwag | 91.4 | 95.8 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite at 52.4 and Llama 3.1 405B at 51.5, with DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite ahead by 0.9 points; HumanEval has DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite at 81.1 and Llama 3.1 405B at 89, with Llama 3.1 405B ahead by 7.9 points; Massive Multitask Language Understanding has DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite at 78.9 and Llama 3.1 405B at 88.6, with Llama 3.1 405B ahead by 9.7 points. The largest visible gap is 9.7 points on Massive Multitask Language Understanding, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint is close: both models cover the core production surface. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
Pricing coverage is uneven: DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite has $0.50/1M input tokens and Llama 3.1 405B has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 3.1 405B when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite or Llama 3.1 405B?
DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite supports 128k tokens, while Llama 3.1 405B supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite or Llama 3.1 405B open source?
DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite is listed under DeepSeek License. Llama 3.1 405B is listed under Llama 3 Community. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Where can I run DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite and Llama 3.1 405B?
DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite is available on Fireworks AI. Llama 3.1 405B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite over Llama 3.1 405B?
Treat this as a product-type comparison: DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite is coding-specialized model, while Llama 3.1 405B is standalone API model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive. If your workload also depends on coding workflow support, start with DeepSeek Coder V2 Lite; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Llama 3.1 405B.
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Last reviewed: 2026-07-09. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.