DeepSeek V3 vs Grok-3
DeepSeek V3 (2024) and Grok-3 (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and xAI. DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window, while Grok-3 ships a 1M-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Grok-3 leads by 4.0 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input tokens versus $0.8/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
DeepSeek V3 is ~700% cheaper at $0.1/1M; pay for Grok-3 only for reasoning depth.
Specs
| Released | 2024-12-26 | 2026-01-15 |
| Context window | 64k | 1M |
| Parameters | 671B | 1B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | - |
| License | Open Source | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-04 | 2025-04 |
Pricing and availability
| DeepSeek V3 | Grok-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $0.8/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | $2.4/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| DeepSeek V3 | Grok-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Grok-3 |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 75.9 | 79.9 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1302.0 | 1405.0 |
| Aider Polyglot | 48.4 | 53.3 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has DeepSeek V3 at 75.9 and Grok-3 at 79.9, with Grok-3 ahead by 4.0 points; Chatbot Arena has DeepSeek V3 at 1302 and Grok-3 at 1405, with Grok-3 ahead by 103 points; Aider Polyglot has DeepSeek V3 at 48.4 and Grok-3 at 53.3, with Grok-3 ahead by 4.9 points. The largest visible gap is 103 points on Chatbot Arena, 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 differs most on vision: Grok-3, multimodal input: Grok-3, and reasoning mode: Grok-3. Both models share function calling, tool use, and structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, DeepSeek V3 lists $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens, while Grok-3 lists $0.8/1M input and $2.4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3 lower by about $1.12 per million blended tokens. Availability is 12 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Grok-3 when reasoning depth and larger context windows 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 V3 or Grok-3?
Grok-3 supports 1M tokens, while DeepSeek V3 supports 64k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V3 or Grok-3?
DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens. Grok-3 costs $0.8/1M input and $2.4/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 or Grok-3 open source?
DeepSeek V3 is listed under Open Source. Grok-3 is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, DeepSeek V3 or Grok-3?
Grok-3 has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, DeepSeek V3 or Grok-3?
Grok-3 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3 and Grok-3?
DeepSeek V3 is available on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, Microsoft Foundry, and OpenRouter. Grok-3 is available on OpenRouter, xAI Console, and Chutes AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.