DeepSeek V4 vs Grok 4.3
DeepSeek V4 (2026) and Grok 4.3 (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek and xAI. DeepSeek V4 ships a 1M-token context window, while Grok 4.3 ships a 1M-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing. The goal is to make the tradeoff clear before deeper testing.
Grok 4.3 is safer overall; choose DeepSeek V4 when provider fit matters.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-04-24 | 2026-04-30 |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Parameters | 1.6T | ~0.5T |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | - |
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V4 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | $1.25/1M tokens |
| Output price | - | $2.5/1M tokens |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V4 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Grok 4.3 and multimodal input: Grok 4.3. Both models share reasoning mode, 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: DeepSeek V4 has no token price sourced yet and Grok 4.3 has $1.25/1M input tokens. Provider availability is 0 tracked routes versus 2. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose DeepSeek V4 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Grok 4.3 when vision-heavy evaluation and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V4 or Grok 4.3?
DeepSeek V4 supports 1M tokens, while Grok 4.3 supports 1M tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is DeepSeek V4 or Grok 4.3 open source?
DeepSeek V4 is listed under MIT. Grok 4.3 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 V4 or Grok 4.3?
Grok 4.3 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 V4 or Grok 4.3?
Grok 4.3 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.
Which is better for reasoning mode, DeepSeek V4 or Grok 4.3?
Both DeepSeek V4 and Grok 4.3 expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run DeepSeek V4 and Grok 4.3?
DeepSeek V4 is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Grok 4.3 is available on xAI Console and OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.