DeepSeek vs xAI
A comprehensive comparison of DeepSeek (2 models) and xAI (1 model) across pricing, benchmarks, context windows, and capabilities. Updated for 2026.
Provider Overview
DeepSeek
Models
2
Price range
$0.42 – $2.74
Avg benchmarks
83.0%
Avg context
146K
xAI
Models
1
Price range
$18.00 – $18.00
Avg benchmarks
83.7%
Avg context
128K
Model Lineup Comparison
| Model | Provider | Category | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | Context | Avg Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok 4 | xAI | Flagship | $3.00 | $15.00 | 128K | 83.7% |
| DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek | Reasoning | $0.55 | $2.19 | 128K | 82.5% |
| DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek | Open Source | $0.14 | $0.28 | 164K | 83.5% |
Head-to-Head by Category
Flagship
$3.00/1M
$15.00/1M
128K
83.7%
Reasoning
$0.55/1M
$2.19/1M
128K
82.5%
Open Source
$0.14/1M
$0.28/1M
164K
83.5%
Verdict
Best on price: DeepSeek offers the cheapest option at $0.42/1M tokens combined, vs $18.00/1M from xAI.
Higher benchmarks: xAI averages 83.7% across models, vs 83.0% from DeepSeek.
Larger context: DeepSeek averages 146K context window across models.
More models: DeepSeek offers 2 models vs 1 from xAI.
Choose DeepSeek if cost is your priority. Choose xAI if you need the highest quality across your workloads.