DeepSeek vs xAI
Complete comparison of DeepSeek (8 models) and xAI (7 models) for AI coding projects. Updated April 2026.
Quick Verdict
DeepSeek offers 8 models ranging from $0.140 to $0.550 per million input tokens. Cheapest: DeepSeek V3.
xAI offers 7 models ranging from $0.300 to $5.00 per million input tokens. Cheapest: Grok 3 Mini.
Winner on price: DeepSeek ($0.140/M input). Winner on average: DeepSeek (avg $0.261/M).
Winner Per Scenario
Which provider has the cheapest model for each coding scenario?
| Scenario | DeepSeek Best | xAI Best | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | DeepSeek V3 — $0.01 | Grok 3 Mini — $0.03 | DeepSeek wins by $0.01 |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | DeepSeek V3 — $0.11 | Grok 3 Mini — $0.21 | DeepSeek wins by $0.10 |
| Large Project (50K lines) | DeepSeek V3 — $0.53 | Grok 3 Mini — $1.02 | DeepSeek wins by $0.50 |
| Code Review (5K lines) | DeepSeek V3 — $0.03 | Grok 3 Mini — $0.07 | DeepSeek wins by $0.03 |
Head-to-Head Model Comparisons
Each DeepSeek model matched against its closest-priced xAI competitor. Medium project cost (500K input + 200K output).
| DeepSeek | xAI | Cost | Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek Chat V3 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.31 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.11 (35%) |
| DeepSeek Coder V2 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.31 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.11 (35%) |
| DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | Grok 3 Mini | $0.63 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.43 (67%) |
| DeepSeek Coder V3 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.31 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.11 (35%) |
| DeepSeek V3.2 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.34 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.14 (41%) |
| DeepSeek Jiuge | Grok 3 Mini | $0.17 | $0.21 | DeepSeek Jiuge saves $0.03 (16%) |
| DeepSeek V3 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.11 | $0.21 | DeepSeek V3 saves $0.10 (49%) |
| DeepSeek R1 | Grok 3 Mini | $0.16 | $0.21 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.05 (22%) |
Full Ranking — All 15 Models
Every model from both providers, ranked by medium project cost.
| # | Model | Provider | Input ($/M) | Medium Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek | $0.140 | $0.11 |
| 2 | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek | $0.140 | $0.16 |
| 3 | DeepSeek Jiuge | DeepSeek | $0.150 | $0.17 |
| 4 | Grok 3 Mini | xAI | $0.300 | $0.21 |
| 5 | DeepSeek Chat V3 | DeepSeek | $0.270 | $0.31 |
| 6 | DeepSeek Coder V2 | DeepSeek | $0.270 | $0.31 |
| 7 | DeepSeek Coder V3 | DeepSeek | $0.270 | $0.31 |
| 8 | DeepSeek V3.2 | DeepSeek | $0.300 | $0.34 |
| 9 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | DeepSeek | $0.550 | $0.63 |
| 10 | Grok Code | xAI | $1.50 | $2.02 |
| 11 | Grok 2 | xAI | $2.00 | $2.70 |
| 12 | Grok 2 Vision | xAI | $2.00 | $2.70 |
| 13 | Grok 3 | xAI | $3.00 | $4.05 |
| 14 | Grok 3 Vision | xAI | $5.00 | $5.75 |
| 15 | Grok 4 | xAI | $5.00 | $6.75 |
Explore Individual Comparisons
Detailed side-by-side comparisons between specific models.