DeepSeek V4-Pro vs Llama 4 Maverick — the two biggest open-weight models of 2026 compared. Below is the full side-by-side: specifications, API pricing, context window, local hardware requirements, and a clear, data-driven recommendation on which to pick.
| Spec | DeepSeek V4-Pro | Llama 4 Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | DeepSeek | Meta |
| Type | LLM (MoE) | Multimodal (MoE) |
| Parameters | 1.6T total / ~49B active (MoE) | 400B total / 17B active (MoE) |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Modality | Text → Text | Text, Image → Text |
| License | MIT (open) | Llama 4 Community (EU-restricted) |
| Open weights | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Input price ($/1M) | $0.435 | $0.15 |
| Output price ($/1M) | $0.87 | $0.6 |
| VRAM (4-bit) | ~800 GB | ~240 GB |
| Min GPU (local) | Multi-GPU server (e.g. 8× H100 80GB) | Multi-GPU server |
| Released | 2026-04 | 2025 |
Key differences
- Cost: Llama 4 Maverick is 107% cheaper than DeepSeek V4-Pro on a blended-token basis.
- Openness: both are open-weight, so either can be self-hosted or fine-tuned. Compare their VRAM needs above to see what your GPU can run.
- Run DeepSeek V4-Pro locally: ~~800 GB at 4-bit (min Multi-GPU server (e.g. 8× H100 80GB)).
- Run Llama 4 Maverick locally: ~~240 GB at 4-bit (min Multi-GPU server).
Which should you choose?
Choose DeepSeek V4-Pro if it fits your existing stack or you prefer DeepSeek.
Choose Llama 4 Maverick if you want the lower per-token cost for high-volume workloads.
→ Estimate real costs in the API cost calculator · check local hardware in the VRAM calculator · browse all 30+ models.
All specs and prices are pulled live from our AI models database and kept current. Compare either model against others, or estimate your own monthly spend with the free calculators above.