Nova 2 Lite vs DeepSeek V3.1
DeepSeek V3.1 leads Nova 2 Lite on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, 13.7 to 13.4, and DeepSeek V3.1 costs 1.7x less per output token ($1.50 vs $2.50 per million). Updated October 22, 2026; 1 benchmarks have a result for both.
Nova 2 Lite or DeepSeek V3.1: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Pick Nova 2 Lite for a larger context window (1M against 164K tokens) and work measured by AA Intelligence Index, where it leads.
- Shared results
- 1
- Nova 2 Lite only
- 30
- DeepSeek V3.1 only
- 10
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 of 9
Only benchmarks that tested both models count toward a pick; a result only one model has is shown but not compared.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
DeepSeek V3.1
DeepSeek V3.1 leads, 13.7 against 13.4.
Same board, both measured
Web design
Design Arena: websites
No call
Only DeepSeek V3.1 has a Design Arena: websites result, 1122.
Directional only
Long documents
Listed context window
Nova 2 Lite
Nova 2 Lite takes 1M tokens against 164K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
DeepSeek V3.1
Nova 2 Lite $0.0015, DeepSeek V3.1 $0.0013 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Nova 2 Lite not benchmarked, DeepSeek V3.1 not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Intelligence, 0.3 points apart on average over 1 shared benchmark.
- Widest single gap
- AA Intelligence Index: Nova 2 Lite 13.4 against DeepSeek V3.1 13.7, 0.3 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Nova 2 Lite $2.50 against DeepSeek V3.1 $1.50 per million output tokens, 1.7x apart.
- Context window
- Nova 2 Lite takes 1M tokens, DeepSeek V3.1 164K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | Nova 2 Lite | Bars | DeepSeek V3.1 | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 0 | 1 | ||
| All shared boards | 0 | 1 |
CodingDirectional onlySix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Coding Index | 23.0 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| ALE-Bench | 236.3 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: coding | 1385 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: software and IT | 1394 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 35 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 13.4 | 13.7 | DeepSeek V3.1 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
Agentic workNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 41 boards here | |||
ReasoningDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: hard prompts | 1364 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: expert | 1359 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts in English | 1385 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| Kagi LLM Benchmark | Not measured | 53.2% | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 18 boards here | |||
MathDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: math | 1359 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: mathematical work | 1369 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 11 boards here | |||
KnowledgeDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: science | 1382 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: medicine and healthcare | 1386 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: legal and government | 1359 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: business and finance | 1369 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 14 boards here | |||
Web designDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index7 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Arena: websites | Not measured | 1122 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: UI components | Not measured | 1085 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: game dev | Not measured | 1084 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: data viz | Not measured | 1096 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: 3D | Not measured | 1077 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: all code categories | Not measured | 1112 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Design Arena: SVG | Not measured | 967 | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 2 boards here | |||
GeneralDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index19 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTBench | Not measured | 82.7% | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| LMCA | Not measured | 24.3% | Only DeepSeek V3.1 measured |
| LMArena Text | 1362 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: instruction following | 1335 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: creative writing | 1292 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: English | 1385 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: non-English | 1337 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Chinese | 1364 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: German | 1343 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Japanese | 1273 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Korean | 1281 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: French | 1381 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Spanish | 1375 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Russian | 1342 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: Polish | 1327 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: multi-turn | 1338 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: longer queries | 1335 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: writing and language | 1318 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| LMArena Text: entertainment and media | 1309 | Not measured | Only Nova 2 Lite measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 27 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
DeepSeek V3.1 costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Nova 2 Lite costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Nova 2 Lite costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | Amazon Nova 2 Lite | DeepSeek V3.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Amazon | DeepSeek |
| Weights | No public weights listed | Open weights |
| Released | December 2, 2025 | August 21, 2025 |
| Context window | 1M | 164K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.30 | $0.55 |
| Output $/Mtok | $2.50 | $1.50 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is Nova 2 Lite better than DeepSeek V3.1 for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Pick Nova 2 Lite for a larger context window (1M against 164K tokens) and work measured by AA Intelligence Index, where it leads.
Which is cheaper, Nova 2 Lite or DeepSeek V3.1?
Nova 2 Lite costs $0.30 per million input tokens and $2.50 per million output tokens; DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.55 and $1.50. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, Nova 2 Lite or DeepSeek V3.1?
Nova 2 Lite, with 1M tokens against 164K.
How many benchmarks is the Nova 2 Lite vs DeepSeek V3.1 comparison based on?
1 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 22, 2026. Nova 2 Lite's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and DeepSeek V3.1's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.