Claude Sonnet 4 vs DeepSeek R1 0528
Side-by-side benchmark comparison across coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing.
DeepSeek R1 0528 by DeepSeek wins on 8 of 15 benchmarks against Claude Sonnet 4 by Anthropic, which leads on 5. This head-to-head comparison covers coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing metrics from the AI Value Index.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
General Intelligence: In general intelligence, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 1375 on Chatbot Arena ELO compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 1365, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 84.0% on MMLU-Pro compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 81.0%, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 88.0% on IFEval compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 87.0%.
Coding: In coding, both score 88.0% on HumanEval+, while Claude Sonnet 4 scores 72.7% on SWE-bench Verified compared to DeepSeek R1 0528's 55.0%, while both score 58.0% on LiveCodeBench.
Math: In math, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 96.0% on MATH compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 85.0%, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 97.5% on GSM8K compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 94.5%.
Reasoning: In reasoning, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 81.0% on GPQA Diamond compared to Claude Sonnet 4's 75.4%, while Claude Sonnet 4 scores 42.0% on ARC-AGI compared to DeepSeek R1 0528's 15.0%.
Context: In context, Claude Sonnet 4 scores 200K on Context Length compared to DeepSeek R1 0528's 131K.
Pricing Comparison
Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3.0/1M input tokens and $15.0/1M output tokens, while DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.55/1M input and $2.2/1M output. DeepSeek R1 0528 is the more affordable option for API usage.
Speed Comparison
Claude Sonnet 4 generates output at 75 tok/s compared to DeepSeek R1 0528's 40 tok/s, and the time to first token is 400 ms for Claude Sonnet 4 versus 900 ms for DeepSeek R1 0528. Claude Sonnet 4 delivers faster throughput.
Verdict
For developers prioritizing coding and speed, Claude Sonnet 4 has the edge. For those who value general intelligence and math and affordability, DeepSeek R1 0528 is the stronger choice.
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Claude Sonnet 4 vs DeepSeek R1 0528 — FAQ
Which is better, Claude Sonnet 4 or DeepSeek R1 0528?
DeepSeek R1 0528 wins on more benchmarks overall (8 vs 5). However, the best choice depends on your specific needs — each model excels in different areas.
How does Claude Sonnet 4 compare to DeepSeek R1 0528 for coding?
Claude Sonnet 4 is better for coding, scoring 72.7% on SWE-bench Verified compared to 55.0%. SWE-bench tests real-world software engineering by resolving actual GitHub issues.
Is Claude Sonnet 4 cheaper than DeepSeek R1 0528?
Yes, DeepSeek R1 0528 is cheaper. Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3.0/1M input and $15.0/1M output tokens. DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.55/1M input and $2.2/1M output tokens.
Which is faster, Claude Sonnet 4 or DeepSeek R1 0528?
Claude Sonnet 4 is faster, generating output at 75 tok/s compared to 40 tok/s. Faster output speed means shorter wait times for API responses.
What benchmarks does the Claude Sonnet 4 vs DeepSeek R1 0528 comparison cover?
This comparison covers 15 benchmarks including Chatbot Arena ELO, MMLU-Pro, HumanEval+, IFEval, MATH, SWE-bench Verified, GPQA Diamond, Output Speed, and more. Metrics span general intelligence, coding, math, reasoning, speed, and cost categories.