DeepSeek R1 0528 vs Qwen 3 Max

Side-by-side benchmark comparison across coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing.

DeepSeek R1 0528 by DeepSeek wins on 8 of 14 benchmarks against Qwen 3 Max by Qwen, 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 Qwen 3 Max's 1340, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 84.0% on MMLU-Pro compared to Qwen 3 Max's 79.0%.

Coding: In coding, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 88.0% on HumanEval+ compared to Qwen 3 Max's 86.0%, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 55.0% on SWE-bench Verified compared to Qwen 3 Max's 46.0%, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 58.0% on LiveCodeBench compared to Qwen 3 Max's 50.0%.

Math: In math, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 96.0% on MATH compared to Qwen 3 Max's 84.0%, while DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 97.5% on GSM8K compared to Qwen 3 Max's 94.0%.

Reasoning: In reasoning, DeepSeek R1 0528 scores 81.0% on GPQA Diamond compared to Qwen 3 Max's 58.0%, while Qwen 3 Max scores 40.0% on ARC-AGI compared to DeepSeek R1 0528's 15.0%.

Context: In context, both score 131K on Context Length.

Pricing Comparison

DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.55/1M input tokens and $2.2/1M output tokens, while Qwen 3 Max costs $0.46/1M input and $1.8/1M output. Qwen 3 Max is the more affordable option for API usage.

Speed Comparison

DeepSeek R1 0528 generates output at 40 tok/s compared to Qwen 3 Max's 55 tok/s, and the time to first token is 900 ms for DeepSeek R1 0528 versus 500 ms for Qwen 3 Max. Qwen 3 Max delivers faster throughput.

Verdict

For developers prioritizing coding and general intelligence and math, DeepSeek R1 0528 has the edge. For those who value affordability and speed, Qwen 3 Max is the stronger choice.

DeepSeek R1 0528 vs Qwen 3 Max — FAQ

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Qwen 3 Max?

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 DeepSeek R1 0528 compare to Qwen 3 Max for coding?

DeepSeek R1 0528 is better for coding, scoring 55.0% on SWE-bench Verified compared to 46.0%. SWE-bench tests real-world software engineering by resolving actual GitHub issues.

Is DeepSeek R1 0528 cheaper than Qwen 3 Max?

Yes, Qwen 3 Max is cheaper. DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.55/1M input and $2.2/1M output tokens. Qwen 3 Max costs $0.46/1M input and $1.8/1M output tokens.

Which is faster, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Qwen 3 Max?

Qwen 3 Max is faster, generating output at 55 tok/s compared to 40 tok/s. Faster output speed means shorter wait times for API responses.

What benchmarks does the DeepSeek R1 0528 vs Qwen 3 Max comparison cover?

This comparison covers 14 benchmarks including Chatbot Arena ELO, MMLU-Pro, HumanEval+, MATH, SWE-bench Verified, GPQA Diamond, Output Speed, Time to First Token, and more. Metrics span general intelligence, coding, math, reasoning, speed, and cost categories.