Claude Opus 5 vs DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash are closely matched at 54.9 and 51.8 on the LLM Stats Score. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 30.3x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · DeepSeek · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 54.9 and 51.8.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is roughly 30.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,040,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Opus 5
- you want predictable pricing at $5.00/M input and $25.00/M output
Choose DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
- cost matters — it's about 30.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,040,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
13 reported for Claude Opus 5 · 20 for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Claude Opus 5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, Terminal-Bench 4.0), while DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is better at 2 benchmarks (AutomationBench, DeepSWE 1.1).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 5 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 22.7x more expensive than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.22/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 5 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 37.9x more expensive than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.66/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 5 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash accepts 1,040,000 input tokens compared to Claude Opus 5's 1,000,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash can generate longer responses up to 393,216 tokens, while Claude Opus 5 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 5
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
License
Usage and distribution terms
Claude Opus 5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 5 was released on 2026-07-24, while DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash was released on 2026-09-10.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 2 months newer than Claude Opus 5.
Jul 24, 2026
1 months ago
Sep 10, 2026
0 days ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 5 is available from Anthropic, DeepInfra. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is available from Fireworks, DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita.
Claude Opus 5
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 5 vs DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.