Model Comparison

Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is 19.0x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Claude Sonnet 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Wed May 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) costs less

For input processing, Claude Sonnet 4.5 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 10.7x more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) ($0.28/1M tokens).

For output processing, Claude Sonnet 4.5 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 35.7x more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) ($0.42/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.5 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking).*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed May 06 2026 • llm-stats.com
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerAnthropic
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)
Input tokens$0.28
Output tokens$0.42
Best providerDeepSeek
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Claude Sonnet 4.5 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)'s 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.

Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Input200,000 tokens
Output64,000 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)
Input131,072 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Wed May 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) does not.

Claude Sonnet 4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Claude Sonnet 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Claude Sonnet 4.5 was released on 2025-09-29, while DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) was released on 2025-12-01.

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is 2 months newer than Claude Sonnet 4.5.

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Sep 29, 2025

7 months ago

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

Dec 1, 2025

5 months ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Claude Sonnet 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)'s cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Claude Sonnet 4.5's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)'s cutoff date.

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Jan 2025

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

—

Provider Availability

Claude Sonnet 4.5 is available from Anthropic. DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is available from DeepSeek.

Claude Sonnet 4.5

anthropic logo
Anthropic
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.28/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.42/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Anthropic
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (83.4% vs 82.4%)
DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher AIME 2025 score (93.1% vs 87.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.5
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)

FAQ

Common questions about Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking).

Which is better, Claude Sonnet 4.5 or DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is made by Anthropic and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is made by DeepSeek. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Claude Sonnet 4.5 compare to DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) in benchmarks?

Claude Sonnet 4.5 scores MMMLU: 89.1%, AIME 2025: 87.0%, TAU-bench Retail: 86.2%, GPQA: 83.4%, MMMUval: 77.8%. DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) scores AIME 2025: 93.1%, HMMT 2025: 90.2%, MMLU-Pro: 85.0%, LiveCodeBench: 83.3%, GPQA: 82.4%.

Is Claude Sonnet 4.5 cheaper than DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)?

DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is 10.7x cheaper for input tokens. Claude Sonnet 4.5 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via anthropic. DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) costs $0.28/M input and $0.42/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for Claude Sonnet 4.5 and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)?

Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports 200K tokens and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Claude Sonnet 4.5 and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)?

Key differences include context window (200K vs 131K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.28/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Claude Sonnet 4.5 and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking)?

Claude Sonnet 4.5 is developed by Anthropic and DeepSeek-V3.2 (Thinking) is developed by DeepSeek.