Model Comparison
DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Claude Sonnet 4Which is better in 2026?
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 6.6x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Claude Sonnet 4 — which is better?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and Claude Sonnet 4 (by Anthropic) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Claude Sonnet 4 is better at 2 benchmarks (SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is roughly 6.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Claude Sonnet 4 also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…
- cost matters — it's about 6.6x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Claude Sonnet 4 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Claude Sonnet 4 is better at 2 benchmarks (SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) is 6.0x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 7.0x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1-0528.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Claude Sonnet 4 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1-0528's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Claude Sonnet 4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1-0528 does not.
Claude Sonnet 4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Claude Sonnet 4
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while Claude Sonnet 4 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-R1-0528 was released on 2025-05-28, while Claude Sonnet 4 was released on 2025-05-22.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 0 month newer than Claude Sonnet 4.
May 28, 2025
1.1 years ago
6d newerMay 22, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. Claude Sonnet 4 is available from Anthropic, Bedrock, Google.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Claude Sonnet 4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-R1-0528
View detailsDeepSeek
Claude Sonnet 4
View detailsAnthropic
DeepSeek-R1-0528Claude Sonnet 4Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Claude Sonnet 4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Claude Sonnet 4.