Model Comparison
DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Phi 4Which is better in 2026?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi 4 is 10.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Phi 4 — which is better?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and Phi 4 (by Microsoft) 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 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Phi 4 is roughly 10.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025
Choose Phi 4 if…
- cost matters — it's about 10.4x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) is 7.1x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.07/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 15.4x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.14/1M tokens).
In conclusion, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is more expensive than Phi 4.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-R1-0528 has 656.3B more parameters than Phi 4, making it 4464.6% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-R1-0528 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Phi 4's 16,000 tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Phi 4 is limited to 16,000 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under MIT.
Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.
MIT
Open weights
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-R1-0528 was released on 2025-05-28, while Phi 4 was released on 2024-12-12.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 6 months newer than Phi 4.
May 28, 2025
1.1 years ago
5mo newerDec 12, 2024
1.6 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Phi 4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Phi 4's training data extends to 2024-06-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date.
—
Jun 2024
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. Phi 4 is available from DeepInfra.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Phi 4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-R1-0528
View detailsDeepSeek
Phi 4
View detailsMicrosoft
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Phi 4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Phi 4.