Model Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B vs Phi 4 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B vs Phi 4 Mini — which is better?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B (by DeepSeek) and Phi 4 Mini (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 Distill Llama 8B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks

Choose Phi 4 Mini if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

4.2B diff

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B has 4.2B more parameters than Phi 4 Mini, making it 109.1% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
8.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini
3.8Bparameters
8.0B
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
3.8B
Phi 4 Mini

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under MIT.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

MIT

Open weights

Phi 4 Mini

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B was released on 2025-01-20, while Phi 4 Mini was released on 2025-02-01.

Phi 4 Mini is 0 month newer than DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

Phi 4 Mini

Feb 1, 2025

1.4 years ago

1w newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Phi 4 Mini's training data extends to 2024-06-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B's cutoff date.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

—

Phi 4 Mini

Jun 2024

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Higher GPQA score (49.0% vs 25.2%)
Microsoft

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B vs Phi 4 Mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B or Phi 4 Mini?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B is made by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Mini is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B compare to Phi 4 Mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B scores MATH-500: 89.1%, AIME 2024: 80.0%, GPQA: 49.0%, LiveCodeBench: 39.6%. Phi 4 Mini scores GSM8k: 88.6%, ARC-C: 83.7%, BoolQ: 81.2%, OpenBookQA: 79.2%, PIQA: 77.6%.

Who makes DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B and Phi 4 Mini?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B is developed by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Mini is developed by Microsoft.

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