Model Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH-500).

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue May 12 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

2.0B diff

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning has 2.0B more parameters than DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B, making it 113.5% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B
1.8Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning
3.8Bparameters
1.8B
DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B
3.8B
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

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 Qwen 1.5B

MIT

Open weights

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B was released on 2025-01-20, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning was released on 2025-04-30.

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is 3 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B

Jan 20, 2025

1.3 years ago

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Apr 30, 2025

1.0 years ago

3mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-02-01, while DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Phi 4 Mini Reasoning's training data extends to 2025-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B's cutoff date.

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Feb 2025

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

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

Higher GPQA score (52.0% vs 33.8%)
Higher MATH-500 score (94.6% vs 83.9%)

Detailed Comparison

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B or Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B is made by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning 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 Qwen 1.5B compare to Phi 4 Mini Reasoning in benchmarks?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B scores MATH-500: 83.9%, AIME 2024: 52.7%, GPQA: 33.8%, LiveCodeBench: 16.9%. Phi 4 Mini Reasoning scores MATH-500: 94.6%, AIME: 57.5%, GPQA: 52.0%.

Who makes DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B is developed by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is developed by Microsoft.