Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1 vs Claude Sonnet 4

Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and Claude Sonnet 4 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-R1 and Claude Sonnet 4 don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-R1 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 5.5x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4 ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens) is 6.8x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4 ($15.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed May 13 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input tokens$0.55
Output tokens$2.19
Best providerDeepSeek
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerAnthropic
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Claude Sonnet 4 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 is limited to 64,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4
Input200,000 tokens
Output64,000 tokens
Wed May 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Claude Sonnet 4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1 does not.

Claude Sonnet 4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-R1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Claude Sonnet 4

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1 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.

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

Claude Sonnet 4

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20, while Claude Sonnet 4 was released on 2025-05-22.

Claude Sonnet 4 is 4 months newer than DeepSeek-R1.

DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.3 years ago

Claude Sonnet 4

May 22, 2025

11 months ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-R1 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks. Claude Sonnet 4 is available from Anthropic, Bedrock, Google.

DeepSeek-R1

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.85/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $7.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.00/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $8.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M

Claude Sonnet 4

anthropic logo
Anthropic
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Anthropic
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
DeepSeekDeepSeek-R1
AnthropicClaude Sonnet 4
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Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs Claude Sonnet 4.

Which is better, DeepSeek-R1 or Claude Sonnet 4?

DeepSeek-R1 (DeepSeek) and Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does DeepSeek-R1 compare to Claude Sonnet 4 in benchmarks?

Claude Sonnet 4 scores MMMLU: 86.5%, TAU-bench Retail: 80.5%, GPQA: 75.4%, MMMU: 74.4%, SWE-Bench Verified: 72.7%.

Is DeepSeek-R1 cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4?

DeepSeek-R1 is 5.5x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-R1 costs $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output via deepseek. Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via anthropic.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-R1 and Claude Sonnet 4?

DeepSeek-R1 supports 131K tokens and Claude Sonnet 4 supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-R1 and Claude Sonnet 4?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 200K), input pricing ($0.55 vs $3.00/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-R1 and Claude Sonnet 4?

DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek and Claude Sonnet 4 is developed by Anthropic.