Model Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Phi 4 ReasoningWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek R1 Zero shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Phi 4 Reasoning — which is better?

DeepSeek R1 Zero (by DeepSeek) and Phi 4 Reasoning (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 Zero outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA), while Phi 4 Reasoning is better at 1 benchmark (LiveCodeBench). DeepSeek R1 Zero shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks

Choose Phi 4 Reasoning if…

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

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA), while Phi 4 Reasoning is better at 1 benchmark (LiveCodeBench).

DeepSeek R1 Zero shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

657.0B diff

DeepSeek R1 Zero has 657.0B more parameters than Phi 4 Reasoning, making it 4692.9% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
671.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Reasoning
14.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek R1 Zero
14.0B
Phi 4 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 Zero

MIT

Open weights

Phi 4 Reasoning

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while Phi 4 Reasoning was released on 2025-04-30.

Phi 4 Reasoning is 3 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Zero.

DeepSeek R1 Zero

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

Phi 4 Reasoning

Apr 30, 2025

1.1 years ago

3mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 Reasoning has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-03-01, while DeepSeek R1 Zero's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Phi 4 Reasoning's training data extends to 2025-03-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek R1 Zero's cutoff date.

DeepSeek R1 Zero

—

Phi 4 Reasoning

Mar 2025

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Higher AIME 2024 score (86.7% vs 75.3%)
Higher GPQA score (73.3% vs 65.8%)
Microsoft
Higher LiveCodeBench score (53.8% vs 50.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
Microsoft
Phi 4 Reasoning

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Phi 4 Reasoning.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Zero or Phi 4 Reasoning?

DeepSeek R1 Zero shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Zero is made by DeepSeek and Phi 4 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 Zero compare to Phi 4 Reasoning in benchmarks?

DeepSeek R1 Zero scores MATH-500: 95.9%, AIME 2024: 86.7%, GPQA: 73.3%, LiveCodeBench: 50.0%. Phi 4 Reasoning scores FlenQA: 97.7%, HumanEval+: 92.9%, IFEval: 83.4%, OmniMath: 76.6%, AIME 2024: 75.3%.

Who makes DeepSeek R1 Zero and Phi 4 Reasoning?

DeepSeek R1 Zero is developed by DeepSeek and Phi 4 Reasoning is developed by Microsoft.

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