Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs Phi 4Which is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi 4 is 5.5x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs Phi 4 — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (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-V3 outperforms in 6 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Phi 4 is roughly 5.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 6 of 6 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024

Choose Phi 4 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 5.5x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 6 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jun 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Phi 4 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 3.9x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.07/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 7.9x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V3 is more expensive than Phi 4.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jun 26 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input tokens$0.07
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

656.3B diff

DeepSeek-V3 has 656.3B more parameters than Phi 4, making it 4464.6% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
671.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4
14.7Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3
14.7B
Phi 4

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Phi 4's 16,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Phi 4 is limited to 16,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input16,000 tokens
Output16,000 tokens
Fri Jun 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Phi 4 uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

DeepSeek-V3

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Phi 4

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while Phi 4 was released on 2024-12-12.

DeepSeek-V3 is 0 month newer than Phi 4.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.5 years ago

1w newer
Phi 4

Dec 12, 2024

1.5 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while DeepSeek-V3'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-V3's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V3

—

Phi 4

Jun 2024

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. Phi 4 is available from DeepInfra.

DeepSeek-V3

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.10/1M

Phi 4

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.07/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Higher DROP score (91.6% vs 75.5%)
Higher GPQA score (59.1% vs 56.1%)
Higher IFEval score (86.1% vs 63.0%)
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 84.8%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (75.9% vs 70.4%)
Higher SimpleQA score (24.9% vs 3.0%)
Microsoft
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and Phi 4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
Phi 4
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Microsoft
Phi 4

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs Phi 4.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or Phi 4?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and Phi 4 is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 compare to Phi 4 in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. Phi 4 scores MMLU: 84.8%, HumanEval+: 82.8%, HumanEval: 82.6%, MGSM: 80.6%, MATH: 80.4%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than Phi 4?

Phi 4 is 3.9x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. Phi 4 costs $0.07/M input and $0.14/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and Phi 4?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and Phi 4 supports 16K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3 and Phi 4?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 16K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.07/M), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 and Phi 4?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and Phi 4 is developed by Microsoft.

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