Model Comparison
GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-V2.5Which is better in 2026?
DeepSeek-V2.5 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V2.5 is 214.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-V2.5 — which is better?
GPT-4 (by OpenAI) and DeepSeek-V2.5 (by DeepSeek) 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.
GPT-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while DeepSeek-V2.5 is better at 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH). DeepSeek-V2.5 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V2.5 is roughly 214.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4 also accepts a larger context window (32,768 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 32,768 token context window
Choose DeepSeek-V2.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 214.3x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2024
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while DeepSeek-V2.5 is better at 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH).
DeepSeek-V2.5 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens) is 214.3x more expensive than DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.14/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens) is 214.3x more expensive than DeepSeek-V2.5 ($0.28/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4 accepts 32,768 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V2.5's 8,192 tokens. GPT-4 can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while DeepSeek-V2.5 is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V2.5 does not.
GPT-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4
DeepSeek-V2.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-V2.5 uses deepseek.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
deepseek
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13, while DeepSeek-V2.5 was released on 2024-05-08.
DeepSeek-V2.5 is 11 months newer than GPT-4.
Jun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
May 8, 2024
2.1 years ago
11mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while DeepSeek-V2.5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4's training data extends to 2022-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V2.5's cutoff date.
Dec 2022
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Provider Availability
GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI. DeepSeek-V2.5 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Hyperbolic.
GPT-4
DeepSeek-V2.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
DeepSeek-V2.5
View detailsDeepSeek
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-V2.5.