Model Comparison
GPT-5.4 vs DeepSeek-V4-Flash-MaxWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 32.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5.4 vs DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max — which is better?
GPT-5.4 (by OpenAI) and DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max (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-5.4 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0, Toolathlon), while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is better at 2 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas). GPT-5.4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is roughly 32.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.4 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 7 shared benchmarks
Choose DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max if…
- cost matters — it's about 32.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.4 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0, Toolathlon), while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is better at 2 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas).
GPT-5.4 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-5.4 ($2.50/1M tokens) is 17.9x more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.14/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.4 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 53.6x more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.28/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to GPT-5.4's 1,000,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max can generate longer responses up to 393,216 tokens, while GPT-5.4 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max does not.
GPT-5.4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.4
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-5.4 was released on 2026-03-05, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max was released on 2026-04-23.
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 2 months newer than GPT-5.4.
Mar 5, 2026
3 months ago
Apr 23, 2026
1 months ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GPT-5.4 is available from OpenAI. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is available from DeepSeek.
GPT-5.4
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.4
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.4 vs DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max.