Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, DeepSeek V3 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,310 vs 1,248), while DeepSeek V3 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (48.6%), while DeepSeek V3 is more budget-friendly at $1.1/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Original Claude 3 flagship. Kept so opus 3 vs later Opus and vs GPT-4o still resolve.
Prior DeepSeek flagship. Baseline for v3 vs v4.
Δ 62 Arena Elo pts
66 tok/s
$1.1 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude 3 Opus | DeepSeek V3 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +62 | ||
| LiveBench | +9.2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +10.2% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +8.7% | ||
| Time to first token | +40 ms | ||
| Output speed | 48 tok/s | 66 tok/s | +18 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.27/1M | +$14.73/1M | |
| Output price | $1.1/1M | +$73.9/1M | |
| Context window | +72k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
DeepSeek V3 is estimated to save $1,624.05/month ($19,489/year).
Higher SWE-bench (48.6%).
Lower output list price ($1.1/1M).
Lower TTFT (380 ms).
Larger window (200k).
Claude 3 Opus is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | DeepSeek V3 | Higher SWE-bench (48.6%). |
| High-volume chat | DeepSeek V3 | Lower output list price ($1.1/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | DeepSeek V3 | Lower TTFT (380 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude 3 Opus | Larger window (200k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude 3 Opus | Claude 3 Opus is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
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