Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, DeepSeek V4 Pro delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,536 vs 1,310), while DeepSeek V4 Pro leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (71.6%), while DeepSeek V3 is more budget-friendly at $1.1/1M per 1M output tokens, while DeepSeek V4 Pro provides faster response streaming (70 tok/s). 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
Prior DeepSeek flagship. Baseline for v3 vs v4.
Open-weight-adjacent DeepSeek flagship. High reasoning density per dollar.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 226 Arena Elo pts
70 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 | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +226 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +14.7% | ||
| SWE-bench | +23% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +24.9% | ||
| Time to first token | +30 ms | ||
| Output speed | 66 tok/s | 70 tok/s | +4 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.27/1M | $0.4/1M | +$0.13/1M |
| Output price | $1.1/1M | $1.6/1M | +$0.5/1M |
| Context window | +32k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
DeepSeek V3 is estimated to save $12.05/month ($145/year).
Higher SWE-bench (71.6%).
Lower output list price ($1.1/1M).
Lower TTFT (380 ms).
Larger window (160k).
DeepSeek V4 Pro is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Higher SWE-bench (71.6%). |
| 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 | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Larger window (160k). |
| Screenshots / vision | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Top DeepSeek vs top Anthropic Elo. Usually V4 Pro vs Opus 5. License and invoice decide as much as Elo.
2026-06 open-weight-adjacent flagship. The usual cheap-vs-Claude question starts here.
Jan 2025 reasoning model. Still searched. V4 Pro is the newer DeepSeek buy.
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