GPT-4 vs DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4
OpenAIOriginal GPT-4. Most expensive OpenAI model, largely superseded by newer options.
| Input | $30.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 8K tokens |
| Best For | Legacy applications requiring GPT-4 specifically |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
DeepSeekDeepSeek's reasoning model. Comparable to OpenAI's o1 but at much lower cost.
| Input | $0.550/M |
| Output | $2.19/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Complex reasoning, math, advanced coding |
| Benchmark | 72/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68 | 72 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 4pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 60 | 68 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 8pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 70 | 76 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 6pts |
| HumanEval | 86 | 90 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 4pts |
| BigCodeBench | 54 | 56 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 2pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.85 | $0.08 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) saves $2.77 (97%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $22.50 | $0.63 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) saves $21.87 (97%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $112.50 | $3.15 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) saves $109.35 (97%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $6.75 | $0.15 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) saves $6.60 (98%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 | 68 | $0.441/pt | Higher cost per point |
| DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | 72 | $0.008/pt | Better value |
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) delivers the best value at $0.008 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4
- + Original breakthrough model
- - Two generations behind
- - Expensive
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
- + Strong reasoning chain
- + Good value
- - Slow on simple tasks
Verdict
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) wins on both price and performance — $0.550/M input with a benchmark score of 72/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
Compare with Other Models
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Claude 3.5 Haiku
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Claude 3 Opus
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