Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Sonnet 4 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,455 vs 1,310), while Claude Sonnet 4 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (62.8%), while DeepSeek V3 is more budget-friendly at $1.03/1M per 1M output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 provides faster response streaming (92 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Δ 145 Arena Elo pts
92 tok/s
$1.0287 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Each spoke is a skill. Farther from the center is better (0–100th percentile). Tap any dot to inspect details.
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 Sonnet 4 | DeepSeek V3 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | Claude Sonnet 4 (+145) | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | Claude Sonnet 4 (+7.8%) | ||
| SWE-bench | Claude Sonnet 4 (+14.2%) | ||
| GPQA Diamond | Claude Sonnet 4 (+17.3%) | ||
| Time to first token | Claude Sonnet 4 (+160 ms) | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 66 tok/s | Claude Sonnet 4 (+26 tok/s) |
| Input price | $0.2574/1M | DeepSeek V3 (+$2.74/1M) | |
| Output price | $1.03/1M | DeepSeek V3 (+$13.97/1M) | |
| Context window | Claude Sonnet 4 (+836k) |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
DeepSeek V3 is estimated to save $305.56/month ($3,667/year).
Higher SWE-bench (62.8%).
Lower output list price ($1.03/1M).
Lower TTFT (220 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Claude Sonnet 4 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 4 | Higher SWE-bench (62.8%). |
| High-volume chat | DeepSeek V3 | Lower output list price ($1.03/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower TTFT (220 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 4 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Sonnet 4 | Claude Sonnet 4 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
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Verified head-to-head card
