DeepapiAI intelligence

Last updated Jun 21, 2026

DeepSeek V4 vs R1

DeepSeek V4

DeepSeek V4

VS
DeepSeek R1

DeepSeek R1

Quick answer

V4 is the better general-purpose chat model. R1 is the choice for reasoning, math, and coding tasks where step-by-step thinking matters.

Pricing

Comparison of DeepSeek V4 and DeepSeek R1
FeatureDeepSeek V4DeepSeek R1
API input~$0.27 / 1M tokens~$0.55 / 1M tokens
API output~$1.10 / 1M tokens~$2.19 / 1M tokens
Hosted chat pricingFree / cheapFree / cheap
Cost per hard taskLowerHigher

Core capabilities

Comparison of DeepSeek V4 and DeepSeek R1
FeatureDeepSeek V4DeepSeek R1
General chatExcellentGood
Reasoning & mathGoodExcellent
CodingExcellentExcellent
Creative writingExcellentGood
Tool useYesYes

Limits

Comparison of DeepSeek V4 and DeepSeek R1
FeatureDeepSeek V4DeepSeek R1
Context window128K tokens64K tokens
Output length8K tokens8K tokens
LatencyLowerHigher

Best for

Comparison of DeepSeek V4 and DeepSeek R1
FeatureDeepSeek V4DeepSeek R1
Everyday tasksExcellentGood
Math & logic puzzlesGoodExcellent
Debugging complex codeGoodExcellent
Budget-sensitive APIsExcellentFair

Ease of use

Comparison of DeepSeek V4 and DeepSeek R1
FeatureDeepSeek V4DeepSeek R1
API accessOpenAI-compatibleOpenAI-compatible
Reasoning transparencyHiddenVisible chain
Hosted playgroundDeepSeek platformDeepSeek platform

Final verdict

Use V4 for most tasks. Use R1 when you need transparent reasoning or solve hard problems.

FAQ

Is R1 more expensive?

Yes, R1 costs roughly 2x the V4 API rate because of the longer reasoning chain.