Claude Sonnet 5 vs DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423: which should you choose in 2026?
Claude Sonnet 5 (by Anthropic) and DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 (by DeepSeek) are compared below. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price, and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
No protocol-matched benchmark supports a controlled winner. Looking only at published point scores, Claude Sonnet 5 is higher on 1 benchmark (LiveBench), while DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 is higher on 0 benchmarks.
The evaluation setups are not fully aligned, so these are not controlled head-to-head wins.
DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 is about 4.1× cheaper on a blended 3:1 input/output basis ($0.97875 vs $4.00 per 1M tokens).
Choose Claude Sonnet 5 if…
- • you need image inputs
Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 if…
- • lower blended API cost matters for your workload
The benchmark count includes only results measured with a matching benchmark version and protocol. Arena scores are shown separately. Missing, preliminary, and incompatible data is not treated as a controlled win. Published point-score comparisons are labeled separately when protocol details are incomplete. For text-output models, the verdict also compares token pricing and context windows.
Performance benchmarks
Every value links to its source. A dash means that no reviewed result is available for that exact model and protocol.
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 5 | DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 |
|---|---|---|
A 657-task benchmark of multi-step work across simulated SaaS applications in six business domains. The Artificial Analysis protocol reports a guardrail-aware score and is distinct from both the public Zapier split and the unrelated dynamic AutoBench framework. Guardrail-aware score | 39.2% Artificial Analysis | — |
A benchmark of difficult, verifiable information-seeking questions designed to measure an agent's ability to locate hard-to-find facts through web browsing. Accuracy | — | — |
A verified computer-use benchmark in which multimodal agents operate desktop applications and are graded from the resulting environment state. Mean task reward | — | — |
A long-horizon software-engineering benchmark with 113 original tasks graded by hand-written tests. Pass@1 | 54.0%±4.0 DataCurve | — |
A human-validated subset of real GitHub issues used to measure whether a coding agent can produce repository patches that resolve the associated tests. Resolved | — | — |
Version 2.1 of the benchmark for completing realistic tasks in terminal environments. Harness, resource limits, and attempt count are part of the protocol. Mean task success | 74.6%±1.6 Terminal-Bench | — |
A dynamic LLM evaluation framework in which models generate questions, answer them, and participate in reciprocal peer assessment. AutoBench is distinct from Zapier's AutomationBench. Weighted peer-assessment score | — | — |
The highest-quality subset of Graduate-Level Google-Proof Q&A, designed to test expert-level scientific reasoning in biology, physics, and chemistry. Accuracy | 91.1% Artificial Analysis | — |
A 2,500-question expert-level benchmark spanning dozens of academic fields. Tool-assisted and no-tools results are separate protocols and must not be merged. Accuracy | 41.3% Artificial Analysis | — |
A contamination-resistant benchmark refreshed on a fixed release cadence. Scores from different LiveBench releases must never be compared as the same protocol. Mean of category averages Protocols differ or are incompletely disclosed; not counted as a controlled win | 76.0% LiveBench | 71.6% LiveBench |
| Arena preference scores | ||
Human preference score | — | 1457 ±4 |
Human preference score for code and web development | — | 1446 ±6 |
Benchmark sources
- Arena AI leaderboard
- AutomationBench-AA: Agentic SaaS Workflow Benchmark
- DeepSWE 1.1 Leaderboard
- terminal-bench@2.1 Leaderboard
- GPQA Diamond Benchmark Leaderboard
- Humanity's Last Exam Benchmark Leaderboard
- LiveBench 2026-06-25 Leaderboard
Reviewed evidence last updated 2026-08-09. Arena data last refreshed Sep 21, 2026.
Pricing, capabilities, and model facts
| Feature | Claude Sonnet 5 | DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 |
|---|---|---|
| Context & model facts | ||
| Developer | Anthropic | DeepSeek |
| API provider | Anthropic | DeepSeek |
| Input context | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Maximum output | 128,000 tokens | 384,000 tokens |
| Released | — | — |
| Added to Writingmate | Jun 30, 2026 | Apr 24, 2026 |
| License | Not available | Not available |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | — |
| Capabilities | ||
| Inputs | Text, Image, File | Text |
| Outputs | Text | Text |
| Provider endpoint accepts tool parameters | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Image Generation | No | No |
| Video Generation | No | No |
| API pricing | ||
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $2.00 | $0.783 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $10.00 | $1.57 |
| Blended 3:1 input/output | $4.00 | $0.97875 |
| API performance | ||
| p95 latency | Not measured | Not measured |
| Output throughput | Not measured | Not measured |
| Writingmate shows API performance only when both models have enough observations from the same measurement window, prompt profile, and provider. Third-party latency values are not copied into this table. | ||
Data sources
- Writingmate model catalog (pricing, limits, and availability)
Catalog data last updated Jun 30, 2026.
Why Pay for Multiple Subscriptions?
Comparing Claude Sonnet 5 from Anthropic with DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 from DeepSeek? Instead of managing separate API keys and subscriptions, get both with Writingmate.
| Plan | Price | Claude Sonnet 5 | DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 | AI Images | AI Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Writingmate Pro Most popular | $20/mo | Included | Included | Nano Banana Pro, FLUX.2, DALL-E & more | Sora 2, VEO 3.1 |
Writingmate Ultimate Power users | $60/mo | Included | Included | Nano Banana Pro, FLUX.2, DALL-E & more | Sora 2, VEO 3.1 |
Claude Sonnet 5 vs DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 FAQ
Which is better, Claude Sonnet 5 or DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423?
No protocol-matched benchmark supports a controlled winner. Looking only at published point scores, Claude Sonnet 5 is higher on 1 benchmark (LiveBench), while DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 is higher on 0 benchmarks. The evaluation setups are not fully aligned, so these are not controlled head-to-head wins. DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 is about 4.1× cheaper on a blended 3:1 input/output basis ($0.97875 vs $4.00 per 1M tokens).
Which model is cheaper to use through an API?
DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423 is about 4.1× cheaper on a blended 3:1 input/output basis ($0.97875 vs $4.00 per 1M tokens).
Which model supports more context?
The published context windows are close enough that this page does not treat the difference as a material advantage.
Can I switch between Claude Sonnet 5 and DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423?
Yes. Use the model selector on this page to open any current Writingmate model comparison. You can also run the same prompt with both models in Writingmate.
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