Model comparison
DeepSeek V4 Pro vs DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)
Head-to-head evidence from 20 shared benchmark results across 6 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Sibling matchup inside the DeepSeek V4 family.
Public leaderboard positions: DeepSeek V4 Pro #46 (Supported); DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) unranked (Not scored). Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. DeepSeek V4 Pro and DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) share 20 comparable benchmark results. 4 of 8 categories are comparable. 3 results are unique to DeepSeek V4 Pro; 28 to DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max).
Updated July 23, 2026- Shared results
- 20
- DeepSeek V4 Pro only
- 3
- DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) only
- 28
- Comparable categories
- 4 / 8
DeepSeek V4 Pro makes more sense if you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model, while DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) is the cleaner fit if mathematics is the priority or you want the stronger reasoning-first profile.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 20 shared benchmark results across 6 evidence categories; 4 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
DeepSeek V4 Pro and DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) sit in the same DeepSeek V4 family. This page is less about two unrelated model lineages and more about how the siblings trade off on benchmark shape, token costs, and practical limits like context window.
DeepSeek V4 Pro and DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) finish on the same BenchAlign overall score, so this is less about a single winner and more about where the edge shows up. The BenchAlign headline says tie; the benchmark table is where the real choice happens.
DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) is the reasoning model in the pair, while DeepSeek V4 Pro is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Δ | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | DeepSeek V4 Pro31.7 | Margin→ 63.5 | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)95.2 |
| Knowledge | DeepSeek V4 Pro41.3 | Margin→ 18.8 | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)60.1 |
| Agentic | DeepSeek V4 Pro59.1 | Margin→ 15.4 | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)74.5 |
| Coding | DeepSeek V4 Pro65.3 | Margin→ 5.6 | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)70.9 |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
HMMT Feb 2026
MathA 31.7%B 95.2%Winner: DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Δ 63.5HMMT Feb 2026: DeepSeek V4 Pro scored 31.7%; DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) scored 95.2%. DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
HLE
KnowledgeA 7.7%B 37.7%Winner: DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Δ 30HLE: DeepSeek V4 Pro scored 7.7%; DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) scored 37.7%. DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
GPQA
KnowledgeA 72.9%B 90.1%Winner: DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Δ 17.2GPQA: DeepSeek V4 Pro scored 72.9%; DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) scored 90.1%. DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
SimpleQA
KnowledgeA 45%B 57.9%Winner: DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Δ 12.9SimpleQA: DeepSeek V4 Pro scored 45%; DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) scored 57.9%. DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
Terminal-Bench 2.0
AgenticA 59.1%B 67.9%Winner: DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Δ 8.8Terminal-Bench 2.0: DeepSeek V4 Pro scored 59.1%; DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) scored 67.9%. DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | DeepSeek V4 Pro$0.435 input / $0.87 output | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)$0.435 input / $0.87 output | Listed prices are equal. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | DeepSeek V4 ProNot available | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Not available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | DeepSeek V4 ProNot available | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)Not available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | DeepSeek V4 Pro1M | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)1M | Listed context windows are equal. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
AgenticDeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins20 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | 59.1% | 67.9% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| MCP AtlasSource | 69.4% | 73.6% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| ToolathlonSource | 46.3% | 51.8% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| Claw-EvalSource | 59.8% | — | Not comparable |
| Gert LabsSource | 50.28% | — | Not comparable |
| ResearchClawBenchSource | 17.1% | — | Not comparable |
| BrowseCompSource | — | 83.4% | Not comparable |
| HLE w/ toolsSource | — | 48.2% | Not comparable |
| GDPval-AASource | — | 1307 | Not comparable |
| AA Agentic IndexSource | — | 36.4% | Not comparable |
| APEX-Agents-AASource | — | 24.3% | Not comparable |
| τ²-bench resultsSource | — | 96.2% | Not comparable |
| GDPval-AASource | — | 40.4% | Not comparable |
| AA BriefcaseSource | — | 932 | Not comparable |
| AA EnterpriseOps-GymSource | — | 40.4% | Not comparable |
| AA Harvey LABSource | — | 84.4% | Not comparable |
| AA ITBenchSource | — | 38.3% | Not comparable |
| AA Tau3 BankingSource | — | 25.8% | Not comparable |
| terminalBenchHardSource | — | 46.2% | Not comparable |
| aaTerminalBench21Source | — | 64% | Not comparable |
CodingDeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins8 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench VerifiedSource | 73.6% | 80.6% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| SWE-bench ProSource | 52.1% | 55.4% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| SWE MultilingualSource | 69.8% | 76.2% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | 59.1% | 67.9% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| CodeforcesSource | — | 3206.0 | Not comparable |
| Vibe Code BenchSource | — | 49.93% | Not comparable |
| AA Coding IndexSource | — | 59.4% | Not comparable |
| AA-SciCodeSource | — | 50.0% | Not comparable |
Reasoning4 benchmarks
KnowledgeDeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins13 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLU-ProSource | 82.9% | 87.5% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| SimpleQASource | 45% | 57.9% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| Chinese-SimpleQASource | 75.8% | 84.4% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| GPQASource | 72.9% | 90.1% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| GPQA-DSource | 72.9% | 90.1% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| HLESource | 7.7% | 37.7% | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) leads |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | — | 44.3% | Not comparable |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | — | 88.8% | Not comparable |
| AA-HLESource | — | 35.9% | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | — | -10.0% | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | — | 43.3% | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | — | 94.0% | Not comparable |
| AA Openness IndexSource | — | 50.0% | Not comparable |
MathDeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) wins4 benchmarks
Multimodal1 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Arena WebsiteSource | 1264 | 1264 | Tie |
Inst. Following1 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA-IFBenchSource | — | 76.5% | Not comparable |
Frequently Asked Questions (5)
Which is better, DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)?
DeepSeek V4 Pro and DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) are sibling variants in the DeepSeek V4 family, so the right pick depends on whether you value the better benchmark line, cheaper tokens, or the larger context window. They are tied on the BenchAlign leaderboard on the current data.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)?
DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 60.1 versus 41.3. Inside this category, HLE is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for coding, DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)?
DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 70.9 versus 65.3. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench 2.0 is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)?
DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 95.2 versus 31.7. Inside this category, Apex Shortlist is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for agentic tasks, DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max)?
DeepSeek V4 Pro (Max) has the edge for agentic tasks in this comparison, averaging 74.5 versus 59.1. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench 2.0 is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Related Comparisons
Explore More
Choose a model with this week’s evidence
Join 2,000+ readers for ranking moves, pricing changes, and the claims that still need proof.
One email each week. Unsubscribe anytime.