DeepSeek has emerged as a strong competitor in the AI model space, offering performance comparable to OpenAI at just one-tenth of the cost. In response, industry leaders like OpenAI and Google have released even more powerful models to stay ahead in the race. But is DeepSeek the right choice for enterprise users, or would OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic be a better fit for your needs?
In this article, we compare four leading AI models—DeepSeek V3, GPT-4o, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet—based on their architecture, performance, and pricing. We'll also provide key evaluation criteria to help businesses choose the best AI model for their specific applications.
Latest Updates on DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, and Google Gemini AI Models
iKala CEO Sega highlighted the "catfish effect" triggered by DeepSeek's release of low-cost, open-source AI models, pushing OpenAI to respond by launching the o3-mini model with enhanced reasoning and generation capabilities. Meanwhile, Google introduced Gemini 2.0 Flash, emphasizing improvements in multimodal processing and inference capabilities. Looking ahead, we may also see the accelerated release of Llama 4 and Claude 4.Below is a summary of the latest developments in large language models as of February 2025.
✦ Further Reading: Sega's Perspective: AI Democratization: Open-Source vs. Closed-Source Showdown Through DeepSeek's Lens
DeepSeek's Latest LLMs: R1 & V3 for Different Needs
DeepSeek-R1: Optimized for Logical & Mathematical Reasoning
In January 2025, DeepSeek released its latest open-source LLM, DeepSeek-R1, designed specifically for logical reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, and real-time decision-making. This model heavily leverages reinforcement learning during training and delivers performance comparable to OpenAI's GPT-o1 model.
Currently, DeepSeek-R1 is available on AWS, allowing developers to build, experiment, and scale generative AI applications with lower infrastructure investment.
DeepSeek-V3: Powerful Text Generation & Multilingual Support
Released in December 2024, DeepSeek-V3 is a high-performance LLM excelling in text generation, multilingual capabilities, and conversational understanding. It adopts a Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture, boasting 671 billion parameters, while only activating 37 billion parameters per use—striking an optimal balance between efficiency and computational cost.
Users can interact with the latest V3 model on the DeepSeek website, and the API service has also been updated.
✦ Further Reading: What is DeepSeek? How its Innovative Technology is Rapidly Rising, Challenging OpenAI and Impacting NVIDIA
OpenAI's Latest Models: o3-mini for Reasoning & GPT-4o for Multimodal Applications
GPT-o3-mini: Optimized for Logical and Step-by-Step Reasoning
To compete with DeepSeek's open-source AI models, OpenAI introduced o3-mini in late January 2025, a lightweight inference model designed to enhance reasoning capabilities. It excels in math, programming, and scientific problem-solving, particularly for tasks requiring step-by-step logical reasoning.
A key feature of o3-mini is its adaptive reasoning time, allowing users to adjust the level of inference power based on task complexity.
- For simple tasks, users can opt for a lower inference level to get faster responses.
- For complex tasks, a higher inference level can be selected, achieving performance close to o3 but at a lower cost.
GPT-4o: Enhanced Speed, Cost Efficiency & Multimodal Capabilities
Released in May 2024, GPT-4o is a multimodal LLM capable of processing text, audio, and image inputs while generating corresponding outputs. Compared to GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4o offers:
- 2x faster text generation speed
- 50% lower operational costs
- Improved performance in non-English languages & visual tasks
These advantages make GPT-4o highly suitable for real-time speech translation, interactive learning, and image analysis, expanding its range of practical applications.
✦ Further Reading: ChatGPT-4 vs. ChatGPT-4o: A Comprehensive Comparison of Technical Improvements & Use Cases
Google Unveils Gemini 2.0 Series, Advancing AI Agent Capabilities
In February 2025, Google officially launched the Gemini 2.0 series of large language models (LLMs), featuring three versions: Pro, Flash, and Flash-Lite. Compared to Gemini 1.5, Gemini 2.0 introduces major improvements in:
- Multimodal processing
- Reasoning & comprehension
- Autonomous tool usage
- Context handling
- AI agent capabilities
Gemini 2.0 Flash: High-Efficiency Model for Developers
Designed for large-scale, high-frequency tasks, Gemini 2.0 Flash features a 1-million-token context window and multimodal inference capabilities. Upcoming updates will include image generation and speech-to-text functions.
Gemini 2.0 Pro (Experimental Version): Optimized for Coding & Complex Prompts
Gemini 2.0 Pro delivers superior performance in coding tasks and complex prompt handling, with a massive 2-million-token context window. It can process and analyze large volumes of information while leveraging tools like Google Search and code execution.
Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite: Cost-Effective & High-Quality
The most cost-efficient model in the Gemini 2.0 lineup, Flash-Lite offers higher-quality outputs than Gemini 1.5 Flash at the same speed and cost. It retains a 1-million-token context window and supports multimodal inputs.
✦ Further Reading: Google Unveils Gemini 2.0: Ushering in a New Era of AI Agents
Overview of Four Leading AI Models: DeepSeek V3, OpenAI GPT-4o, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet
As AI adoption accelerates, businesses are increasingly focused on capabilities such as natural language processing, logical reasoning, and code generation. To provide a clearer understanding of the available options, iKala has selected four major large language models that share similar application scenarios and scalability: DeepSeek V3, OpenAI GPT-4o, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The following section presents a comparative overview of these models in a structured table.
Overview Table of Four Leading AI Models
| Feature | DeepSeek V3 | OpenAI GPT-4o |
Gemini 2.0 Flash |
Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Architecture | Utilizes a Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture to enhance contextual understanding and reasoning capabilities. | Based on Transformer architecture, focusing on large-scale pretraining and fine-tuning techniques. | Employs a multimodal architecture capable of processing text, images, and video data. | Technical details not disclosed, emphasizes reasoning, context retention, and visual data analysis. |
| Context Window | Up to 128K tokens | Up to 128K tokens | Up to 1M tokens | Up to 200K tokens |
| Open Source | Yes | No | No | No |
| Release Date | December 27, 2024 | August 6, 2024 | February 6, 2025 | October 22, 2024 |
| Supported Data Formats | Text | Text, Images, Audio | Text, Images, Audio, Video | Text, Images, including chart data interpretation |
Performance Comparison of DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude AI Models
After reviewing the general overview of the four major LLMs—DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude—this section presents an international comparison of their capabilities in real-world applications. The analysis covers areas such as quantitative reasoning and multimodal understanding, focusing on standardized benchmarks like MATH-500 and MMLU. This comparison aims to help businesses and developers choose the most suitable AI solution.
Performance Comparison Table of Four Leading AI Models
| Comparison Metrics | DeepSeek V3 | OpenAI GPT-4o |
Gemini 2.0 Flash |
Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning (MATH-500) | 86% | 75% | 93% | 77% |
| Reasoning & Knowledge (MMLU) | 87% | 86% | 88% | 89% |
| Scientific Reasoning & Knowledge (GPQA Diamond) | 53% | 45% | 62% | 59% |
| Coding (HumanEval) | 91% | 93% | 90% | 94% |
| Multilingual Indexing | 86% | 84% | No Data Available | 88% |
| Multimodal Understanding (MMMU) | Not Available | 69.1% | 70.7% | 71.4% |
Source: Artificial Analysis
When selecting an AI model, businesses must consider their specific needs, budget, and application scenarios. If cost-effectiveness and customization are priorities, DeepSeek V3 is the top open-source choice, excelling in mathematical reasoning and logical knowledge. For strong coding capabilities and multimodal data understanding, GPT-4o is a solid option. Claude 3.5 Sonnet delivers the best performance in reasoning and coding, making it ideal for high-end applications.
Overall, Gemini 2.0 Flash offers well-balanced performance across various aspects, making it the most cost-effective option. Meanwhile, GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet are better suited for specialized applications such as AI-assisted coding or professional content creation.
Pricing Comparison of DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude AI Models
Beyond AI model performance, pricing is also a key factor for many businesses. One of DeepSeek's most notable breakthroughs is its competitive technology comparable to OpenAI at a fraction of the cost. The following section provides a pricing comparison of the four major LLMs: DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude.
Pricing Comparison Table of Four Leading AI Models
| Pricing Type | DeepSeek V3 | OpenAI GPT-4o |
Gemini 2.0 Flash |
Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input Tokens (USD per 1M Tokens) | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 3 |
| Output Tokens (USD per 1M Tokens) | 1.1 | 10 | 0.4 | 15 |
Source: Artificial Analysis
Comprehensive Evaluation of AI Model Performance & Pricing
Beyond just comparing pricing, Artificial Analysis has also compiled a "Quality vs. Price" assessment of AI models using the Artificial Analysis Quality Index (AAQI) to measure performance while comparing it to the cost per million tokens (M tokens).
Best Price-to-Performance LLM: Google Gemini 2.0 Flash
Despite its low pricing, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash achieves a high quality index score (around 85) and falls within the "Most Attractive Quadrant," indicating the best overall balance of quality and affordability.
High-Quality, High-Priced LLMs: GPT-4o & Claude 3.5 Sonnet
GPT-4o (74.9) offers strong performance but comes at a relatively high price (~$4.38 per million tokens). For businesses looking to leverage OpenAI's robust ecosystem, it remains a solid choice, especially for applications requiring advanced reasoning capabilities.
Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet has an even higher quality index but comes at a premium price of $6.00+ per million tokens, making it less cost-effective. It is best suited for users willing to pay a premium for superior quality, such as advanced AI research or specialized enterprise applications.
Budget-Friendly, Mid-to-High Quality LLM: DeepSeek V3
DeepSeek V3, priced at approximately $1.50 per million tokens, offers a quality index close to 80, making it an ideal choice for those with budget constraints while still seeking decent AI performance. It may have a particular advantage in Chinese language processing, making it a cost-effective option for specific applications.
How to Choose the Right AI Model for Your Business: DeepSeek, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude
When selecting an LLM, many businesses tend to focus only on performance and cost, often overlooking security and the long-term impact of ecosystem resources. To provide a more comprehensive evaluation, the following table compares the four major models across various key indicators, serving as a guide for enterprises in making informed AI model decisions.
Enterprise AI Model Selection Criteria Table
| Selection Criteria | DeepSeek V3 | OpenAI GPT-4o |
Gemini 2.0 Flash |
Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Use Cases | – Mathematical & logical reasoning – Chinese writing & summarization – Deploying private AI models |
– Content creation – Customer service chatbots – Code assistance |
– Search queries – Academic research – Multimedia content creation |
– Long-form conversations & interactions – Security-sensitive enterprise applications – Customer support & assistance |
| Model Performance | – Outstanding coding capabilities – High precision in mathematical reasoning |
– Best cross-domain performance – Excellent reasoning and creativity |
– Advanced multimodal capabilities – Efficient data processing |
– Exceptional context retention – Strong content safety protection |
| Cost | Low API call costs, offers an open-source version for self-deployment, flexible pricing strategy | Higher API usage fees, billed based on usage, high deployment costs for dedicated servers | Mid-to-high pricing, integrated with Google Cloud pricing, offers enterprise customization and volume discounts | Mid-to-high pricing, multiple model options, enterprise plans available, no free version |
| Ecosystem Resources | Open-source model, newer ecosystem, limited third-party support | Mature ecosystem, strong developer community, widely integrated in enterprises | Deeply integrated with the Google ecosystem, comprehensive enterprise support, broad API access | Fastest-growing developer tools, strong focus on security, diverse SDKs and APIs |
| Security & Compliance | Includes content moderation, avoids sensitive topics related to China | Follows OpenAI's safety standards, provides reliable content generation | Adheres to Google's security and privacy standards, ensuring data safety | Emphasizes AI security and compliance, suitable for sensitive applications |
| Scalability | Customizable deployment, flexible enterprise application scaling | Strong API scalability, supports global enterprise needs | Cloud-native, highly scalable for large-scale applications | Flexible architecture, ensures high-load enterprise operations |
DeepSeek V3 stands out for its open-source transparency, low cost, and flexible deployment, making it ideal for businesses seeking customization, though enterprises must consider its security and compliance. OpenAI GPT-4o offers versatile applications, strong API support, and strict content filtering, making it a reliable choice for global enterprises prioritizing data protection. Google Gemini 2.0 Flash is deeply integrated with the Google ecosystem, excelling in multimodal processing and big data analysis, while maintaining Google's high security standards. Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet places strong emphasis on security, compliance, and data privacy, making it particularly suitable for sensitive industries that require robust content filtering and regulatory adherence.
Conclusion
DeepSeek has disrupted the market with its low-cost, open-source AI models, sparking comparisons with major large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude. However, when selecting an AI model, businesses must look beyond just price or performance and consider a holistic evaluation based on business needs, budget, security, compliance, and scalability.
For enterprises prioritizing data privacy and private deployment, open-source or customizable models may be the best fit. On the other hand, businesses seeking global ecosystem integration and multimodal applications should consider ecosystem resources and API support.
iKala offers an end-to-end AI cloud transformation consulting and solution-building service, backed by a team of 50+ data scientists and cloud experts. We conduct in-depth assessments based on business objectives and technical feasibility, helping enterprises identify the most suitable AI model implementation scenarios, recommend the right tools, and set clear expectations for outcomes. Contact us to explore the best AI solution for your business.