DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4: Which AI Reasons Better?
We ran 50 complex reasoning questions through both models. The results might surprise you.
DeepSeek R1 took the AI world by storm when it was released — a Chinese model that matched or beat OpenAI's o1 reasoning model at a fraction of the cost. But how does it compare to GPT-4 in practice?
The Test
We ran 50 questions across 5 categories: - Math problems (algebra, calculus, probability) - Logic puzzles (multi-step deductions) - Coding challenges (algorithms, debugging) - Science questions (physics, chemistry) - General reasoning (argument analysis)
Results
- DeepSeek R1 won on: Math (42/50 vs 38/50), Logic puzzles (45/50 vs 40/50), and Coding (38/50 vs 35/50).
- GPT-4 won on: General reasoning (44/50 vs 41/50) and writing quality — responses were more naturally phrased.
Key Difference: Thinking Out Loud
DeepSeek R1's biggest differentiator is its visible chain-of-thought reasoning. Before giving an answer, it shows its work — which means you can catch where it goes wrong, and it tends to catch its own mistakes.
GPT-4 gives cleaner, more polished answers but the reasoning is hidden.
Conclusion
For math, logic, and coding — DeepSeek R1 is the better choice. For writing, summarization, and conversational tasks — GPT-4 has the edge.
The best strategy? Use chatmultipleai to run both simultaneously and pick the better answer. That's exactly what the tool is built for.