claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 vs deepseek-v3.2-exp-thinking

Direct benchmark comparison between claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 and deepseek-v3.2-exp-thinking based on LMArena Elo and latest API pricing.

Direct Technical Comparison

Frontier Model	LMArena Elo	API Cost (1M)	Throughput
claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929	1453	$0.000003	38
deepseek-v3.2-exp-thinking	1425	$2.7e-7	7

*These models represent the Pareto Frontier (optimal cost-to-performance).*

Conclusion: For developers looking for higher intelligence, claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 currently leads with an Elo of 1453.