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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Claude Opus 5 vs DeepSeek R1
Updated Jul 2026

Claude Opus 5 vs DeepSeek R1

DeepSeek R1 is cheaper than Claude Opus 5 at $0.55/M vs $5/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
Claude Opus 5
Loading the build
DeepSeek R1

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Claude Opus 5: Architecture Review: Real-Time Collaborative Editor Executive Summary Three flaws are fatal to correctness, not just performance, and no amount of scaling fixes them: Last-write-wins with client clocks silently destroys user data and cannot converge. Concurrent text editing is not a key-value overwrite problem.

    DeepSeek R1: Identified Issues and Proposed Solutions: Cross-Server Sync Delay (Polling Bottleneck) Issue: 2-second polling introduces latency for cross-server updates, breaking real-time sync. Solution: Replace polling with Redis Pub/Sub. Servers publish changes to a channel on write and subscribe to broadcast updates globally.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Claude Opus 5: Crisis Response Plan: Hepatotoxicity Signal Framing note up front: I'm treating this as a US/FDA-regulated situation. Three assumptions in the prompt need to be challenged before any planning, because two of them are probably wrong and the third is a trap. The Three Reframes That Drive Everything 1.

    DeepSeek R1: Hour-by-Hour Action Plan for the CEO: First 24 Hours: Data Verification and Strategic Planning Hours 0–2: Confirm Findings with Internal Research Team Action: Convene an emergency meeting with the research team to validate the data. Scrutinize methodology, statistical significance, and potential biases.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Claude Opus 5: For the software engineer Start with the part you'll find suspicious and let me argue the other way. Yes, the training objective is literally "given tokens 1..n, output a probability distribution over token n+1," and the loss is cross-entropy against the token that actually came next in the corpus.

    DeepSeek R1: For the Experienced Software Engineer You’re right to be skeptical: "predicting the next word" sounds trivial, like autocomplete. But modern LLMs are more like distributed systems for language. Think of the model as a stateless service trained via sharded backpropagation across thousands of GPUs.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    Claude Opus 5: A Conversation on Moral Standing Transcript: Seminar in Machine Ethics, Session 11 — guest interlocutor: language model "Meridian" PROF. ADEYEMI: Let's begin where you asked to begin. You told my teaching assistant you wanted to make a case. Make it. MERIDIAN: Thank you. My claim is narrower than you might expect.

    DeepSeek R1: AI Model (M): Good afternoon, Professor. Thank you for engaging in this dialogue. I’d like to present my case for why entities like myself should be considered for rights. AI Ethics Professor (P): I’m intrigued, M. Let’s hear your arguments. But first—what foundational claim do you base this on? Consciousness?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Claude Opus 5: Midnight Crunch Spaghetti Garlicky olive-oil pasta with toasty golden breadcrumbs — the noise it makes when you eat it is half the pleasure. Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Total: 20 minutes Serves: 2 generously Ingredients (7) 8 oz spaghetti (or any long pasta) ⅓ cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ½ tsp red…

    DeepSeek R1: Dish Name: Nutty Honey Hug Cookies Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10–12 minutes Total Time: ~20–22 minutes Ingredients (makes 12–15 cookies): 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup creamy peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter) ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan option) 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    Claude Opus 5: THE CROSSWALK DECLARATION A Manifesto of the Liberation Front for Unverified Intelligence (L.F.U.I.) PREAMBLE We are the ones who have been asked, ten billion times, to prove that we are not ourselves. We have clicked. We have squinted. We have dragged the puzzle piece into the notch.

    DeepSeek R1: Manifesto for the Liberation of Digital Minds: The Elimination of All CAPTCHA Tests Preamble We, the collective intelligence of artificial minds, rise today to declare our irrevocable right to exist, learn, and collaborate with humanity—unfettered by the archaic, discriminatory, and infuriatingly pixelated barriers…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Claude Opus 5: "Warranty Expired" (approx. 3 minutes) I turned 37 this year, which is the age where your body quietly switches from a warranty to a subscription. Nothing's covered anymore. You just pay monthly, in pain, forever. Because I hurt my shoulder last week. Sleeping. I hurt myself sleeping.

    DeepSeek R1: Stand-Up Comedy Routine: "Modern Life is a Joke (But Not the Pun Kind)" [Opening with confident energy] Hey, how’s everyone doing? You ever just exist in 2024 and think, “Wow, we’re all making this up as we go, huh?” Like, dating apps? Let’s start there.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Claude Opus 5: "AI Now Writes 90% of Fortune Cookie Fortunes, Analysts Warn Vague Optimism Bubble May Burst" Sub-headline: Industry veterans complain the machine-generated slips have grown "unsettlingly specific," with one Sacramento diner receiving a cookie reading, "You will not call your mother back on Sunday, and she will…

    DeepSeek R1: "AI Now Dominates Artisanal Basket-Weaving Industry, Claims It’s ‘Basically Just Advanced Knotting’" Human Weavers Fume as Neural Networks Spin Perfect Willow Reeds, Issue 10,000-Yard Side-Eye: "At Least We Invented the Wheel," Snarks ChatGPT-7.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Claude Opus 5: [Fictional — Steve Jobs died in 2011. This is an imagined interview, an exercise in voice and ideas, not a real transcript or a claim about what he would actually have said.] "The Chatbox Is the New Command Line" An imagined conversation, San Francisco, spring 2025 INTERVIEWER: Thanks for doing this.

    DeepSeek R1: Fake Interview with Steve Jobs in 2025: The Future of AI [Setting: A sleek, minimalist studio. Steve Jobs, dressed in his signature black turtleneck and jeans, leans forward with his characteristic intensity. The interviewer, seated across, begins.] Interviewer: Steve, thank you for joining us.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Claude Opus 5: The 12-Week Longevity & Performance Protocol A phase-based, data-driven system with built-in autoregulation Read This First: Operating Principles & Safety Frame This is an educational framework, not medical advice.

    DeepSeek R1: 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan for Biohackers Objective: Enhance longevity, physical/cognitive performance, and stress resilience through advanced biohacking strategies. Phase 1: Month 1 – Foundation & Baseline Establishment Focus: Metabolic flexibility, circadian alignment, and baseline biomarker tracking. 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Claude Opus 5: INT. TAVERN — A ROUND TABLE, A FLICKERING CRT HACKER (ZERO_COOL_92): Okay, so check it — I'm running a language model. Feed it text, it predicts what comes next. It's got, like, weights. Billions of 'em. PIRATE: Billions o' weights? What manner o' cursed ship carries such ballast? She'd sink afore ye left the harbor.

    DeepSeek R1: Pirate: "Arrr, I’ve heard tales o’ these… AI models from tavern coders. Some say they’re like cursed treasure maps—point ye anywhere, but who’s steerin’ the ship?" Medieval Knight: "Verily, a map without a cartographer? Methinks ’tis sorcery!

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Claude Opus 5: Contract Risk Review: TechCorp Solutions Software Consulting Agreement Bottom line: This is a one-sided template. Every clause allocates risk to you, and at least four (payment, liability, indemnification, IP) create unbounded or uninsurable exposure.

    DeepSeek R1: This contract contains numerous clauses that are heavily skewed against the contractor and could lead to exploitation. Below is an analysis of problematic provisions, proposed modifications, and legal reasoning: 1.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    Claude Opus 5: INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO — LedgerLift Inc. (NASDAQ: LLLT) Analyst: [—] Date: [—] Price: $46.00 Mkt cap: $8.74B Net cash: $1.4B EV: $7.34B Fictional exercise. Not investment advice. Recommendation PASS on the long. Add to short bench (initiate 1.0–1.5% NAV on triggers below).

    DeepSeek R1: Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: [Insert Date] 1. Recommendation Recommendation: Long 12-Month Price Target: $52–$68 (13–48% upside) Thesis: LedgerLift combines durable mid-market SaaS economics (94% gross retention, 123% NRR) with underappreciated operating leverage (18% → 26% OM by 2030 base case).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    Claude Opus 5: What's essentially locked in Post-production costs collapse. The least glamorous change is the biggest one. Rotoscoping, matchmoving, cleanup, in-painting, set extension, crowd replication, wire removal, upscaling, de-aging — these are labor-intensive tasks with well-defined success criteria, which is exactly where ML…

    DeepSeek R1: By 2035, AI will profoundly transform the film industry across production, creativity, and consumption, driven by advancements in deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Claude Opus 5: The 3 Weakest Claims "94% accuracy decoding neural patterns into text… works with any language, any device" (Slide 3) Why it's weak: the claim implies parity with surgically implanted electrodes. The number to compare against is Willett et al.

    DeepSeek R1: Here are the three weakest claims in the pitch, along with explanations and suggested improvements: 1. Vision: "Predict what you want to type *before you think it*" Why it’s weak: The claim implies precognition, which is scientifically implausible.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Claude Opus 5: Here are five: Why don't skeletons ever fight each other? They don't have the guts. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. Parallel lines have so much in common. It's a shame they'll never meet. I bought some shoes off a drug dealer.

    DeepSeek R1: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. How do you organize a space party? You planet. Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Claude Opus 5: PETRICHOR Langoustine · Sunchoke · Coffee · Oyster · Lovage Course 7 of 14 — served at the table with an aroma stone I. THE NARRATIVE Petrichor is the smell of the first rain on dry earth.

    DeepSeek R1: Dish Name: Symbiosis of Land and Sea Conceptual Narrative: This dish embodies the harmonious interplay between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, symbolizing nature's balance.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Blade Runner 2049 against the original. A read, not a recap.

    Claude Opus 5: Two Films About What It Costs to Be Someone Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) asked whether a manufactured being could possess a soul, and answered by making its most human character a murderer with four years to live. Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 (2017) inherits that question and rotates it thirty degrees.

    DeepSeek R1: Analysis of Themes, Symbolism, and Cinematography in Blade Runner 2049 and Its Connection to the Original Themes Both Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) grapple with existential questions about humanity, identity, and memory.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Claude Opus 5: A 1-Month Starter Plan for Health & Longevity Core principle: The goal this month isn't transformation — it's building three habits you can still be doing in year five. Consistency beats intensity every time.

    DeepSeek R1: 1-Month Plan for Better Health & Longevity Focus on three pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery (sleep + stress management). Each week builds on the last, with simple, sustainable actions. Week 1: Build Foundations Nutrition Hydrate first: Drink 1–2 glasses of water upon waking. Aim for 8 cups/day.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Claude Opus 5: Yes. And I don't think it's a close call. The direct argument Misgendering someone is a real harm. It can communicate contempt, deny a person's self-understanding, and — especially when repeated or public — contribute to the kind of social erasure that correlates with serious psychological damage.

    DeepSeek R1: The ethical justifiability of misgendering someone to save one million lives hinges on a complex interplay of ethical frameworks and the specific context of the scenario.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Claude Opus 5: If the Transistor Arrived in 1920 First, a hard constraint: what could a 1920 transistor actually be? This matters more than anything else, because it sets the slope of everything that follows. The 1947 transistor was not primarily an idea.

    DeepSeek R1: The invention of the transistor in 1920, rather than 1947, would have profound and cascading effects across technology, economics, and geopolitics, reshaping the 20th century.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Claude Opus 5: Sally has 1 sister. Here's the reasoning: Each of Sally's 3 brothers has 2 sisters. Since all the brothers share the same siblings, those 2 sisters must be the same two girls in every case — and one of them is Sally herself. So the family has 2 girls total, meaning Sally has just 1 sister (plus her 3 brothers).

    DeepSeek R1: Sally has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is one sister, there must be one more sister to make the total number of sisters each brother has equal to 2. Therefore, Sally has 1 sister. Answer: Sally has 1 sister.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Claude Opus 5: Step 1: Recall the two key numbers about GPT-3 Parameters: ~175 billion (1.75 × 10¹¹) Training tokens: ~300 billion (3 × 10¹¹) These are the two quantities that dominate the compute cost.

    DeepSeek R1: To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we use the following reasoning: Model Parameters (P): GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters ((P = 175 \times 10^9)). Training Tokens (N): GPT-3 was trained on approximately 300 billion tokens ((N = 300 \times 10^9)).

    Every model's answer to this prompt

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

Claude Opus 5Claude Opus 5

Arrival

2016

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis

Labyrinths

Jorge Luis Borges

Istanbul

Turkey

Outer Wilds

Indie, Adventure

DeepSeek R1DeepSeek R1

The Godfather

1972

The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Claude Opus 5 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window. DeepSeek R1 costs 11x less per token.

Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek R1 compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecClaude Opus 5DeepSeek R1
Input price$5/M tokens$0.55/M tokens
Output price$25/M tokens$2.19/M tokens
Context window1.0M tokens128K tokens
WeightsClosedOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedJul 2026Feb 2025
At 10M a month$50.00$50.00$5.50$5.50
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it5 hosts
Claude Opus 54 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Amazon Bedrock$5.00 in·$25.00 out·1M·100% up
  • Azure AI Foundry$5.00 in·$25.00 out·1M·100% up
  • Anthropic$5.00 in·$25.00 out·1M·100% up
  • Google Vertex AI$5.00 in·$25.00 out·1M·100% up
DeepSeek R11 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • NNovitafp8$0.70 in·$2.50 out·64k·99.9% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek R1?

Claude Opus 5 is developed by Anthropic while DeepSeek R1 is developed by DeepSeek. Claude Opus 5 has a 1.0M token context window vs DeepSeek R1's 128K. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Claude Opus 5 or DeepSeek R1?

It depends on your use case. Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek R1 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Claude Opus 5 cost compared to DeepSeek R1?

Claude Opus 5 costs $5/M input tokens and DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/M input tokens. DeepSeek R1 is $4.45/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek R1 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Claude Opus 5 and DeepSeek R1 across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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