text model comparison
DeepSeek-V4-Pro vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
DeepSeek-V4-Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning are both current text models, from DeepSeek and NVIDIA. On Arena Text, DeepSeek-V4-Pro scores 1465 Elo and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 1349 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Both accept 1,000,000 tokens of context.
Data verified October 13, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-13
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | DeepSeek-V4-Pro | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $1.32 | Not reported |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $3.96 | Not reported |
| Arena Text | 1465 Elo (#29 of 49) (better) | 1349 Elo (#47 of 49) |
| GPQA Diamond | 91.7% (#19 of 40) | Not measured |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 64.6% (#26 of 40) | Not measured |
| SimpleQA Verified | 52.9% (#18 of 36) | Not measured |
| Provider | DeepSeek | NVIDIA |
| Release date | August 13, 2026 | August 11, 2026 |
| Access | API and open weights | open weights |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Max output | 384,000 tokens | Not reported |
| Input | text | text |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
DeepSeek-V4-Pro
Best for
- Agentic coding and terminal tasks
- Long-context jobs that need very long outputs
Watch out for
- The recorded rates are peak-hour prices (01:00 to 04:00 and 06:00 to 10:00 UTC on weekdays)
- No image input on the DeepSeek API, where the cheaper deepseek-flash has it
- DeepSeek had planned to retire it in September before extending service, so check its status before a long commitment
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Best for
- Fast, low-cost agent subtasks such as tool calls
- Self-hosted agents on one GPU
Watch out for
- On NVIDIA's own table it trails Qwen 3.6 35B A3B on SWE-bench Verified (51.56 against 70.12)
- NVIDIA sells no per-token API for it; hosted prices come from third parties
DeepSeek-V4-Pro vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning FAQ
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, DeepSeek-V4-Pro or Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?
DeepSeek-V4-Pro leads on Arena Text, 1465 Elo to 1349 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, DeepSeek-V4-Pro or Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?
Both accept 1,000,000 tokens of context.
Can I run DeepSeek-V4-Pro or Nemotron 3.5 Lightning myself?
DeepSeek-V4-Pro is released as open weights you can run yourself; Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is available through its provider's API only.
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Production evaluation
Choosing between DeepSeek-V4-Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty