Below is a comprehensive technical llm comparison between Baidu ERNIE 4.5 and DeepSeek-R1, covering benchmark performance, cost efficiency, speed, architecture, and practical use cases. All data is synthesized from the latest industry reports and technical analyses (as of July 2025).
๏ฟฝ Intelligence & Performance Benchmarks
1. Multimodal & Reasoning Capabilities
- ERNIE 4.5
- Native multimodal integration: Processes text, images, audio, and video natively, excelling in tasks like image-based math problem-solving and audio source identification .
- Benchmarks: Outperforms GPT-4o in multimodal tasks (avg. 77.77 vs. 73.92), especially in DocVQA (document analysis) and MathVista (visual math reasoning) .
- Coding & Logic: Improved over ERNIE 4.0 but trails in coding benchmarks (e.g., LiveCodeBench: ~65% vs. DeepSeek-R1โs 73%) .
- DeepSeek-R1
- Focused reasoning: Optimized for chain-of-thought (CoT) logic, complex calculations, and structured problem-solving .
- Math dominance: Scores 97.3% on MATH-500 and 87.5% on AIME 2025, outperforming ERNIE 4.5 in advanced math .
- Coding strength: Near top-tier in HumanEval+ (78.9%) and SWE-bench (71.6โ73.3%) .
2. Language & Knowledge Tasks
| Benchmark | ERNIE 4.5 | DeepSeek-R1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLU (knowledge) | 79.6% | 90.8% | DeepSeek-R1 |
| C-Eval (Chinese) | 86.2% | 84.7% | ERNIE 4.5 |
| GSM8K (math) | 82.1% | 91.3% | DeepSeek-R1 |
| GPQA (science) | 75.4% | 83.9% | DeepSeek-R1 |
๐ก Summary: ERNIE 4.5 leads in Chinese-language tasks and multimodal integration, while DeepSeek-R1 dominates STEM reasoning and coding .
๐ฐ Cost LLM Comparison (API Pricing per 1M Tokens)
| Model | Input Cost | Output Cost | Total (1M I/O) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERNIE 4.5 | $0.55 | $2.20 | $2.75 |
| DeepSeek-R1 | $0.55 | $2.19 | $2.74 |
| ERNIE 4.5 Turbo | $0.11 | $0.44 | $0.55 |
| DeepSeek-R1 (off-peak) | $0.14 (cache miss) โ $0.135 | $0.55 (75% off) | $0.685 |
Key Insights:
- Base pricing is nearly identical, but ERNIE 4.5 Turbo slashes costs by 80% for comparable performance .
- DeepSeek-R1 offers off-peak discounts (UTC 16:30โ00:30), reducing output tokens to $0.55/M (75% off) .
- Enterprise note: ERNIE X1 (reasoning variant) costs $0.28/$1.1 per M I/O tokens โ half of DeepSeek-R1โs standard rate .
โก Speed & Efficiency
| Metric | ERNIE 4.5 | DeepSeek-R1 |
|---|---|---|
| Output Speed | ~85 tokens/sec (Turbo) | Not benchmarked (est. 60โ80 t/s) |
| Context Window | 128K tokens | 64K tokens (input), 64K output max |
| Real-time Tasks | Optimized for audio/video analysis | Optimized for CoT reasoning |
| Tool Integration | Image gen, doc summarization | Code execution, math tools |
- ERNIE 4.5 Turbo prioritizes speed for batch processing (e.g., document parsing, multimedia analysis) .
- DeepSeek-R1 trades speed for step-by-step reasoning depth, ideal for R&D or math-intensive workflows .
๐งฉ Architecture & Accessibility
- ERNIE 4.5:
- Hybrid transformer with joint multimodal training .
- Open-source: Planned for June 30, 2025 (ERNIE 4.5 series) .
- Limitation: Primarily Chinese-optimized; limited global API access .
- DeepSeek-R1:
- MoE (Mixture of Experts) with 37B active params/token .
- MIT-licensed open-source, allowing self-hosting/fine-tuning .
- Global reach: APIs accessible worldwide .
๐ฏ Use Case Recommendations
Choose ERNIE 4.5 if you need:
- Multimedia analysis (e.g., video transcription, meme decoding, interior design renders) .
- Chinese NLP tasks (e.g., legal/doc review in Mandarin, Baidu ecosystem integration) .
- Cost-sensitive batch processing via Turbo ($0.55/M tokens total) .
Choose DeepSeek-R1 if you prioritize:
- Open-source flexibility for customization or private deployment .
- Math/coding excellence (e.g., competition-level problem-solving, SWE automation) .
- Global/English workflows with stable API access .
โ๏ธ Beyond Benchmarks: Real-World Trade-offs
- Benchmark gaps: ERNIE 4.5โs claimed “GPT-4.5 performance at 1% cost” applies only to Chinese multimodal tasks โ it lags in coding/commonsense vs. DeepSeek-R1 .
- Access friction: ERNIE Bot requires Chinese ID for registration; DeepSeek has no geo-restrictions .
- Reasoning transparency: DeepSeek-R1 outputs full Chain-of-Thought tokens (priced equally), aiding debugging but increasing cost for complex tasks .
๐ฎ Final Verdict
- ERNIE 4.5 is a multimodal specialist for Chinese-centric media tasks, with disruptive pricing (especially Turbo). Ideal for enterprises in Asia-Pacific markets .
- DeepSeek-R1 is the open reasoning powerhouse for global STEM/coding applications, offering transparency and fine-tuning freedom .
For cost-conscious developers: ERNIE 4.5 Turbo offers the best value.
For researchers/engineers: DeepSeek-R1โs open model and math prowess are unmatched.
Ultimately, to do llm comparison one has to test it according to the needs and use cases.
Sources: Baidu AI Cloud | DeepSeek API Docs | Full Benchmark Analysis.
