Model comparison
DeepSeek V4 Flash vs Inkling
Head-to-head evidence from 8 shared benchmark results across 3 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Verified leaderboard positions: DeepSeek V4 Flash unranked; Inkling #17
BenchAlign evidence: DeepSeek V4 Flash estimated; Inkling not scored. Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. DeepSeek V4 Flash and Inkling share 8 comparable benchmark results. 4 of 8 categories are comparable. 15 results are unique to DeepSeek V4 Flash; 8 to Inkling.
Updated July 15, 2026- Shared results
- 8
- DeepSeek V4 Flash only
- 15
- Inkling only
- 8
- Comparable categories
- 4 / 8
Pick Inkling if you want the stronger benchmark profile. DeepSeek V4 Flash only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 8 shared benchmark results across 3 evidence categories; 4 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
Inkling is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 69 to 57. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
Inkling's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 97.1 against 40.8. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is HLE, 8.1% to 46%.
Inkling is also the more expensive model on tokens at $1.87 input / $4.68 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.14 input / $0.28 output per 1M tokens for DeepSeek V4 Flash. That is roughly 16.7x on output cost alone. Inkling is the reasoning model in the pair, while DeepSeek V4 Flash is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | DeepSeek V4 Flash | Δ | Inkling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | DeepSeek V4 Flash40.8 | Margin→ 56.3 | Inkling97.1 |
| Agentic | DeepSeek V4 Flash49.1 | Margin→ 20.3 | Inkling69.4 |
| Knowledge | DeepSeek V4 Flash39.2 | Margin→ 12.5 | Inkling51.7 |
| Coding | DeepSeek V4 Flash64.2 | Margin→ 4.4 | Inkling68.6 |
| Multimodal | DeepSeek V4 FlashNot measured | MarginNo overlap | Inkling76.5 |
| Inst. Following | DeepSeek V4 FlashNot measured | MarginNo overlap | Inkling79.8 |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
HLE
KnowledgeA 8.1%B 46%Winner: InklingΔ 37.9HLE: DeepSeek V4 Flash scored 8.1%; Inkling scored 46%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
GPQA
KnowledgeA 71.2%B 87.9%Winner: InklingΔ 16.7GPQA: DeepSeek V4 Flash scored 71.2%; Inkling scored 87.9%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
Terminal-Bench 2.0
AgenticA 49.1%B 63.8%Winner: InklingΔ 14.7Terminal-Bench 2.0: DeepSeek V4 Flash scored 49.1%; Inkling scored 63.8%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
SWE-bench Pro
CodingA 49.1%B 54.3%Winner: InklingΔ 5.2SWE-bench Pro: DeepSeek V4 Flash scored 49.1%; Inkling scored 54.3%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
SWE-bench Verified
CodingA 73.7%B 77.6%Winner: InklingΔ 3.9SWE-bench Verified: DeepSeek V4 Flash scored 73.7%; Inkling scored 77.6%. Inkling wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | DeepSeek V4 Flash | Inkling | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | DeepSeek V4 Flash$0.14 input / $0.28 output | Inkling$1.87 input / $4.68 output | DeepSeek V4 Flash has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | DeepSeek V4 FlashNot available | InklingNot available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | DeepSeek V4 FlashNot available | InklingNot available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | DeepSeek V4 Flash1M | Inkling1M | Listed context windows are equal. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
AgenticInkling wins7 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Flash | Inkling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | 49.1% | 63.8% | Inkling leads |
| MCP AtlasSource | 64% | 74.1% | Inkling leads |
| ToolathlonSource | 40.7% | — | Not comparable |
| Claw-EvalSource | 57.8% | — | Not comparable |
| Gert LabsSource | 54.35% | — | Not comparable |
| BrowseCompSource | — | 77.1% | Not comparable |
| Design Arena Agentic Web DevSource | — | 1258 | Not comparable |
CodingInkling wins5 benchmarks
Reasoning2 benchmarks
KnowledgeInkling wins7 benchmarks
MathInkling wins5 benchmarks
Multimodal4 benchmarks
Inst. Following1 benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V4 Flash | Inkling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFBenchSource | — | 79.8% | Not comparable |
Frequently Asked Questions (5)
Which is better, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Inkling?
Inkling is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 69 to 57. The biggest single separator in this matchup is HLE, where the scores are 8.1% and 46%.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 51.7 versus 39.2. Inside this category, HLE is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for coding, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 68.6 versus 64.2. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench 2.0 is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 97.1 versus 40.8. DeepSeek V4 Flash stays close enough that the answer can still flip depending on your workload.
Which is better for agentic tasks, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for agentic tasks in this comparison, averaging 69.4 versus 49.1. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench 2.0 is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
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