Comprehensive side-by-side LLM comparison
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads with 12.1% higher average benchmark score. Overall, DeepSeek R1 Zero is the stronger choice for coding tasks.
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-8B was developed as a compact distilled variant, designed to bring reasoning capabilities to a more efficient 8B parameter Llama base. Built to democratize access to reasoning-enhanced models, it provides a lightweight option for applications requiring analytical depth with limited resources.
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-Zero was introduced as an experimental variant trained with minimal human supervision, designed to develop reasoning patterns through self-guided reinforcement learning. Built to explore how models can discover analytical strategies independently, it represents research into autonomous reasoning capability development.
Launched on the same date

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B
DeepSeek
2025-01-20

DeepSeek R1 Zero
DeepSeek
2025-01-20
Average performance across 4 common benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

DeepSeek R1 Zero
Available providers and their performance metrics

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

DeepSeek R1 Zero

DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B

DeepSeek R1 Zero