ds DeepSeek V4 Flash (default)
DeepSeek · open weights · writing benchmark
The short version
DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) sits at #83 of 130 on ToneBench, toward the value end of the board, with a writing Elo of 1362 and an overall score of 76.6 out of 100. We measured it by having it write all 9 of our real YouTube scripts, five times each, then scoring every draft blind against our own finished versions. Here is how it shook out.
Within DeepSeek it ranks 8th of 8. DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is the family's top writer here, about 592 Elo ahead, so this config trades some quality for whatever it saves you in cost or speed.
Among open-weights models, it comes in 22nd of 47. Open weights still trail the closed frontier on pure voice fidelity, and you can see that in the gap at the top.
What it does best is Substance & Value: it ranks 75th on that dimension at 79.6, above the board average. Its softer spot is YouTube Structure (71.4, 88th), which is the thing to watch if that metric matters most for your use.
It was uneven across the 9 scripts. Its best run was the product release announcement / personal observation (82.4) and its weakest was the personal technical walkthrough / agentic workflow case study (71.5), a spread of about 11 points. Worth knowing if your writing skews toward one of those formats.
On cost, it runs about $0.002/task. For that money it beats 29 models that cost noticeably more.
If you're tuning reasoning effort, we also tested DeepSeek V4 Flash at other settings. The strongest of those on the board is DeepSeek V4 Flash (xhigh) (Elo 1477), so it is worth checking whether more or less thinking moves the needle before you lock in this one.
Skill profile
The shape is the story: the further a corner reaches, the stronger that dimension. Biggest edge over the board: Visual Cues (+4.6); furthest behind: Length Discipline (-5.4).
Per-metric scores
Nine writing dimensions, each scored 0–100 and blended by the editorial weight shown. Rank is against all 130 current-ranked models. The thick bar is this model; the thin lines above and below are the current field's best model (darker) and average (lighter) on the same scale. The small ± number is its run-to-run variation.
Per-article scores
The same 9 real scripts every current-ranked model writes, scored individually. Different formats stress different skills.
Consistency: run-to-run variability
Every cell on this page is the mean of 5 independent runs per script; the ± numbers are the run-to-run standard deviation. Overall, DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) varies by ± 4.9 points between runs versus a board median of ± 3.8, so it is about as repeatable as the typical model on the board.
Its most volatile dimension is Anti-Slop (± 5.6 vs a board median of ± 2.6): two runs of the same brief can land visibly different anti-slop scores.
| Metric | This model | Board median | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tone & Voice ? | 78.7 ± 3.0 | ± 2.2 | typical |
| Writing Craft ? | 79.8 ± 2.5 | ± 2.0 | typical |
| Substance & Value ? | 79.6 ± 3.4 | ± 2.6 | typical |
| Flow & Emotion ? | 75.0 ± 3.1 | ± 2.6 | typical |
| YouTube Structure ? | 71.4 ± 4.6 | ± 3.6 | typical |
| Hook ? | 81.4 ± 3.6 | ± 3.0 | typical |
| Length Discipline ? | 61.8 ± 9.1 | ± 8.6 | typical |
| Anti-Slop ? | 79.8 ± 5.6 | ± 2.6 | swingier than most |
| Visual Cues ? | 79.1 ± 4.8 | ± 4.7 | typical |
Measured, not modeled
Numbers we log on every run and rarely talk about. None of these affect the writing scores; cost and latency are informational.
What each judge scored it
The published overall of 76.6 is the consensus of three family-disjoint judges scoring the same 45 stored drafts blind with the identical rubric. The highest and lowest judge differ by 9.0 points on its overall. A typical amount of judge disagreement for this board. How the panel works: methodology.
How we ran DeepSeek V4 Flash (default)
- Accessed viaOpenRouter · model page ↗
- Exact model / route id
deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash(provider default reasoning) - Generations5 independent runs × 9 scripts = 45 drafts, stored immutably after generation
- Run dates2026-07-29 → 2026-08-11
- Judges3-judge panel: Claude Opus 5, high effort (Anthropic) + DeepSeek V4 Flash (OpenRouter) + GPT-5.6 Sol, medium reasoning (Codex CLI): every draft scored independently by all three with the identical rubric, blind to model identity, evidence quotes required before each metric score; published score = per-metric consensus mean, verified with a Bradley-Terry refit (methodology)
- Samplingprovider-default sampling, no fine-tuning, no system-prompt changes; every current-ranked model gets the identical brief, style contract and research packet
- What stays privatethe exact rubric and any non-public reference material; source-publication timing is disclosed for exceptions (why)
Frequently asked questions
How good is DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) at writing?
On ToneBench it ranks #83 of 130 with a writing Elo of 1362 and an overall score of 76.6/100. That score comes from writing our 9 real YouTube scripts five times each and scoring every draft blind against our own finished versions across nine writing dimensions.
Is DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) the best DeepSeek model for writing?
Not quite. Within DeepSeek it ranks 8th of 8; DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is the family's best writer here.
Is DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) good value for the money?
It costs about $0.002/task. Nothing meaningfully cheaper outscores it, which puts it on the value side of the board.
What are DeepSeek V4 Flash (default)'s strengths and weaknesses?
Its strongest dimension is Substance & Value (75th on the board, 79.6). Its weakest is YouTube Structure (88th on the board, 71.4). The full nine-metric breakdown is on this page.
Does DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) write some formats better than others?
Yes. Its best of our 9 scripts was the product release announcement / personal observation (82.4) and its weakest was the personal technical walkthrough / agentic workflow case study (71.5).
How consistent is DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) between runs?
We run every script 5 times. DeepSeek V4 Flash (default)'s overall score varies by about ±4.9 points between runs, versus a board median of ±3.8. That is typical consistency for this board. The full per-metric variability table is on this page.
How was DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) evaluated?
Via OpenRouter using the exact model/route id deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash, run on 2026-07-29. 5 runs per script, provider-default sampling, no fine-tuning; every draft scored blind with a fixed rubric by a three-family judge panel. Full details in the 'How we ran it' section and the methodology.
Is DeepSeek V4 Flash (default) open source?
Yes, it is an open-weights model. Among open-weights models it ranks 22nd of 47 for writing.