DeepSeek API vs Gemini 4 Carbon

DeepSeek API 46

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). Model reading. V4.1 Flash was upgraded to DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 on 17 October under the same deepseek-flash name and price, posted on the updates page the same day, 19 days before this check (30). Later updates entries are unread. No stated notice policy. deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner got three months, announced on 24 April for 24 July. One dated notice with no stated period partly meets the line, and the earlier partial award is held (4 of 12). Model churn covers the V4 Flash retirement on 10 September and the V4 Pro shutdown set for 14 September, announced on 13 August and withdrawn on 10 September. The 24 July shutdown has left the 90-day window. A retirement and a withdrawn shutdown inside it keep churn at the bottom of its range (0 of 8). Dated updates page, and the docs list api-service@deepseek.com and a Discord server for support. We didn't test whether either answers (12 of 15). No official SDKs or SDK repository (0 of 15, 0 of 10). 30 + 4 + 0 + 12 + 0 + 0 = 46.

Gemini 4 Carbon 83

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Released to developers on 10 November 2026, with the platform's changelog (30). Deprecations with earliest dates and no stated minimum notice (4 of 12). Shutdowns in the last 90 days kept to their table (4 of 8). Dated changelog (15). SDK replies not sampled (5 of 10). Current SDKs (15). Runtimes stated (10). 30 + 4 + 4 + 15 + 5 + 15 + 10 = 83.

DeepSeek API 49

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). No OpenAPI document and no llms.txt found (0 and 0). API reference covers both the OpenAI and Anthropic formats. The chat completion reference, read on 2 October, describes each parameter with its range and default, such as max_tokens from 1 to 393,216 with 8K by default without thinking, but says little on when not to use one (14 of 20). Strict tool calls are documented, in beta at the /beta base URL, with a JSON Schema subset (object, string, number, integer, boolean, array, enum, anyOf, $ref) where every property must be required. JSON output mode carries no schema guarantee (10 of 15). The error codes page lists seven codes, each with a cause and a fix, but no example bodies (10 of 15). Dated updates page that names model changes (15). 0 + 0 + 14 + 10 + 10 + 15 = 49.

Gemini 4 Carbon 85

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Discovery document for GenerateContent (20 of 25). llms.txt with Markdown twins (10). The Cloud developer guide says what Carbon takes and refuses, the parameters that return 400 or are ignored, and how to migrate (15 of 20). Structured output to a JSON Schema with some keywords not enforced (10 of 15). Examples and an errors page (15). Dated changelog and model versions (15). 20 + 10 + 15 + 10 + 15 + 15 = 85.

DeepSeek API 70

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). Model reading of the checklist (tool use, structured output, caching, context, batch, SDKs, errors). Tool calls through both request formats, and the API reference documents tool_choice as none, auto, required or a named function (20 of 20). Strict schema-enforced tool calls in beta, JSON output without a schema guarantee (10 of 15). Disk cache on by default with cheaper hits, per the listing (15). 1M-token context and up to 384K output (15). No batch API documented (0). No official SDKs, you use the OpenAI or Anthropic client (0). Seven error codes with a fix for each, 402 for an empty balance (10 of 15). 20 + 10 + 15 + 15 + 0 + 0 + 10 = 70.

Gemini 4 Carbon 93

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Function calling, with forced calls by FunctionCallingConfig on the API (20). Structured output (13 of 15). Implicit caching with durable caching on by default, cached input 95% off, explicit caches not supported, per the Cloud guide read on 10 November (15). 1,048,576 tokens shared between input and output (15). Batch at half price on the platform (10). Python and JavaScript SDKs (10). Error codes with backoff guidance (10 of 15). 20 + 13 + 15 + 15 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 93.

DeepSeek API 60

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). Status page at status.deepseek.com, run on Flashduty, with per-API components and a readable feed (20). The recorded feed lists 36 incidents from 22 July to 15 October. Four touch only web search, 27 are degraded performance, and five are partial unavailability, one of them (12 October) the web chat only. Of the four that hit the API, 28 July (7 minutes) has left the 90-day window and 2 September lasted 31 minutes. 14 September (18:30 to 21:30 UTC) left the V4.1 Flash API and chat partly unavailable for three hours, and 15 October (00:11 to 05:04 UTC) left the V4 Pro and V4.1 Flash APIs and chat partly unavailable for 4 hours 52 minutes. Two majors in 90 days sit between one (10) and several (0), so 5. 16 October to 5 November is unread and earns nothing beyond the recorded award (5). Concurrency caps published per account, 2,500 on Flash and 500 on V4 Pro, and requests that haven't started inference after 10 minutes are closed (15). The rate-limit and error pages document 429, and advise a brief wait and retry on 500 and 503, with no Retry-After header, backoff schedule or statement that a retried call is safe (10 of 15). No SLA found (0). V4 Pro and V4.1 Flash are GA (10). 20 + 5 + 15 + 10 + 0 + 10 = 60.

Gemini 4 Carbon 40

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Status page at aistudio.google.com/status with no readable components or history (10 of 20) and no readable incident record (5 of 30). Rate-limit tiers and spend limits published, per-model limits in AI Studio (5 of 15). Backoff guidance for 429 and 503 and SDK retries (15). No SLA (0). Carbon's launch stage isn't stated in Google's developer post, the Antigravity post or the Cloud developer guide read on 10 November, and the model ID carries no preview label, so half (5 of 10, a judgement call; Argon's GA earned the platform 10). 10 + 5 + 5 + 15 + 0 + 5 = 40.

DeepSeek API 35

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). Model reading. One Bearer key per balance, no scoping found (20 of 30). The privacy policy, last updated 10 February 2026, says personal data is used to train models, with an opt-out by email to privacy@deepseek.com (0 of 20). Data kept for as long as needed to provide the services, with no period stated and no zero-retention route (5 of 15). Per-call logs or audit logs not found (5 of 15). Security programme 5 of 20 (was 0). The www.deepseek.com footer carries a Report Security Issue address, security@deepseek.com, per the 21 October reading used for DeepSeek's open-weight listings and its Search and Fetch API listing. No security.txt (404 on 17 October), disclosure policy, certification or bug bounty found. 20 + 0 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 35.

Gemini 4 Carbon 55

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Keys bound to a service account and restricted to the Gemini API, with no scopes and a token accepted in the URL (15 of 30, the platform's deduction). Carbon is on the paid tier only, and Google's terms say paid-tier content isn't used to improve products; AI Studio use under a Google AI Ultra subscription falls under terms we didn't read, so 15 of 20 (a judgement call; the platform's 10 is for its free tier). Abuse retention with no number, and new paid projects store requests by default since 26 October (5 of 15). Request logs for billed projects (15). security.txt and a reward programme, no certification naming the API (5 of 20). 15 + 15 + 5 + 15 + 5 = 55.

DeepSeek API 65

Per the 17 October check, not re-read on 5 November (DeepSeek's terms bar automated access, so nothing on DeepSeek's hosts was requested). Closed service with clear terms under PRC law. The model weights are published, which doesn't change the hosted service (15). The privacy policy of 10 February 2026 is consistent on training by default and storage in the PRC, but publishes no retention period and no DPA (10 of 30). Dated notices on the updates page, undercut by a shutdown announced and withdrawn within a month and a reroute with no prior entry (10 of 20). Data location disclosed as the PRC, third parties named only by category (10 of 20). 15 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 45.

Gemini 4 Carbon 72

Model reading for gemini-4-carbon on the Gemini API. Platform facts are the Gemini API listing's (gemini-api, re-read 1 November), carried over as RULES.md allows for a model on an already graded platform. Closed service with clear terms, SDKs Apache-2.0 (15). Paid-tier data isn't used, abuse retention has no number, and request storage is on by default for new paid projects (20 of 30). Deprecations table (15 of 20). Data may be cached anywhere Google has facilities; no subprocessor list checked (5 of 20). Every benchmark figure is Google's own. 15 + 20 + 15 + 5 = 55.