Palmyra X4 vs Sonar Deep Research
Palmyra X4 comes out ahead, 25 to 20 on our weighted score, though Sonar Deep Research is 20% cheaper per token.
- Our pick
Writer
Palmyra X4
25/100- ECI—
- Price$2.50 / $10.00
- Context128K
PerplexitySonar Deep Research
20/100- ECI—
- Price$2.00 / $8.00
- Context128K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
Palmyra X4 is our pick
Palmyra X4 is the better all-round choice, scoring 25/100 against Sonar Deep Research (20). It leads on inputs & features. Sonar Deep Research wins on price. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
- CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
- Lowest priceSonar Deep ResearchSonar Deep Research $3.50 · Palmyra X4 $4.38 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextAbout the samePalmyra X4 128,000 · Sonar Deep Research 128,000 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsPalmyra X4: Text · Sonar Deep Research: Text
- Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | Palmyra X4 | Sonar Deep Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 19 | 24 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 35 | 10 |
| Context window | 20% | 24 | 24 |
| Overall | 100% | 25/100 | 20/100 |
Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | Palmyra X4Writer | Sonar Deep ResearchPerplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $2.50 | $2.00 (best) |
| Output | $10.00 | $8.00 (best) |
| Cached input | — | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $4.38 | $3.50 (best) |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Median of 1 providers | Official Perplexity API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max output | 4,096 tokens | 32,768 tokens (best) |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yesminimal · low · medium · high |
| Tool calling | Yes | No |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | — | sonar-deep-research |
| API providers | 1 | 3 (best) |
| Released | Oct 9, 2024 | Feb 1, 2025 |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | Jan 2025 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Palmyra X4$45.00
- Sonar Deep Research$36.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Palmyra X4 or Sonar Deep Research?
Palmyra X4 is the better all-round choice, scoring 25/100 against Sonar Deep Research (20). It leads on inputs & features. Sonar Deep Research wins on price. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
Which is cheaper, Palmyra X4 or Sonar Deep Research?
Sonar Deep Research is cheaper at $2.00 input / $8.00 output per million tokens (official Perplexity API price). Palmyra X4 costs $2.50 input / $10.00 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $3.50 per million tokens for Sonar Deep Research versus $4.38 for Palmyra X4 (1.3× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Palmyra X4 has not been scored yet and Sonar Deep Research has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Palmyra X4 and Sonar Deep Research yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Note that Sonar Deep Research does not support tool calling, which most coding agents need.
Which has the bigger context window?
Palmyra X4 and Sonar Deep Research share the same 128,000-token context window. Maximum output per response: Palmyra X4 up to 4,096, Sonar Deep Research up to 32,768 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Palmyra X4 accepts text; Sonar Deep Research accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
No. Palmyra X4 and Sonar Deep Research are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
Sonar Deep Research is the newest, released Feb 1, 2025. Palmyra X4 came out Oct 9, 2024. Knowledge cutoff: Sonar Deep Research Jan 2025.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.
