DeepSeek R1 vs Gemini 2.5 Pro
Complete pricing and performance comparison between DeepSeek's DeepSeek R1 and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Gemini 2.5 Pro (input) / DeepSeek R1 (output)
Input: 1.1x diff, Output: 1.9x diff
Larger Context
Gemini 2.5 Pro
1.0M vs 128K
Higher Quality
Gemini 2.5 Pro
Score: 35 vs 27
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | DeepSeek R1 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.35 | $1.25 | Gemini 2.5 Pro is 7% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5.4 | $10 | DeepSeek R1 is 46% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 1.0M | 8x difference |
| Max Output | 33K | 66K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | DeepSeek R1 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 27 | 35 | Gemini 2.5 Pro |
| Output Speed | -- | 128 tok/s | N/A |
| Time to First Token | 0.00s | 22.13s | DeepSeek R1 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 20.1 | 27.7 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | DeepSeek R1 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0030 | $0.0042 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.0013 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.030 | $0.042 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.013 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.297 | $0.425 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.128 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.97 | $4.25 | DeepSeek R1 saves $1.28 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $29.70 | $42.50 | DeepSeek R1 saves $12.80 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2970.00 | $4250.00 | DeepSeek R1 saves $1280.00 |
Pros & Cons
DeepSeek R1 Strengths
- +Cheaper output tokens
Gemini 2.5 Pro Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (35 vs 27)
When to Use Each Model
Choose DeepSeek R1 for
- →Projects already integrated with DeepSeek's ecosystem
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 or Gemini 2.5 Pro?
For input tokens, Gemini 2.5 Pro is 1.1x cheaper at $1.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, DeepSeek R1 is 1.9x cheaper at $5.4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), DeepSeek R1 costs $2.97 vs Gemini 2.5 Pro at $4.25.
What's the context window difference?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while Gemini 2.5 Pro supports 1.0M (1,048,576 tokens). Gemini 2.5 Pro can handle 8x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: DeepSeek R1 scores 27 vs Gemini 2.5 Pro at 35.
When should I choose DeepSeek R1 over Gemini 2.5 Pro?
Choose DeepSeek R1 when you need: Cheaper output tokens. Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (35 vs 27).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): DeepSeek R1 = $29.70, Gemini 2.5 Pro = $42.50. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): DeepSeek R1 = $189.00, Gemini 2.5 Pro = $225.00.
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