DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4o
Complete pricing and performance comparison between DeepSeek's DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI's GPT-4o.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
DeepSeek R1
1.9x cheaper input, 1.9x cheaper output
Larger Context
DeepSeek R1
128K vs 128K
Higher Quality
DeepSeek R1
Score: 27 vs 17
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-4o | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.35 | $2.5 | DeepSeek R1 is 46% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5.4 | $10 | DeepSeek R1 is 46% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K | Same |
| Max Output | 33K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-4o | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 27 | 17 | DeepSeek R1 |
| Output Speed | -- | 135 tok/s | N/A |
| Time to First Token | 0.00s | 0.53s | DeepSeek R1 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 20.1 | 6.9 | 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 | GPT-4o | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0030 | $0.0055 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.0025 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.030 | $0.055 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.025 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.297 | $0.550 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.253 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.97 | $5.50 | DeepSeek R1 saves $2.53 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $29.70 | $55.00 | DeepSeek R1 saves $25.30 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2970.00 | $5500.00 | DeepSeek R1 saves $2530.00 |
Pros & Cons
DeepSeek R1 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (27 vs 17)
GPT-4o Strengths
Part of the OpenAI ecosystem
When to Use Each Model
Choose DeepSeek R1 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose GPT-4o for
- →Projects already integrated with OpenAI's ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 or GPT-4o?
For input tokens, DeepSeek R1 is 1.9x cheaper at $1.35/1M 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 GPT-4o at $5.50.
What's the context window difference?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while GPT-4o supports 128K (128,000 tokens). GPT-4o can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: DeepSeek R1 scores 27 vs GPT-4o at 17.
When should I choose DeepSeek R1 over GPT-4o?
Choose DeepSeek R1 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (27 vs 17). Choose GPT-4o when you need: a OpenAI ecosystem model.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): DeepSeek R1 = $29.70, GPT-4o = $55.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): DeepSeek R1 = $189.00, GPT-4o = $350.00.