DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-5 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between DeepSeek's DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI's GPT-5 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5 Mini
5.4x cheaper input, 2.7x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5 Mini
400K vs 128K
Higher Quality
GPT-5 Mini
Score: 41 vs 27
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-5 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.35 | $0.25 | GPT-5 Mini is 81% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5.4 | $2 | GPT-5 Mini is 63% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 400K | 3x difference |
| Max Output | 33K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-5 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 27 | 41 | GPT-5 Mini |
| Output Speed | -- | 82 tok/s | N/A |
| Time to First Token | 0.00s | 99.18s | DeepSeek R1 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 20.1 | 164.8 | 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-5 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0030 | $0.0008 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.0021 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.030 | $0.0085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.021 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.297 | $0.085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.212 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.97 | $0.850 | GPT-5 Mini saves $2.12 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $29.70 | $8.50 | GPT-5 Mini saves $21.20 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2970.00 | $850.00 | GPT-5 Mini saves $2120.00 |
Pros & Cons
DeepSeek R1 Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
GPT-5 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (400K vs 128K)
- +Higher quality score (41 vs 27)
When to Use Each Model
Choose DeepSeek R1 for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose GPT-5 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 or GPT-5 Mini?
For input tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 5.4x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 2.7x cheaper at $2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), DeepSeek R1 costs $2.97 vs GPT-5 Mini at $0.850.
What's the context window difference?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while GPT-5 Mini supports 400K (400,000 tokens). GPT-5 Mini can handle 3x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: DeepSeek R1 scores 27 vs GPT-5 Mini at 41.
When should I choose DeepSeek R1 over GPT-5 Mini?
Choose DeepSeek R1 when you need: Higher max output tokens. Choose GPT-5 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (400K vs 128K), Higher quality score (41 vs 27).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): DeepSeek R1 = $29.70, GPT-5 Mini = $8.50. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): DeepSeek R1 = $189.00, GPT-5 Mini = $45.00.