DeepSeek R1 vs o3
Complete pricing and performance comparison between DeepSeek's DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI's o3.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
DeepSeek R1
1.5x cheaper input, 1.5x cheaper output
Larger Context
o3
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
o3
Score: 38 vs 27
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | DeepSeek R1 | o3 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.35 | $2 | DeepSeek R1 is 32% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5.4 | $8 | DeepSeek R1 is 32% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 200K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 33K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | DeepSeek R1 | o3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 27 | 38 | o3 |
| Output Speed | -- | 79 tok/s | N/A |
| Time to First Token | 0.00s | 10.83s | DeepSeek R1 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 20.1 | 19.2 | 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 | o3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0030 | $0.0044 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.0014 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.030 | $0.044 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.014 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.297 | $0.440 | DeepSeek R1 saves $0.143 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.97 | $4.40 | DeepSeek R1 saves $1.43 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $29.70 | $44.00 | DeepSeek R1 saves $14.30 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2970.00 | $4400.00 | DeepSeek R1 saves $1430.00 |
Pros & Cons
DeepSeek R1 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
o3 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (38 vs 27)
When to Use Each Model
Choose DeepSeek R1 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Choose o3 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 o3?
For input tokens, DeepSeek R1 is 1.5x cheaper at $1.35/1M tokens. For output tokens, DeepSeek R1 is 1.5x cheaper at $5.4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), DeepSeek R1 costs $2.97 vs o3 at $4.40.
What's the context window difference?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while o3 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o3 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: DeepSeek R1 scores 27 vs o3 at 38.
When should I choose DeepSeek R1 over o3?
Choose DeepSeek R1 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens. Choose o3 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (38 vs 27).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): DeepSeek R1 = $29.70, o3 = $44.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): DeepSeek R1 = $189.00, o3 = $280.00.