Model Comparison
DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemini 3 FlashWhich is better in 2026?
Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 1.2x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemini 3 Flash — which is better?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and Gemini 3 Flash (by Google) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (SimpleQA), while Gemini 3 Flash is better at 4 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Verified). Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Gemini 3 Flash if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (SimpleQA), while Gemini 3 Flash is better at 4 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Verified).
Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) costs the same as Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3 Flash is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1-0528.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3 Flash accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1-0528's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Gemini 3 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1-0528 does not.
Gemini 3 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Gemini 3 Flash
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while Gemini 3 Flash uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-R1-0528 was released on 2025-05-28, while Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17.
Gemini 3 Flash is 7 months newer than DeepSeek-R1-0528.
May 28, 2025
1.2 years ago
Dec 17, 2025
7 months ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date.
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Jan 2025
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Gemini 3 Flash
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-R1-0528
View detailsDeepSeek
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Gemini 3 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemini 3 Flash.