DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs GPT-5 mini
GPT-5 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GPT-5 mini is 1.3x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while GPT-5 mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, HMMT 2025). GPT-5 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, GPT-5 mini is roughly 1.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 mini also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5 mini
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 1.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while GPT-5 mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, HMMT 2025).
GPT-5 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than GPT-5 mini ($2.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is more expensive than GPT-5 mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 mini accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1-0528's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5 mini is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1-0528 does not.
GPT-5 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
GPT-5 mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-5 mini 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 GPT-5 mini was released on 2025-08-07.
GPT-5 mini is 2 months newer than DeepSeek-R1-0528.
May 28, 2025
1.2 years ago
Aug 7, 2025
1.1 years ago
2mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5 mini's training data extends to 2024-05-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date.
—
May 2024
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. GPT-5 mini is available from OpenAI.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
GPT-5 mini
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and GPT-5 mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs GPT-5 mini.