Model Comparison
DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs GPT-5.1 InstantWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 3.8x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs GPT-5.1 Instant — which is better?
DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and GPT-5.1 Instant (by OpenAI) 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 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.1 Instant is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified). GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is roughly 3.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.1 Instant also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…
- cost matters — it's about 3.8x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5.1 Instant if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.1 Instant is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified).
GPT-5.1 Instant 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) is 2.5x cheaper than GPT-5.1 Instant ($1.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 4.7x cheaper than GPT-5.1 Instant ($10.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Instant 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
GPT-5.1 Instant 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-5.1 Instant is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.1 Instant supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1-0528 does not.
GPT-5.1 Instant can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
GPT-5.1 Instant
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-5.1 Instant 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-5.1 Instant was released on 2025-11-12.
GPT-5.1 Instant is 6 months newer than DeepSeek-R1-0528.
May 28, 2025
1.1 years ago
Nov 12, 2025
8 months ago
5mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. GPT-5.1 Instant is available from OpenAI.
DeepSeek-R1-0528
GPT-5.1 Instant
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 GPT-5.1 Instant side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs GPT-5.1 Instant.