Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs o3-miniWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 2.1x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs o3-mini — which is better?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and o3-mini (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 4 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2024, GPQA, SimpleQA), while o3-mini is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified). DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is roughly 2.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

o3-mini also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose o3-mini if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2024, GPQA, SimpleQA), while o3-mini is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified).

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-R1-0528 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.2x cheaper than o3-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than o3-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, o3-mini is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1-0528.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$2.15
Best providerDeepinfra
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input tokens$1.10
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

o3-mini accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1-0528's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while o3-mini is limited to 100,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input200,000 tokens
Output100,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while o3-mini uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

MIT

Open weights

o3-mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1-0528 was released on 2025-05-28, while o3-mini was released on 2025-01-30.

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 4 months newer than o3-mini.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

May 28, 2025

1.1 years ago

3mo newer
o3-mini

Jan 30, 2025

1.5 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

o3-mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-09-30, while DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm o3-mini's training data extends to 2023-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

—

o3-mini

Sep 2023

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. o3-mini is available from Azure, OpenAI.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.15/1M
deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.70/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M

o3-mini

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher Aider-Polyglot score (71.6% vs 66.7%)
Higher AIME 2024 score (91.4% vs 87.3%)
Higher GPQA score (81.0% vs 77.2%)
Higher SimpleQA score (92.3% vs 15.0%)
OpenAI
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (49.3% vs 44.6%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and o3-mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-R1-0528
✓ Preferred
o3-mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
OpenAI
o3-mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs o3-mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek-R1-0528 or o3-mini?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is made by DeepSeek and o3-mini is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-R1-0528 compare to o3-mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 scores MMLU-Redux: 93.4%, SimpleQA: 92.3%, AIME 2024: 91.4%, AIME 2025: 87.5%, MMLU-Pro: 85.0%. o3-mini scores COLLIE: 98.7%, MATH: 97.9%, IFEval: 93.9%, MGSM: 92.0%, AIME 2024: 87.3%.

Is DeepSeek-R1-0528 cheaper than o3-mini?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 2.2x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 costs $0.50/M input and $2.15/M output via deepinfra. o3-mini costs $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-R1-0528 and o3-mini?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 supports 131K tokens and o3-mini supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-R1-0528 and o3-mini?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 200K), input pricing ($0.50 vs $1.10/M), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-R1-0528 and o3-mini?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is developed by DeepSeek and o3-mini is developed by OpenAI.

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