DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B vs GPT-5.1 Thinking
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the LLM Stats Score 36.6 to 14.5. DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B is 19.6x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the overall LLM Stats Score 36.6 to 14.5, ranking #73 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5.1 Thinking wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B is roughly 19.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.1 Thinking also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B
- cost matters — it's about 19.6x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5.1 Thinking
- overall performance matters — it scores 36.6 and ranks #73 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
4 reported for DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B · 9 for GPT-5.1 Thinking
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.1 Thinking is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GPT-5.1 Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 12.5x cheaper than GPT-5.1 Thinking ($1.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B ($0.40/1M tokens) is 25.0x cheaper than GPT-5.1 Thinking ($10.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Thinking is more expensive than DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.1 Thinking accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B's 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5.1 Thinking supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B does not.
GPT-5.1 Thinking can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B
GPT-5.1 Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B is licensed under MIT, while GPT-5.1 Thinking 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 Distill Llama 70B was released on 2025-01-20, while GPT-5.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-12.
GPT-5.1 Thinking is 10 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B.
Jan 20, 2025
1.6 years ago
Nov 12, 2025
10 months ago
9mo 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 Distill Llama 70B is available from DeepInfra. GPT-5.1 Thinking is available from OpenAI.
DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B
GPT-5.1 Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B and GPT-5.1 Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B vs GPT-5.1 Thinking.