Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo

Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and GPT-3.5 Turbo across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-R1 and GPT-3.5 Turbo don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GPT-3.5 Turbo costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-R1 is more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Apr 22 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input tokens$0.55
Output tokens$2.19
Best providerDeepSeek
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-R1 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input16,385 tokens
Output4,096 tokens
Wed Apr 22 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-3.5 Turbo uses a proprietary license.

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

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20, while GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21.

DeepSeek-R1 is 22 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.

DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.3 years ago

1.8yr newer
GPT-3.5 Turbo

Mar 21, 2023

3.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-3.5 Turbo has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while DeepSeek-R1's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-3.5 Turbo's training data extends to 2021-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-R1

—

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Sep 2021

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-R1 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks. GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI.

DeepSeek-R1

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.85/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $7.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.00/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $8.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M

GPT-3.5 Turbo

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Has open weights
OpenAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo

DeepSeek-R1 (DeepSeek) and GPT-3.5 Turbo (OpenAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.
GPT-3.5 Turbo scores DROP: 70.2%, MMLU: 69.8%, HumanEval: 68.0%, MGSM: 56.3%, MATH: 43.1%.
GPT-3.5 Turbo is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-R1 costs $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output via deepseek. GPT-3.5 Turbo costs $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output via azure.
DeepSeek-R1 supports 131K tokens and GPT-3.5 Turbo supports 16K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.
Key differences include context window (131K vs 16K), input pricing ($0.55 vs $0.50/M), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.
DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek and GPT-3.5 Turbo is developed by OpenAI.