DeepSeek-R1 vs Kimi K3.1 Pro
Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and Kimi K3.1 Pro across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
DeepSeek · Moonshot AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-R1 and Kimi K3.1 Pro trade strengths across price, capabilities, and technical limits. The better choice depends on the workload.
On price, DeepSeek-R1 is roughly 4.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Kimi K3.1 Pro also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 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
- cost matters — it's about 4.2x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Kimi K3.1 Pro
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Oct 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
0 reported for DeepSeek-R1 · 30 for Kimi K3.1 Pro
DeepSeek-R1 and Kimi K3.1 Prodon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 3.6x cheaper than Kimi K3.1 Pro ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens) is 4.6x cheaper than Kimi K3.1 Pro ($10.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3.1 Pro is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3.1 Pro accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1's 131,072 tokens. Kimi K3.1 Pro can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while DeepSeek-R1 is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Kimi K3.1 Pro supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1 does not.
Kimi K3.1 Pro can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-R1
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20, while Kimi K3.1 Pro was released on 2026-10-23.
Kimi K3.1 Pro is 21 months newer than DeepSeek-R1.
Jan 20, 2025
1.8 years ago
Oct 23, 2026
4 days ago
1.8yr 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 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks. Kimi K3.1 Pro is available from Moonshot AI.
DeepSeek-R1
Kimi K3.1 Pro
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1 and Kimi K3.1 Pro side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs Kimi K3.1 Pro.