DeepSeek-R1 vs o1
Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and o1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
DeepSeek · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-R1 and o1 trade strengths across price, capabilities, and technical limits. The better choice depends on the workload.
On price, DeepSeek-R1 is roughly 27.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
o1 also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-R1
- cost matters — it's about 27.3x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose o1
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-R1 and o1don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 27.3x cheaper than o1 ($15.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens) is 27.4x cheaper than o1 ($60.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o1 is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
o1 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while o1 is limited to 100,000 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-R1 is licensed under MIT, while o1 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 was released on 2025-01-20, while o1 was released on 2024-12-17.
DeepSeek-R1 is 1 month newer than o1.
Jan 20, 2025
1.6 years ago
1mo newerDec 17, 2024
1.7 years ago
Knowledge 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. o1 is available from Azure, OpenAI.
DeepSeek-R1
o1
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1 and o1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs o1.