Model Comparison
DeepSeek-R1 vs o1Which is better in 2026?
Comparing DeepSeek-R1 and o1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: DeepSeek-R1 vs o1 — which is better?
DeepSeek-R1 (by DeepSeek) and o1 (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.
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.
Choose DeepSeek-R1 if…
- 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 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
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
Human preference votes
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
1.4 years ago
1mo newerDec 17, 2024
1.5 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
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-R1
View detailsDeepSeek
o1
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1 and o1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-R1 vs o1.