DeepSeek R1 Zero vs GPT-3.5 Turbo
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the LLM Stats Score 16.1 to -9.3.
DeepSeek · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the overall LLM Stats Score 16.1 to -9.3, ranking #224 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, DeepSeek R1 Zero wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero
- overall performance matters — it scores 16.1 and ranks #224 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 want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo
- you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output
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 Zero · 8 for GPT-3.5 Turbo
DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek R1 Zero significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-3.5 Turbo specifies input context (16,385 tokens). Only GPT-3.5 Turbo specifies output context (4,096 tokens).
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Zero 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.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21.
DeepSeek R1 Zero is 22 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Jan 20, 2025
1.6 years ago
1.8yr newerMar 21, 2023
3.5 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-3.5 Turbo has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while DeepSeek R1 Zero'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 Zero's cutoff date.
—
Sep 2021
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Zero and GPT-3.5 Turbo side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs GPT-3.5 Turbo.