Model Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Zero vs GPT OSS 120BWhich is better in 2026?

GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 Zero vs GPT OSS 120B — which is better?

DeepSeek R1 Zero (by DeepSeek) and GPT OSS 120B (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.

DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT OSS 120B is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero if…

  • you are already invested in the DeepSeek ecosystem

Choose GPT OSS 120B if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Want to compare interactively?Try the playground

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT OSS 120B is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

554.2B diff

DeepSeek R1 Zero has 554.2B more parameters than GPT OSS 120B, making it 474.5% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
671.0Bparameters
OpenAI
GPT OSS 120B
116.8Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek R1 Zero
116.8B
GPT OSS 120B

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only GPT OSS 120B specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only GPT OSS 120B specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
OpenAI
GPT OSS 120B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek R1 Zero is licensed under MIT, while GPT OSS 120B uses Apache 2.0.

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

DeepSeek R1 Zero

MIT

Open weights

GPT OSS 120B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while GPT OSS 120B was released on 2025-08-05.

GPT OSS 120B is 7 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Zero.

DeepSeek R1 Zero

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

GPT OSS 120B

Aug 5, 2025

10 months ago

6mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

OpenAI
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (80.1% vs 73.3%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek R1 Zero
OpenAI
GPT OSS 120B

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs GPT OSS 120B.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Zero or GPT OSS 120B?

GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek R1 Zero is made by DeepSeek and GPT OSS 120B is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek R1 Zero compare to GPT OSS 120B in benchmarks?

DeepSeek R1 Zero scores MATH-500: 95.9%, AIME 2024: 86.7%, GPQA: 73.3%, LiveCodeBench: 50.0%. GPT OSS 120B scores MMLU: 90.0%, CodeForces: 82.1%, GPQA: 80.1%, TAU-bench Retail: 67.8%, HealthBench: 57.6%.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek R1 Zero and GPT OSS 120B?

DeepSeek R1 Zero supports an unknown number of tokens and GPT OSS 120B supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek R1 Zero and GPT OSS 120B?

Key differences include licensing (MIT vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek R1 Zero and GPT OSS 120B?

DeepSeek R1 Zero is developed by DeepSeek and GPT OSS 120B is developed by OpenAI.

Related comparisons