The AI arena is free today

Open Superagent

DeepSeek-V3 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 1.6x cheaper per token.

DeepSeek · OpenAI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MMLU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 1.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V3 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 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-V3

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.6x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024
  • 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.

DeepSeek-V3
DeepSeek
GPT-3.5 Turbo
OpenAI
Benchmark wins
3 of 3
0 of 3
Input price
$0.27 / M
$0.50 / M
Output price
$1.10 / M
$1.50 / M
Context window
131,072
16,385
Released
Dec 2024
Mar 2023
License
MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)
Proprietary

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MMLU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Playground indexes and blind preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 1.9x cheaper than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-3.5 Turbo is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V3 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input16,385 tokens
Output4,096 tokens
Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), 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.

DeepSeek-V3

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21.

DeepSeek-V3 is 22 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.7 years ago

1.8yr newer
GPT-3.5 Turbo

Mar 21, 2023

3.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-3.5 Turbo has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while DeepSeek-V3'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-V3's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V3

—

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Sep 2021

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI.

DeepSeek-V3

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.27/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.10/1M

GPT-3.5 Turbo

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V3 and GPT-3.5 Turbo side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V3
✓ Preferred
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or GPT-3.5 Turbo?

DeepSeek-V3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and GPT-3.5 Turbo is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 compare to GPT-3.5 Turbo in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. GPT-3.5 Turbo scores DROP: 70.2%, MMLU: 69.8%, HumanEval: 68.0%, MGSM: 56.3%, MATH: 43.1%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than GPT-3.5 Turbo?

DeepSeek-V3 is 1.9x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. GPT-3.5 Turbo costs $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and GPT-3.5 Turbo?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and GPT-3.5 Turbo supports 16K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3 and GPT-3.5 Turbo?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 16K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $0.50/M), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 and GPT-3.5 Turbo?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and GPT-3.5 Turbo is developed by OpenAI.

Related comparisons