Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 vs o3-miniWhich is better in 2026?

o3-mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is 4.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 vs o3-mini — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 (by DeepSeek) and o3-mini (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-V3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot Edit, MMLU, SimpleQA), while o3-mini is better at 5 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2024, GPQA, IFEval, SWE-Bench Verified). o3-mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V3 is roughly 4.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

o3-mini also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 4.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose o3-mini if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 8 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

8 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot Edit, MMLU, SimpleQA), while o3-mini is better at 5 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2024, GPQA, IFEval, SWE-Bench Verified).

o3-mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 4.1x cheaper than o3-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 ($1.10/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than o3-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, o3-mini is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input tokens$0.27
Output tokens$1.10
Best providerDeepSeek
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input tokens$1.10
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

o3-mini accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-V3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while o3-mini is limited to 100,000 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input200,000 tokens
Output100,000 tokens
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while o3-mini 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

o3-mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 was released on 2024-12-25, while o3-mini was released on 2025-01-30.

o3-mini is 1 month newer than DeepSeek-V3.

DeepSeek-V3

Dec 25, 2024

1.4 years ago

o3-mini

Jan 30, 2025

1.3 years ago

1mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

o3-mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-09-30, while DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm o3-mini's training data extends to 2023-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V3

—

o3-mini

Sep 2023

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V3 is available from DeepSeek. o3-mini is available from Azure, OpenAI.

DeepSeek-V3

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

o3-mini

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher Aider-Polyglot Edit score (79.7% vs 60.4%)
Higher MMLU score (88.5% vs 86.9%)
Higher SimpleQA score (24.9% vs 15.0%)
OpenAI
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
Higher Aider-Polyglot score (66.7% vs 49.6%)
Higher AIME 2024 score (87.3% vs 39.2%)
Higher GPQA score (77.2% vs 59.1%)
Higher IFEval score (93.9% vs 86.1%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (49.3% vs 42.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3
OpenAI
o3-mini

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 vs o3-mini.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 or o3-mini?

o3-mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 is made by DeepSeek and o3-mini 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 o3-mini in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 scores DROP: 91.6%, CLUEWSC: 90.9%, MATH-500: 90.2%, MMLU-Redux: 89.1%, MMLU: 88.5%. o3-mini scores COLLIE: 98.7%, MATH: 97.9%, IFEval: 93.9%, MGSM: 92.0%, AIME 2024: 87.3%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 cheaper than o3-mini?

DeepSeek-V3 is 4.1x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 costs $0.27/M input and $1.10/M output via deepseek. o3-mini costs $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 and o3-mini?

DeepSeek-V3 supports 131K tokens and o3-mini supports 200K 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 o3-mini?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 200K), input pricing ($0.27 vs $1.10/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 o3-mini?

DeepSeek-V3 is developed by DeepSeek and o3-mini is developed by OpenAI.

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