Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V3.1 vs GPT-4Which is better in 2026?
DeepSeek-V3.1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.1 is 82.9x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V3.1 vs GPT-4 — which is better?
DeepSeek-V3.1 (by DeepSeek) and GPT-4 (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-V3.1 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while GPT-4 is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3.1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V3.1 is roughly 82.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V3.1 also accepts a larger context window (163,840 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V3.1 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 82.9x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 163,840 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $30.00/M input and $60.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V3.1 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while GPT-4 is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek-V3.1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V3.1 ($0.27/1M tokens) is 111.1x cheaper than GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V3.1 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 60.0x cheaper than GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3.1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V3.1 accepts 163,840 input tokens compared to GPT-4's 32,768 tokens. DeepSeek-V3.1 can generate longer responses up to 163,840 tokens, while GPT-4 is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V3.1 does not.
GPT-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V3.1
GPT-4
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V3.1 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-4 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-V3.1 was released on 2025-01-10, while GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13.
DeepSeek-V3.1 is 19 months newer than GPT-4.
Jan 10, 2025
1.4 years ago
1.6yr newerJun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while DeepSeek-V3.1's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4's training data extends to 2022-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V3.1's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2022
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V3.1 is available from DeepInfra, Novita. GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI.
DeepSeek-V3.1
GPT-4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V3.1
View detailsDeepSeek
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V3.1 vs GPT-4.