Model Comparison

Gemini 3 Flash vs DeepSeek-R1Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemini 3 Flash and DeepSeek-R1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemini 3 Flash vs DeepSeek-R1 — which is better?

Gemini 3 Flash (by Google) and DeepSeek-R1 (by DeepSeek) 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.

On price, DeepSeek-R1 is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3 Flash if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025

Choose DeepSeek-R1 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Want to compare interactively?Try the playground

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemini 3 Flash and DeepSeek-R1 don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-R1 costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.4x more expensive than DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3 Flash is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$3.00
Best providerGoogle
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input tokens$0.55
Output tokens$2.19
Best providerDeepSeek
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemini 3 Flash accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemini 3 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1 does not.

Gemini 3 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemini 3 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

DeepSeek-R1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemini 3 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while DeepSeek-R1 uses MIT.

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

Gemini 3 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17, while DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20.

Gemini 3 Flash is 11 months newer than DeepSeek-R1.

Gemini 3 Flash

Dec 17, 2025

5 months ago

11mo newer
DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while DeepSeek-R1's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1's cutoff date.

Gemini 3 Flash

Jan 2025

DeepSeek-R1

—

Provider Availability

Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google. DeepSeek-R1 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks.

Gemini 3 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M

DeepSeek-R1

deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.85/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $7.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.00/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $8.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
DeepSeek
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3 Flash vs DeepSeek-R1.

Which is better, Gemini 3 Flash or DeepSeek-R1?

Gemini 3 Flash (Google) and DeepSeek-R1 (DeepSeek) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemini 3 Flash compare to DeepSeek-R1 in benchmarks?

Gemini 3 Flash scores Vending-Bench 2: 100.0%, AIME 2025: 99.7%, Global PIQA: 92.8%, MMMLU: 91.8%, GPQA: 90.4%.

Is Gemini 3 Flash cheaper than DeepSeek-R1?

Gemini 3 Flash is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3 Flash costs $0.50/M input and $3.00/M output via google. DeepSeek-R1 costs $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3 Flash and DeepSeek-R1?

Gemini 3 Flash supports 1.0M tokens and DeepSeek-R1 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 Gemini 3 Flash and DeepSeek-R1?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 131K), input pricing ($0.50 vs $0.55/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3 Flash and DeepSeek-R1?

Gemini 3 Flash is developed by Google and DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek.

Related comparisons