Model Comparison
GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-R1Which is better in 2026?
Comparing GPT-4 and DeepSeek-R1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-R1 — which is better?
GPT-4 (by OpenAI) 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 39.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-R1 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $30.00/M input and $60.00/M output
Choose DeepSeek-R1 if…
- cost matters — it's about 39.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 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
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4 and DeepSeek-R1don'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
For input processing, GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens) is 54.5x more expensive than DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens) is 27.4x more expensive than DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-R1 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to GPT-4's 32,768 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4 is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1 does not.
GPT-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4
DeepSeek-R1
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4 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.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13, while DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20.
DeepSeek-R1 is 20 months newer than GPT-4.
Jun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
Jan 20, 2025
1.4 years ago
1.6yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while DeepSeek-R1'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-R1's cutoff date.
Dec 2022
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Provider Availability
GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI. DeepSeek-R1 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks.
GPT-4
DeepSeek-R1
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
DeepSeek-R1
View detailsDeepSeek
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4 and DeepSeek-R1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4 vs DeepSeek-R1.