Model Comparison

o3-mini vs DeepSeek-R1Which is better in 2026?

Comparing o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: o3-mini vs DeepSeek-R1 — which is better?

o3-mini (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 2.0x 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 o3-mini if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025

Choose DeepSeek-R1 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

o3-mini 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

DeepSeek-R1 costs less

For input processing, o3-mini ($1.10/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than DeepSeek-R1 ($0.55/1M tokens).

For output processing, o3-mini ($4.40/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than DeepSeek-R1 ($2.19/1M tokens).

In conclusion, o3-mini is more expensive than DeepSeek-R1.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input tokens$1.10
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerAzure
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

o3-mini accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-R1's 131,072 tokens. DeepSeek-R1 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while o3-mini is limited to 100,000 tokens.

OpenAI
o3-mini
Input200,000 tokens
Output100,000 tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

o3-mini 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.

o3-mini

Proprietary

Closed source

DeepSeek-R1

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

o3-mini was released on 2025-01-30, while DeepSeek-R1 was released on 2025-01-20.

o3-mini is 0 month newer than DeepSeek-R1.

o3-mini

Jan 30, 2025

1.4 years ago

1w newer
DeepSeek-R1

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

o3-mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-09-30, while DeepSeek-R1'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-R1's cutoff date.

o3-mini

Sep 2023

DeepSeek-R1

—

Provider Availability

o3-mini is available from Azure, OpenAI. DeepSeek-R1 is available from DeepSeek, DeepInfra, Together, Fireworks.

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

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

OpenAI
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

o3-mini
✓ Preferred
DeepSeek-R1
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
o3-mini
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1

FAQ

Common questions about o3-mini vs DeepSeek-R1.

Which is better, o3-mini or DeepSeek-R1?

o3-mini (OpenAI) 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 o3-mini compare to DeepSeek-R1 in benchmarks?

o3-mini scores COLLIE: 98.7%, MATH: 97.9%, IFEval: 93.9%, MGSM: 92.0%, AIME 2024: 87.3%.

Is o3-mini cheaper than DeepSeek-R1?

DeepSeek-R1 is 2.0x cheaper for input tokens. o3-mini costs $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output via azure. DeepSeek-R1 costs $0.55/M input and $2.19/M output via deepseek.

What are the context window sizes for o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1?

o3-mini supports 200K 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 o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1?

Key differences include context window (200K vs 131K), input pricing ($1.10 vs $0.55/M), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes o3-mini and DeepSeek-R1?

o3-mini is developed by OpenAI and DeepSeek-R1 is developed by DeepSeek.

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