OpenAI vs DeepSeek: API Pricing Comparison 2026
Compare OpenAI and DeepSeek API pricing side by side. See how DeepSeek V3.1, R1 stack up against GPT-4.1, GPT-5, o3 on cost, quality, and value.
Pricing Comparison
| Model | Tier | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | |||||
| GPT-4.1 | Flagship | $2.00 | $8.00 | ||
| GPT-4.1 Mini | Mid-tier | $0.40 | $1.60 | ||
| GPT-4.1 Nano | Budget | $0.10 | $0.40 | ||
| GPT-4o | Flagship | $2.50 | $10.00 | ||
| GPT-4o Mini | Budget | $0.15 | $0.60 | ||
| o3 | Flagship | $2.00 | $8.00 | ||
| o3 Mini | Mid-tier | $1.10 | $4.40 | ||
| o4 Mini | Mid-tier | $1.10 | $4.40 | ||
| o1 | Flagship | $15.00 | $60.00 | ||
| GPT-5 | Flagship | $1.25 | $10.00 | ||
| GPT-5 Mini | Mid-tier | $0.25 | $2.00 | ||
| GPT-5 Nano | Budget | $0.05 | $0.40 | ||
| GPT-5.1 | Flagship | $1.25 | $10.00 | ||
| GPT-5.2 | Flagship | $1.75 | $14.00 | ||
| GPT-5.2 Pro | Flagship | $21.00 | $168.00 | ||
| GPT-5 Pro | Flagship | $15.00 | $120.00 | ||
| o3 Pro | Flagship | $20.00 | $80.00 | ||
| GPT-5.1 Codex Mini | Mid-tier | $0.25 | $2.00 | ||
| GPT-OSS 120B | Mid-tier | $0.04 | $0.19 | ||
| GPT-OSS 20B | Budget | $0.03 | $0.14 | ||
| DeepSeek | |||||
| DeepSeek V3.2 | Mid-tier | $0.28 | $0.42 | ||
| DeepSeek V3 | Mid-tier | $0.32 | $0.89 | ||
| DeepSeek V3.1 | Mid-tier | $0.15 | $0.75 | ||
| DeepSeek R1 | Mid-tier | $0.70 | $2.50 | ||
Quality Benchmarks
Comparing GPT-5.2 Pro vs DeepSeek V3.2 — the highest-rated model from each provider by Arena ELO.
Key Differences
Price Range (Input $/1M)
Max Context Window
Models Available
Batch Pricing
Prompt Caching
Vision Support
Our Verdict
DeepSeek
OpenAI
DeepSeek
DeepSeek is dramatically cheaper; OpenAI offers broader capabilities and ecosystem maturity.
On pure pricing, DeepSeek is substantially cheaper. DeepSeek V3.1 at $0.15/$0.75 per million tokens outprices even OpenAI's budget models on output cost while delivering mid-tier quality (Arena ELO 1330). DeepSeek R1 at $0.70/$2.50 offers reasoning capabilities that compete with OpenAI's o3 ($2.00/$8.00) at roughly 30% of the cost. OpenAI wins on breadth: 12+ models, vision support, 1M token context windows, batch processing, prompt caching, and the most extensive third-party ecosystem. DeepSeek currently lacks vision, batch pricing, and caching features. Choose DeepSeek for cost-optimized text workloads where you need strong quality at the lowest price. Choose OpenAI when you need vision, long context, the reasoning frontier (o3), or enterprise compliance requirements.
DeepSeek has emerged as one of the most disruptive forces in the AI API market, offering models that rival OpenAI's mid-tier offerings at dramatically lower prices. DeepSeek V3.1 delivers strong benchmark scores at just $0.15/$0.75 per million tokens, and their reasoning model R1 competes with OpenAI's o-series at a fraction of the cost. The trade-offs are real, however. DeepSeek's model lineup is smaller (3 models vs OpenAI's 12+), context windows are capped at 128K tokens, vision support is absent, and there are considerations around data privacy and API reliability for teams with compliance requirements. For cost-sensitive projects without these constraints, DeepSeek offers remarkable value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper is DeepSeek compared to OpenAI?+
DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.15/$0.75 per million input/output tokens. Comparable OpenAI mid-tier models like GPT-4.1 Mini cost $0.40/$1.60. DeepSeek R1 costs 65-70% less than OpenAI's o3 for reasoning tasks.
Is DeepSeek as good as OpenAI for quality?+
DeepSeek V3.1 (Arena ELO 1330, MMLU 88.5%) is competitive with OpenAI's mid-tier models but trails flagships like GPT-4.1 (ELO 1350) and o3 (ELO 1400). DeepSeek R1 is strong on reasoning benchmarks.
Does DeepSeek support vision or image inputs?+
No, DeepSeek's current API models (V3, V3.1, R1) do not support vision/image inputs. OpenAI's GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and o3 all support multimodal vision inputs.
Is DeepSeek API reliable for production use?+
DeepSeek's API has experienced availability issues during high-demand periods. For production workloads requiring high uptime, consider using DeepSeek alongside a fallback provider like OpenAI.
Are there data privacy concerns with DeepSeek?+
DeepSeek is based in China, which may raise data residency and compliance concerns for some organizations. Review DeepSeek's data handling policies and consult your compliance team before using it for sensitive data.