DeepSeek R1 is the model that shocked the AI world in early 2025 — a reasoning model matching o1-level performance at a fraction of the cost. At $0.55/1M input vs GPT-5.4's $2.50/1M, it's 4.5× cheaper. DeepSeek R1 excels at math, logic, and step-by-step reasoning tasks. GPT-5.4 counters with broader capabilities, desktop computer-use, and a more mature API ecosystem. For pure reasoning tasks on a budget, DeepSeek R1 is exceptional. For agentic workflows and general use, GPT-5.4 remains the more capable all-rounder.
DeepSeekBudget
DeepSeek R1
Open-source o1-class reasoning at a fraction of the cost.
VS
OpenAIPremium
GPT-5.4
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
At a glance
DeepSeek R1
GPT-5.4
Input cost / 1M tokens
$$0.55/1M
$$2.50/1M
Output cost / 1M tokens
$$2.19/1M
$$15.00/1M
Context window
128k tokens
272k tokens
Speed
Deliberate
Balanced
Price tier
Budget
Premium
Benchmarks
SWE-bench (coding)
49.2%
74.9%
Arena Elo
1,320
1,355
MMLU
90.8%
91%
How they compare
Which model wins for each use case — and why.
ReasoningDeepSeek R1 wins
DeepSeek R1 was built specifically for chain-of-thought reasoning. It matches o1-level performance on math and logic benchmarks at a fraction of the price.
CodingGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 scores 74.9% on SWE-bench. DeepSeek R1 is strong at algorithmic problems but GPT-5.4 is the better choice for real-world software engineering.
PriceDeepSeek R1 wins
DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/1M input vs GPT-5.4's $2.50/1M — 4.5× cheaper for reasoning-level quality. For math, science, and logic pipelines, this is significant savings.
SpeedGPT-5.4 wins
DeepSeek R1 is Deliberate (slow) by design — it thinks through problems step by step. GPT-5.4 is Balanced. For latency-sensitive applications, GPT-5.4 is faster.
Agentic TasksGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 has desktop computer-use via API. DeepSeek R1 has no agentic capabilities — it is purely a reasoning model.
Which should you pick?
Pick DeepSeek R1 if…
Your work involves math, logic, science, or step-by-step problem solving
You want reasoning model quality at a fraction of o1/o3 pricing
Cost per token matters — DeepSeek R1 is 4.5× cheaper than GPT-5.4
You're running batch reasoning jobs where latency doesn't matter
Against GPT-5.4 it costs about 84% less per token.
Open-source reasoning model that matches o1-class performance on math, science, and complex coding at a fraction of the cost — the best open alternative to proprietary reasoning models.
Input
$0.55/1M
Output
$2.19/1M
Context
128k tokens
Speed
Deliberate
What people actually use it for
Complex algorithm design and mathematical problem-solving where chain-of-thought reasoning matters
Scientific research synthesis requiring structured multi-step analysis
Hard coding challenges and competitive programming at low cost compared to o1
Where it wins
o1-class reasoning performance at under $0.60/1M input tokens
Open-source weights — can be self-hosted for sensitive workloads
Explicit chain-of-thought reasoning makes outputs auditable
Where it falls down
Slow — deliberate reasoning takes significantly longer than standard models
Overkill for routine tasks where a faster model gets the same result
Same data sovereignty concerns as DeepSeek V3 for regulated industries
Skip it if
Speed matters — R1's deliberate reasoning makes it wrong for interactive or high-throughput use cases.
Our verdict
The open-source reasoning model benchmark. If you need o1-class thinking at open-source pricing, nothing else competes.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the DeepSeek R1 page.
Against DeepSeek R1 it costs about 84% more per token, takes 2x the context and answers faster.
OpenAI's latest flagship with unique desktop-control capabilities — it can see your screen, click, and navigate apps via the API.
Input
$2.50/1M
Output
$15.00/1M
Context
272k tokens
Speed
Balanced
What people actually use it for
Building agents that browse the web and operate desktop software autonomously via the API
Complex multi-step reasoning for financial modeling and decision analysis
Autonomous test-run-debug loops for coding with computer-use control
Where it wins
Only frontier model that can control a desktop via API (click, type, navigate)
Strong at multi-step agentic tasks and autonomous workflows
Competitive coding performance with 74.9% SWE-bench score
Where it falls down
Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 now outperform it on current premium coding benchmarks
Smaller context window (272K) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro (2M) for research
Skip it if
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Our verdict
Best choice when you need a model that can operate software autonomously at the older GPT-5.4 price tier. For current premium coding quality, Claude Opus 4.7 leads.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-5.4 page.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepSeek R1 better than ChatGPT for reasoning?
For pure math, logic, and step-by-step reasoning, DeepSeek R1 matches or beats GPT-5.4 at 4.5× lower cost. For general-purpose use, GPT-5.4 is more capable overall.
How much cheaper is DeepSeek R1 than ChatGPT?
DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/1M input and $2.19/1M output. GPT-5.4 costs $2.50/1M input and $15/1M output. DeepSeek R1 is 4.5× cheaper on input and 6.8× cheaper on output.
Is DeepSeek R1 as good as OpenAI o1?
DeepSeek R1 matches o1 on several math and reasoning benchmarks, which is why its release in January 2025 was such a shock. It delivers comparable reasoning performance at a dramatically lower price.
Is DeepSeek R1 slow?
Yes — DeepSeek R1 is a thinking model that works through problems step by step. Responses take longer than standard models. This is by design and is the trade-off for higher reasoning quality.
Can I use DeepSeek R1 for coding?
Yes, and it's good at algorithmic and mathematical coding problems. For general software engineering tasks, GPT-5.4 or Claude Sonnet 4.6 are stronger choices.