DeepSeek R1 0528 vs DeepSeek V3
DeepSeek R1 0528 (2025) and DeepSeek V3 (2024) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek R1 0528 ships a 130k-token context window, while DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, DeepSeek R1 0528 leads by 9.1 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V3 costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.50/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
DeepSeek V3 is ~400% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek R1 0528 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 0528 | DeepSeek V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | tool-calling agents and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, Agents, and Classification |
| Context window | 130k | 64k |
| Cheapest output | $2.15/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 7 tracked | 13 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 3 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 0528 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 9.1 points.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 uniquely exposes Reasoning and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 0528 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- DeepSeek V3 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V3 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- DeepSeek V3 uniquely exposes JSON / Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 for Coding, Agents, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek R1 0528
$938
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
DeepSeek V3
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Bitdeer AI
Estimated monthly gap: $783. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, and Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3 is $1.85/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- DeepSeek V3 adds JSON / Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI, Fireworks AI, and GCP Vertex AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 is $1.85/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for JSON / Tool use before moving production traffic.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 adds Reasoning and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-28 | 2024-12-26 |
| Context window | 130k | 64k |
| Parameters | 685B total, 37B active (MoE) | 671B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Mixture of Experts |
| License | MITOSI-approved | MITOSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Weights | Unknown | Available |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2024-04 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 0528 | DeepSeek V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.15/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 0528 | DeepSeek V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek R1 0528 | DeepSeek V3 |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 85.0 | 75.9 |
| LiveCodeBench | 73.3 | 49.6 |
| Aider Polyglot | 71.4 | 48.4 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.