DeepSeek R1 0528 vs o3 Mini
DeepSeek R1 0528 (2025) and o3 Mini (2025) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek and OpenAI. DeepSeek R1 0528 ships a 130k-token context window, while o3 Mini ships a 200k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, DeepSeek R1 0528 leads by 5.9 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.50/1M input tokens versus $1.10/1M 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 R1 0528 is ~120% cheaper at $0.50/1M; pay for o3 Mini only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 0528 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 130k | 200k |
| Cheapest output | $2.15/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 5 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 0528 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 5.9 points.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2.15/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 0528 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- o3 Mini has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- o3 Mini uniquely exposes Function calling and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags o3 Mini for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
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
o3 Mini
$1,980
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,043. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- o3 Mini is $2.25/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- o3 Mini adds Function calling and Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 is $2.25/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling and Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-28 | 2025-01-31 |
| Context window | 130k | 200k |
| Parameters | 685B total, 37B active (MoE) | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-04 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 0528 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.15/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 0528 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek R1 0528 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 85.0 | 79.1 |
| SWE-bench Verified | 57.6 | 49.3 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 81.0 | 79.7 |
| AIME 2024 | 91.4 | 87.3 |
| Aider Polyglot | 71.4 | 60.4 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has DeepSeek R1 0528 at 85 and o3 Mini at 79.1, with DeepSeek R1 0528 ahead by 5.9 points; SWE-bench Verified has DeepSeek R1 0528 at 57.6 and o3 Mini at 49.3, with DeepSeek R1 0528 ahead by 8.3 points; Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek R1 0528 at 81 and o3 Mini at 79.7, with DeepSeek R1 0528 ahead by 1.3 points. The largest visible gap is 8.3 points on SWE-bench Verified, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: o3 Mini and tool use: o3 Mini. Both models share reasoning mode, structured outputs, and code execution, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, DeepSeek R1 0528 lists $0.50/1M input and $2.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while o3 Mini lists $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek R1 0528 lower by about $1.09 per million blended tokens. Availability is 6 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 0528 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose o3 Mini when coding workflow support and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 0528 or o3 Mini?
o3 Mini supports 200k tokens, while DeepSeek R1 0528 supports 130k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 0528 or o3 Mini?
DeepSeek R1 0528 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.50/1M input and $2.15/1M output tokens. o3 Mini costs $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 0528 or o3 Mini open source?
DeepSeek R1 0528 is listed under MIT. o3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for reasoning mode, DeepSeek R1 0528 or o3 Mini?
Both DeepSeek R1 0528 and o3 Mini expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for function calling, DeepSeek R1 0528 or o3 Mini?
o3 Mini has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek R1 0528 and o3 Mini?
DeepSeek R1 0528 is available on Together AI, Fireworks AI, GCP Vertex AI, Novita AI, and OpenRouter. o3 Mini is available on OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI API, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.