DeepSeek R1 0528 vs Qwen3-Max
DeepSeek R1 0528 (2025) and Qwen3-Max (2025) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and Alibaba. DeepSeek R1 0528 ships a 130k-token context window, while Qwen3-Max ships a 262k-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, Qwen3-Max leads by 21.2 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.50/1M input tokens; Qwen3-Max ranges from $1.20 to $3/1M input tokens by tier. 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 safer overall; choose Qwen3-Max when long-context analysis matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 130k | 262k |
| Cheapest output | $2.15/1M tokens | $3.90/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 7 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 shared | SWE-bench Verified leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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 route flexibility.
- 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.
- Qwen3-Max holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 21.2 points.
- Qwen3-Max has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3-Max uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Max 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
Qwen3-Max
$1,599
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $662. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3-Max is $1.75/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Qwen3-Max adds Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Novita AI and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 is $1.75/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and 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 | 2025-04-28 |
| Context window | 130k | 262k |
| Parameters | 685B total, 37B active (MoE) | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | MITOSI-approved | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Weights | Unknown | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens |
|
| Output price | $2.15/1M tokens |
|
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| 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 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 57.6 | 78.8 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.