DeepSeek R1 vs DeepSeek R1 0528
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and DeepSeek R1 0528 (2025) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128k-token context window, while DeepSeek R1 0528 ships a 130k-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, DeepSeek R1 0528 leads by 8.4 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 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 R1 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 | DeepSeek R1 0528 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 128k | 130k |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | $2.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 14 tracked | 7 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 3 shared | SWE-bench Verified leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek R1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 8.4 points.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 0528 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
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Bitdeer AI
DeepSeek R1 0528
$938
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $783. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- 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.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Together AI, and Fireworks AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 is $1.85/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2025-05-28 |
| Context window | 128k | 130k |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | 685B total, 37B active (MoE) |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | MITOSI-approved | MITOSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Weights | Available | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek R1 0528 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | $2.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek R1 0528 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek R1 0528 |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 49.2 | 57.6 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 71.5 | 81.0 |
| Aider Polyglot | 56.9 | 71.4 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.