DeepSeek R1 vs DeepSeek V4
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and DeepSeek V4 (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128K-token context window, while DeepSeek V4 ships a 1M-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing. The goal is to make the tradeoff clear before deeper testing.
DeepSeek V4 fits 8x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and DeepSeek R1 for tighter calls.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2026-04-24 |
| Context window | 128K | 1M |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | 1.6T |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | MIT |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek V4 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 | DeepSeek V4 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: DeepSeek V4, tool use: DeepSeek V4, and code execution: DeepSeek R1. Both models share reasoning mode and structured outputs, 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: DeepSeek R1 has $0.1/1M input tokens and DeepSeek V4 has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 13 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose DeepSeek R1 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose DeepSeek V4 when long-context analysis 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. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V4 supports 1M tokens, while DeepSeek R1 supports 128K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is DeepSeek R1 or DeepSeek V4 open source?
DeepSeek R1 is listed under Open Source. DeepSeek V4 is listed under MIT. 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 or DeepSeek V4?
Both DeepSeek R1 and DeepSeek V4 expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for function calling, DeepSeek R1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V4 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.
Which is better for tool use, DeepSeek R1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V4 has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If tool use 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 and DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek R1 is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. DeepSeek V4 is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.