DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4o Search Preview
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and GPT-4o Search Preview (2025) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and OpenAI. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128K-token context window, while GPT-4o Search Preview ships a 128K-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 costs $0.1/1M input tokens versus $2.5/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
DeepSeek R1 is ~2400% cheaper at $0.1/1M; pay for GPT-4o Search Preview only for provider fit.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2025-02-26 |
| Context window | 128K | 128K |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Open Source | Unknown |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-4o Search Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $2.5/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | $10/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 | GPT-4o Search Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| 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 reasoning mode: DeepSeek R1 and code execution: DeepSeek R1. Both models share 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.
For cost, DeepSeek R1 lists $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens, while GPT-4o Search Preview lists $2.5/1M input and $10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek R1 lower by about $4.59 per million blended tokens. Availability is 13 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose GPT-4o Search Preview when provider fit 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 GPT-4o Search Preview?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128K tokens, while GPT-4o Search Preview supports 128K 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 or GPT-4o Search Preview?
DeepSeek R1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 costs $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens. GPT-4o Search Preview costs $2.5/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 or GPT-4o Search Preview open source?
DeepSeek R1 is listed under Open Source. GPT-4o Search Preview is listed under Unknown. 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 GPT-4o Search Preview?
DeepSeek R1 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for structured outputs, DeepSeek R1 or GPT-4o Search Preview?
Both DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4o Search Preview expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4o Search Preview?
DeepSeek R1 is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. GPT-4o Search Preview is available on OpenRouter. 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.