DeepSeek R1 vs Mixtral 8x7B
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and Mixtral 8x7B (2023) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and MistralAI. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128k-token context window, while Mixtral 8x7B ships a 32k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, DeepSeek R1 leads by 16.7 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.15/1M 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 ~50% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x7B only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding and Classification |
| Context window | 128k | 32k |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 14 tracked | 18 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 2 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 16.7 points.
- DeepSeek R1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek R1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek R1 uniquely exposes Reasoning, Structured outputs, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Mixtral 8x7B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Mixtral 8x7B for Coding and Classification.
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
Mixtral 8x7B
$233
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Mistral AI Studio
Estimated monthly gap: $77.50. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Databricks Foundation Model Serving, NVIDIA NIM, and GCP Vertex AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Mixtral 8x7B is $0.15/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Structured outputs, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on Fireworks AI, NVIDIA NIM, and Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 is $0.15/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- DeepSeek R1 adds Reasoning, Structured outputs, and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2023-12-11 |
| Context window | 128k | 32k |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | 8x7B |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek R1 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 71.5 | 54.8 |
| HumanEval | 89.9 | 80.5 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek R1 at 71.5 and Mixtral 8x7B at 54.8, with DeepSeek R1 ahead by 16.7 points; HumanEval has DeepSeek R1 at 89.9 and Mixtral 8x7B at 80.5, with DeepSeek R1 ahead by 9.4 points. The largest visible gap is 16.7 points on Google-Proof Q&A, 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 reasoning mode: DeepSeek R1, structured outputs: DeepSeek R1, and code execution: DeepSeek R1. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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 $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Mixtral 8x7B lists $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek R1 lower by about $0.08 per million blended tokens. Availability is 14 providers versus 18, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Mixtral 8x7B when provider fit and broader provider choice 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 or Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128k tokens, while Mixtral 8x7B supports 32k 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 Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek R1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 costs $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens. Mixtral 8x7B costs $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 or Mixtral 8x7B open source?
DeepSeek R1 is listed under MIT. Mixtral 8x7B is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 Mixtral 8x7B?
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 Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek R1 has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs 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 Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek R1 is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Mixtral 8x7B is available on Databricks Foundation Model Serving, NVIDIA NIM, GCP Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, and OctoAI API (Deprecated). Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.