DeepSeek V3.1 vs GPT-4 Turbo
DeepSeek V3.1 (2025) and GPT-4 Turbo (2024) are compact production models from DeepSeek and OpenAI. Both ship a 128K-token context window. On MMLU PRO, DeepSeek V3.1 leads by 13.9 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input tokens versus $5/1M 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 V3.1 is ~1752% cheaper at $0.27/1M; pay for GPT-4 Turbo only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3.1 | GPT-4 Turbo |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 128K | 128K |
| Cheapest output | $1/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 10 tracked | 6 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 3 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3.1 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 13.9 points.
- DeepSeek V3.1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek V3.1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V3.1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3.1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- GPT-4 Turbo uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4 Turbo 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 V3.1
$466
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Novita AI
GPT-4 Turbo
$7,750
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Replicate API
Estimated monthly gap: $7,284. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Replicate API, and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-4 Turbo is $14/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-4 Turbo adds Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Replicate API, and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $14/1M 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.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-08-21 | 2024-04-09 |
| Context window | 128K | 128K |
| Parameters | 671B total, 37B active (MoE) | 1.76T (8x222B MoE)* |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Mixture of Experts |
| License | MITOSI-approved | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Weights | Unknown | Not released |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Permitted | Restricted |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3.1 | GPT-4 Turbo |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $5/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3.1 | GPT-4 Turbo |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3.1 | GPT-4 Turbo |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 83.3 | 69.4 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1417.0 | 1242.0 |
| LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing | 1388.0 | 1268.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has DeepSeek V3.1 at 83.3 and GPT-4 Turbo at 69.4, with DeepSeek V3.1 ahead by 13.9 points; Chatbot Arena has DeepSeek V3.1 at 1417 and GPT-4 Turbo at 1242, with DeepSeek V3.1 ahead by 175 points; LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing has DeepSeek V3.1 at 1388 and GPT-4 Turbo at 1268, with DeepSeek V3.1 ahead by 120 points. The largest visible gap is 175 points on Chatbot Arena, 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 vision: GPT-4 Turbo, multimodal input: GPT-4 Turbo, JSON / Tool use: GPT-4 Turbo, and JSON / Tool use: GPT-4 Turbo. Both models share structured outputs and code execution, 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 V3.1 lists $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider, while GPT-4 Turbo lists $5/1M input and $15/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3.1 lower by about $7.51 per million blended tokens. Availability is 10 providers versus 6, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose GPT-4 Turbo when coding workflow support 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 V3.1 or GPT-4 Turbo?
DeepSeek V3.1 supports 128K tokens, while GPT-4 Turbo 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 V3.1 or GPT-4 Turbo?
DeepSeek V3.1 is cheaper on listed token pricing. DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens. GPT-4 Turbo costs $5/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3.1 or GPT-4 Turbo open source?
DeepSeek V3.1 is listed under MIT. GPT-4 Turbo is listed under Proprietary. 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 vision, DeepSeek V3.1 or GPT-4 Turbo?
GPT-4 Turbo has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, DeepSeek V3.1 or GPT-4 Turbo?
GPT-4 Turbo has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3.1 and GPT-4 Turbo?
DeepSeek V3.1 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, NVIDIA NIM, and Together AI. GPT-4 Turbo is available on OpenAI API, Azure OpenAI, Salesforce Models API, OpenRouter, and Replicate API. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-10-17. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.