DeepSeek V3.1 vs o3 Mini
DeepSeek V3.1 (2025) and o3 Mini (2025) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and OpenAI. DeepSeek V3.1 ships a 64k-token context window, while o3 Mini ships a 200k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, DeepSeek V3.1 leads by 4.2 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input tokens versus $1.10/1M 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 ~307% cheaper at $0.27/1M; pay for o3 Mini only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3.1 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 64k | 200k |
| Cheapest output | $1/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 8 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 2 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3.1 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 4.2 points.
- 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 procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek V3.1 uniquely exposes Vision and Multimodal in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3.1 for Coding, Agents, and Vision.
- o3 Mini has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- o3 Mini uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags o3 Mini 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
o3 Mini
$1,980
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,514. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- o3 Mini is $3.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Multimodal before moving production traffic.
- o3 Mini adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $3.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- DeepSeek V3.1 adds Vision and Multimodal in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-08-21 | 2025-01-31 |
| Context window | 64k | 200k |
| Parameters | 671B total, 37B active (MoE) | — |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-04 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3.1 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3.1 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| 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 | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 83.3 | 79.1 |
| SWE-bench Verified | 66.0 | 49.3 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has DeepSeek V3.1 at 83.3 and o3 Mini at 79.1, with DeepSeek V3.1 ahead by 4.2 points; SWE-bench Verified has DeepSeek V3.1 at 66 and o3 Mini at 49.3, with DeepSeek V3.1 ahead by 16.7 points. The largest visible gap is 16.7 points on SWE-bench Verified, 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: DeepSeek V3.1, multimodal input: DeepSeek V3.1, reasoning mode: o3 Mini, function calling: o3 Mini, and tool use: o3 Mini. 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 tracked provider, while o3 Mini lists $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3.1 lower by about $1.60 per million blended tokens. Availability is 8 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose o3 Mini when coding workflow support 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V3.1 or o3 Mini?
o3 Mini supports 200k tokens, while DeepSeek V3.1 supports 64k 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 o3 Mini?
DeepSeek V3.1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens. o3 Mini costs $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3.1 or o3 Mini open source?
DeepSeek V3.1 is listed under MIT. o3 Mini 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 o3 Mini?
DeepSeek V3.1 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 o3 Mini?
DeepSeek V3.1 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 o3 Mini?
DeepSeek V3.1 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Fireworks AI, NVIDIA NIM, Together AI, and AWS Bedrock. o3 Mini is available on OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI API, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.