open-source
Deepseek V3 vs Gpt 4.1
Side-by-side pricing, context window, features, and per-use-case verdict. Data sourced from LiteLLM, updated regularly.
Specifications
| Feature | Deepseek V3 | Gpt 4.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | deepseek | openai |
| Model ID | deepseek/deepseek-v3 | gpt-4.1 |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.27 (87% cheaper) | $2.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.10 (86% cheaper) | $8.00 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.07 | $0.50 |
| Context window | 66kk tokens | 1048kk tokens |
| Max output | 8kk tokens | 33kk tokens |
| Vision | ⬜ | ✅ |
| Function calling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Prompt caching | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web search | ⬜ | ✅ |
| JSON schema | ⬜ | ✅ |
Monthly cost comparison
No cache discount applied — pure token costs at three usage scales.
| Scale | Deepseek V3 | Gpt 4.1 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small 1M in / 0.2M out | $0.49 | $3.60 | Deepseek V3 saves 86% |
| Medium 10M in / 2M out | $4.90 | $36.00 | Deepseek V3 saves 86% |
| Large 100M in / 20M out | $49.00 | $360 | Deepseek V3 saves 86% |
Category winners
Cheapest input
Deepseek V3
$0.27/M
· 87% less than the other
Cheapest output
Deepseek V3
$1.10/M
· 86% less than the other
Larger context
Gpt 4.1
1048kk tokens · 1498% larger window
More features
Gpt 4.1
5 / 5 capabilities
Better for…
High-volume RAG & repeated context
$0.07/M cached input — prompt caching makes repeated context retrieval significantly cheaper
Deepseek V3
Short interactions & high-throughput APIs
$1.10/M output — 86% cheaper on output at scale
Deepseek V3
Long-document processing & large codebases
1048k context window vs 66k — 1498% larger context
Gpt 4.1
Agentic workflows & tool use
Supports 5 of 5 tracked capabilities (vision, function calling, caching, web search, JSON schema)
Gpt 4.1
Deep-dive on each model
Pricing data sourced from LiteLLM and refreshed regularly. Always verify with each provider's official pricing page before making business decisions.