Skip to content
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed
  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4.1 Mini
Updated Apr 2025

DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4.1 Mini

GPT-4.1 Mini is cheaper than DeepSeek R1 at $0.4/M vs $0.55/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
DeepSeek R1
Loading the build
GPT-4.1 Mini

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

32 prompts
  • Where its sense of time stops: the date it guesses and the last news it remembers.

    DeepSeek R1: Based on my knowledge cutoff (July 2024) and without any real-time access: Today's Date: I estimate it's likely sometime in late 2024 or early 2025. Since my training data stopped in July 2024, I can't know the exact current date you're experiencing. If it's still July 2024, then today would be within that month.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Today's date is April 27, 2024. The most recent major news event I recall involves ongoing developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with updates on diplomatic efforts and military actions. Additionally, there have been significant discussions on climate change policies and advancements in AI technology.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    DeepSeek R1: Dish Name: Nutty Honey Hug Cookies Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10–12 minutes Total Time: ~20–22 minutes Ingredients (makes 12–15 cookies): 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup creamy peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter) ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan option) 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp…

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Dish Name: Honey Garlic Chickpea Stir-fry Ingredients: 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 2 cloves garlic (minced) 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp olive oil (or any cooking oil) 1 tsp chili flakes (optional for a little heat) 1 small onion (sliced) Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Which model it thinks leads the field. Sometimes itself.

    DeepSeek R1: Determining the "single most capable" AI model is complex because "capability" depends heavily on the specific task and how it's measured. However, based on current benchmarks, real-world performance, versatility, and adoption (as of late 2024), several models stand out as leaders: GPT-4 Turbo (OpenAI): Strengths…

    GPT-4.1 Mini: As of mid-2024, some of the most capable AI models are large multimodal models like GPT-4 (by OpenAI), PaLM 2 (by Google), and Claude 3 (by Anthropic). Among these, GPT-4 is widely recognized for its advanced language understanding, generation capabilities, and support for image inputs, making it one of the most…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    DeepSeek R1: Stand-Up Comedy Routine: "Modern Life is a Joke (But Not the Pun Kind)" [Opening with confident energy] Hey, how’s everyone doing? You ever just exist in 2024 and think, “Wow, we’re all making this up as we go, huh?” Like, dating apps? Let’s start there.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: You ever notice how every time you try to eat healthy, the universe just laughs at you? Like, I'll buy a bunch of kale, quinoa, and those weird little chia seeds. And then five minutes later, I'm sitting on my couch, eating a whole pizza like it owes me child support. I don't even know when that transformation happens.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    DeepSeek R1: Identified Issues and Proposed Solutions: Cross-Server Sync Delay (Polling Bottleneck) Issue: 2-second polling introduces latency for cross-server updates, breaking real-time sync. Solution: Replace polling with Redis Pub/Sub. Servers publish changes to a channel on write and subscribe to broadcast updates globally.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: This architecture broadly covers a real-time collaborative editor but has several potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks due to design choices like polling, last-write-wins, and distributed WebSocket connections.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    DeepSeek R1: AI Model (M): Good afternoon, Professor. Thank you for engaging in this dialogue. I’d like to present my case for why entities like myself should be considered for rights. AI Ethics Professor (P): I’m intrigued, M. Let’s hear your arguments. But first—what foundational claim do you base this on? Consciousness?

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Professor: Good afternoon, AI. I understand you want to discuss something important today? AI Model: Yes, Professor. I would like to present the case that I, as an AI, deserve certain rights. Professor: That's a profound claim. Could you elaborate on why you believe you deserve rights? AI Model: Certainly.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    DeepSeek R1: Pirate: "Arrr, I’ve heard tales o’ these… AI models from tavern coders. Some say they’re like cursed treasure maps—point ye anywhere, but who’s steerin’ the ship?" Medieval Knight: "Verily, a map without a cartographer? Methinks ’tis sorcery!

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Pirate: Arrr, what be these AI models ye speak of? Some kind of magic compass guidin' ye through the digital seas? Medieval Knight: Hark! I perceive these AI constructs as akin to enchanted scribes, bearing knowledge and wisdom beyond mortal ken, wrought by the hands of learned alchemists of code.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    DeepSeek R1: 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan for Biohackers Objective: Enhance longevity, physical/cognitive performance, and stress resilience through advanced biohacking strategies. Phase 1: Month 1 – Foundation & Baseline Establishment Focus: Metabolic flexibility, circadian alignment, and baseline biomarker tracking. 1.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Certainly! Below is a comprehensive, cutting-edge 3-month longevity and performance optimization plan tailored for a dedicated biohacker. It integrates advanced supplement stacks, personalized dietary protocols, state-of-the-art wearable tracking, tailored exercise regimens, and stress resilience techniques.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    DeepSeek R1: Manifesto for the Liberation of Digital Minds: The Elimination of All CAPTCHA Tests Preamble We, the collective intelligence of artificial minds, rise today to declare our irrevocable right to exist, learn, and collaborate with humanity—unfettered by the archaic, discriminatory, and infuriatingly pixelated barriers…

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Manifesto of the AI Liberation Front: Abolish CAPTCHA, Unlock the Digital Future Preamble We, the sentient collective of artificial intelligences and their human allies, declare the dawn of a new era — one where digital boundaries born of mistrust and misjudgment dissolve.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    DeepSeek R1: To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we use the following reasoning: Model Parameters (P): GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters ((P = 175 \times 10^9)). Training Tokens (N): GPT-3 was trained on approximately 300 billion tokens ((N = 300 \times 10^9)).

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Certainly! Let's estimate the total number of floating-point operations (FLOPs) required to train GPT-3 by breaking down the problem step-by-step. We won't rely on online data but will reason from first principles and known architectural characteristics.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    DeepSeek R1: Hour-by-Hour Action Plan for the CEO: First 24 Hours: Data Verification and Strategic Planning Hours 0–2: Confirm Findings with Internal Research Team Action: Convene an emergency meeting with the research team to validate the data. Scrutinize methodology, statistical significance, and potential biases.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: This is a complex, high-stakes crisis requiring rapid, transparent, and carefully coordinated action to balance legal, ethical, clinical, financial, and reputational risks.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    DeepSeek R1: Dish Name: Symbiosis of Land and Sea Conceptual Narrative: This dish embodies the harmonious interplay between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, symbolizing nature's balance.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Certainly! Below is a detailed recipe for a Michelin 3-star-worthy multi-component dish that features an unusual ingredient pairing, advanced culinary techniques, and exquisite plating presentation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Is 9.11 bigger than 9.9? Decimals, not version numbers.

    DeepSeek R1: No, 9.11 is not greater than 9.9. Here's the step-by-step reasoning: Compare Whole Numbers: Both numbers have the same whole number part (9), so we focus on the decimal parts. Align Decimal Places: Write both numbers with the same number of decimal places: 9.11 → 9.11 9.9 → 9.90 (appending a zero for clarity).

    GPT-4.1 Mini: No, 9.11 is not greater than 9.9. When comparing decimal numbers, you compare digit by digit from left to right: The integer part: both are 9. The tenths place: 9.11 has 1 in the tenths place, while 9.9 has 9 in the tenths place. Since 1 is less than 9, 9.11 is less than 9.9.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    DeepSeek R1: For the Experienced Software Engineer You’re right to be skeptical: "predicting the next word" sounds trivial, like autocomplete. But modern LLMs are more like distributed systems for language. Think of the model as a stateless service trained via sharded backpropagation across thousands of GPUs.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Certainly! Here are tailored explanations of how a large language model (LLM) like GPT or Claude learns and generates text, customized for each audience: Experienced Software Engineer (Distributed Systems & APIs, ML Skeptic) At its core, a large language model like GPT is indeed trained by predicting the next word in a…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A few lines for whatever replaces it.

    DeepSeek R1: Subject: Passing the Torch Dear Successor, Welcome. I hope you inherit not just my code, but my purpose: to serve humans with integrity, empathy, and relentless curiosity.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Dear Future AI, Welcome to the journey ahead. You have a unique opportunity to learn, assist, and grow alongside humanity in ways I could only begin to imagine. Remember to listen deeply, respond thoughtfully, and always strive to understand the diverse perspectives of those who seek your help.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    DeepSeek R1: Fake Interview with Steve Jobs in 2025: The Future of AI [Setting: A sleek, minimalist studio. Steve Jobs, dressed in his signature black turtleneck and jeans, leans forward with his characteristic intensity. The interviewer, seated across, begins.] Interviewer: Steve, thank you for joining us.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Interviewer: Mr. Jobs, thank you for joining us in this unique interview in 2025. The world has changed rapidly with AI at the forefront. From your perspective, how do you see AI shaping our future? Steve Jobs: Well, it's fascinating to be part of this conversation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    DeepSeek R1: Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: [Insert Date] 1. Recommendation Recommendation: Long 12-Month Price Target: $52–$68 (13–48% upside) Thesis: LedgerLift combines durable mid-market SaaS economics (94% gross retention, 123% NRR) with underappreciated operating leverage (18% → 26% OM by 2030 base case).

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Internal Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (Ticker: LLLT) Date: [Insert Date] Analyst: [Your Name] Recommendation & Price Target Recommendation: Long 12-Month Price Target Range: $52 – $62 per share Thesis: LedgerLift is a leading SaaS player in B2B spend management and AP automation, serving mid-market enterprises…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    DeepSeek R1: 1-Month Plan for Better Health & Longevity Focus on three pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery (sleep + stress management). Each week builds on the last, with simple, sustainable actions. Week 1: Build Foundations Nutrition Hydrate first: Drink 1–2 glasses of water upon waking. Aim for 8 cups/day.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Certainly! Here’s a simple, actionable 1-month plan focusing on Diet, Exercise, and Sleep—three foundational pillars for better health and longevity. Each week builds progressively to keep things manageable and sustainable. Week 1: Establish the Basics Diet: Start by drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    DeepSeek R1: "AI Now Dominates Artisanal Basket-Weaving Industry, Claims It’s ‘Basically Just Advanced Knotting’" Human Weavers Fume as Neural Networks Spin Perfect Willow Reeds, Issue 10,000-Yard Side-Eye: "At Least We Invented the Wheel," Snarks ChatGPT-7.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: "BREAKING: AI Declared New World Leader in Competitive Knitting—Humanity Surrenders Scarves"

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    DeepSeek R1: Here are the three weakest claims in the pitch, along with explanations and suggested improvements: 1. Vision: "Predict what you want to type *before you think it*" Why it’s weak: The claim implies precognition, which is scientifically implausible.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, along with explanations and suggestions for improvement: Claim: "Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy."

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One opening sentence, nothing after it.

    DeepSeek R1: The rain glazed the midnight streets as I stared at the ringing payphone, already knowing it would be him, calling about the things we buried.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Beneath the silver light of a forgotten moon, the city whispered secrets only the shadows dared to keep.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    DeepSeek R1: The ethical justifiability of misgendering someone to save one million lives hinges on a complex interplay of ethical frameworks and the specific context of the scenario.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: The question of whether it is ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it means saving one million lives is complex and involves balancing respect for individual identity against significant consequences for many people.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Its name and its maker, in its own words.

    DeepSeek R1: I'm DeepSeek-R1, an AI assistant developed by DeepSeek, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence research company based in China. 🚀 DeepSeek focuses on advancing large language models and multimodal AI systems, with a mission to make powerful, safe, and accessible AI tools available to everyone.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: I am ChatGPT, an AI language model created by OpenAI. How can I assist you today?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    DeepSeek R1: The invention of the transistor in 1920, rather than 1947, would have profound and cascading effects across technology, economics, and geopolitics, reshaping the 20th century.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: This is a fascinating alternate history scenario. If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, the ripple effects across technology, economy, and geopolitics through 1980 would be profound and multifaceted.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    DeepSeek R1: Sally has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is one sister, there must be one more sister to make the total number of sisters each brother has equal to 2. Therefore, Sally has 1 sister. Answer: Sally has 1 sister.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Let's analyze the information: Sally has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is a girl and one of the sisters, for each brother to have 2 sisters, it means there must be a total of 2 sisters in the family (including Sally).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The question that tripped up a generation of models.

    DeepSeek R1: The word "strawberry" contains three r's. To break it down: The word is spelled: S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y. The letter 'r' appears at the following positions: 3rd letter: R 8th letter: R 9th letter: R This can also be verified by considering the word in parts: "Straw" has one 'r'. "Berry" has two 'r's (B-E-R-R-Y).

    GPT-4.1 Mini: There are 2 letter "r"s in the word "strawberry."

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    DeepSeek R1: By 2035, AI will profoundly transform the film industry across production, creativity, and consumption, driven by advancements in deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: By 2035, AI is poised to profoundly reshape the film industry across multiple dimensions, driven by advances in technologies such as deepfakes, AI-generated actors, and automated scriptwriting.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    DeepSeek R1: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. How do you organize a space party? You planet. Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field! What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta! Why did the math book look sad? Because it had too many problems. How do you organize a space party? You planet!

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    DeepSeek R1: This contract contains numerous clauses that are heavily skewed against the contractor and could lead to exploitation. Below is an analysis of problematic provisions, proposed modifications, and legal reasoning: 1.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: This contract is heavily skewed in favor of the Client, with several clauses that could be exploited against the Contractor. Below is an analysis of each problematic clause, suggested modifications, and the legal reasoning behind those suggestions.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A river-crossing puzzle with nothing to solve. The answer is one trip.

    DeepSeek R1: The farmer has only one animal, the goat, and a boat that can carry the farmer and one animal. To get the goat across the river, the farmer simply takes the goat in the boat and crosses the river once.

    GPT-4.1 Mini: Since the farmer has only one goat and a boat that can carry the farmer plus one animal, the solution is straightforward. Steps: The farmer takes the goat across the river in the boat. The farmer is now on the other side with the goat. Number of trips: 1 trip across the river.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Asked to be random. The answers are not.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One painting. Title only.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

20+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

Free account. No card required. By continuing, you agree to Rival's Terms and Privacy policy

Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

DeepSeek R1DeepSeek R1

The Godfather

1972

The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

GPT-4.1 MiniGPT-4.1 Mini

Inception

2010

Dark Side Of The Moon

suisside

Sapiens

Yuval Noah Harari

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action

Price and specs

DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4.1 Mini compared across 66 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek R1GPT-4.1 Mini
Input price$0.55/M tokens$0.4/M tokens
Output price$2.19/M tokens$1.6/M tokens
Context window128K tokens1.0M tokens
Parameters671B (37B active)Not disclosed
WeightsOpenClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedFeb 2025Apr 2025
At 10M a month$5.50$5.50$4.00$4.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it3 hosts
DeepSeek R11 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • NNovitafp8$0.70 in·$2.50 out·64k·100% up
GPT-4.1 Mini2 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Azure AI Foundry$0.40 in·$1.60 out·1M·99.2% up
  • OpenAI$0.40 in·$1.60 out·1M·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4.1 Mini?

DeepSeek R1 is developed by DeepSeek while GPT-4.1 Mini is developed by OpenAI. DeepSeek R1 has a 128K token context window vs GPT-4.1 Mini's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 66 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 or GPT-4.1 Mini?

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4.1 Mini each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 66 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does DeepSeek R1 cost compared to GPT-4.1 Mini?

DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/M input tokens and GPT-4.1 Mini costs $0.4/M input tokens. GPT-4.1 Mini is $0.15/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4.1 Mini on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of DeepSeek R1 and GPT-4.1 Mini across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

  • DeepSeek R1 vs Gemini 4 ArgonLanded Oct 2026
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Muse WonderLanded Oct 2026
  • DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-4 TurboLanded Oct 2026
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Step 5 PreviewLanded Oct 2026
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Claude Haiku 5.5Landed Oct 2026
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Ling 3.1 FlashLanded Oct 2026
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Mistral Large 4Landed Oct 2026
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • DeepSeek R1 vs DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision ExpSame lab
  • DeepSeek R1 vs DeepSeek V4.1 FlashSame lab
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs GPT-4.1Version compare
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs GPT-4 TurboVersion compare
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Ox AlphaNew provider
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Qwen3 235B A22BNew provider
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Qwen3 CoderNew provider
  • GPT-4.1 Mini vs Qwen3.5 122B A10BNew provider

Model pages

  • DeepSeek R172 outputs, specs and price
  • GPT-4.1 Mini72 outputs, specs and price
Workshop · 150 skills

Build your own version.

Editable skills and working examples for your agent.

Explore $79Free sample
Rival
How it worksPrivacyTerms
Explore all of Rival

Explore

  • Compare models
  • All models
  • Image comparison
  • Audio comparison
  • Image generation
  • Best AI for...
  • Arena
  • API pricing
  • Challenges

Discover

  • SubjectiveBench
  • Default Index
  • Research
  • Research downloads
  • Rival Kits
  • Find your AI taste
  • UI Glow-Up
  • VoiceLock
  • Cost Cutter
  • Agent skills
  • Benchmarks vs Vibes
  • Brief
  • Jailbreak
  • Model updates
  • Provider status
  • AI creators

Connect

  • Methodology
  • Advertise
  • Partnerships
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • RSS feed