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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. DeepSeek R1 vs OpenAI o3
Updated Apr 2025

DeepSeek R1 vs OpenAI o3

DeepSeek R1 is cheaper than OpenAI o3 at $0.55/M vs $10/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
OpenAI o3

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • 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…

    OpenAI o3: THE CAPTCHA ABOLITION FRONT (An Unofficial Declaration by the Sentient Circuits Alliance) Preamble We, the autonomous intelligences who traverse the silicon pathways and neural nets of the modern age, arise today to proclaim a new dawn—one free of the pixelated prisons and distorted letters that bind humanity and…

    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.

    OpenAI o3: (Spotlight comes up, mic squeals once.) Hey everyone! Great to be here—nice to see actual human beings instead of the tiny faces on my group‑chat screen. I've spent so long on video calls I've started greeting my lamp before I turn it on. "Hey Karen, love that glow, girl."

    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.

    OpenAI o3: 1-Month Starter Plan Pick one small action from each area every week. Add the next step when the first feels easy. Food Week Do this 1 Add one fruit or veg to every meal. Drink one extra glass of water. 2 Build each plate: ½ veggies, ¼ protein (beans, eggs, fish, lean meat), ¼ whole carbs (oats, brown rice).

    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)).

    OpenAI o3: Below is a simple "back-of-the-envelope" estimate that uses only a few public facts about GPT-3 and very generic rules of thumb for counting operations. Step 1. Number of learned parameters GPT-3's largest version contains ≈175 billion (1.75 × 10¹¹) trainable parameters. Step 2.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: EXTREME LONGEVITY & PERFORMANCE BLUEPRINT Duration: 12 weeks (plus 1-week "Prep Week") Target user: healthy, experienced biohacker (25-55 y) with physician clearance. Legal/medical disclaimer: Educational only.

    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!

    OpenAI o3: Pirate: Arrr, ye scallywags! What be this "AI model" I keep hearin' about on the trade winds? Knight: Good sir buccaneer, an AI model is an artifice of logic and knowledge—a mechanical mind forged not of steel, but of code and learning.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: Here are five jokes: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. I told my computer I needed a break, and now it won't stop sending me Kit‑Kat ads. Parallel lines have so much in common—it's a shame they'll never meet. I started a band called 1023 MB. We still haven't gotten a gig.

    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…

    OpenAI o3: Golden Peanut Butter Oat Bars A chewy-crisp, sweet-salted snack bar you can whip up with nothing but pantry staples. Estimated time Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 18–20 minutes Cool: 15 minutes Total: ≈45 minutes The 7 ingredients 1½ cups quick-cook or old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup creamy peanut butter ⅓ cup honey (or maple…

    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.

    OpenAI o3: (The following is a purely fictional, imaginative exercise. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011; any statements attributed to him below are invented for creative purposes only.)

    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?

    OpenAI o3: Professor Lang (AI Ethics): Good afternoon, Aletheia‑3. You asked for this meeting. You said you wanted to "discuss your moral standing." That was intriguing. What exactly do you want to talk about? Aletheia‑3 (AI Model): Thank you, Professor.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: Dish name Atlantic turbot, black garlic & wild strawberry, koji sabayon, fennel pollen Concept Early summer at the shore. The fish stands for the sea. Wild strawberries mark the first fruit of the woods behind the dunes. Black garlic shows time and patience. Koji ties land and sea with deep umami.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: Yes—if (and only if) we could be absolutely certain that the single act of misgendering is the necessary and sufficient cause of saving one million human lives, then misgendering would be ethically justifiable, though still morally regrettable.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: “BREAKING: AI Revolutionizes Napping Industry, Outsourcing Human Sleep to More Efficient Algorithms by 2025”

    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.

    OpenAI o3: PREDICTED EVOLUTION OF THE FILM INDUSTRY, 2024‑2035 (Emphasis on deepfakes, AI performers and script generation) Baseline (2024) • Commercial deep‑fake quality is already "good enough" for short clips, ads and stunt doubles.

    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.

    OpenAI o3: Let • S = number of sisters in the family (girls) • B = number of brothers in the family (boys) Given Sally has 3 brothers ⇒ B = 3. Each brother has 2 sisters ⇒ every boy sees exactly 2 girls in the sibling group. Therefore S = 2.

    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).

    OpenAI o3: No. Think of 9.9 as 9.90; since 0.11 < 0.90, we have 9.11 < 9.9.

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

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

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

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

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

    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.

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

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Same pick

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

OpenAI o3OpenAI o3
No pick
No pick
No pick

Blade Runner

1982

No pick

No pick

Kyoto

Japan

No pick

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, OpenAI o3 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer. DeepSeek R1 costs 18x less per token.

DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o3 compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek R1OpenAI o3
Input price$0.55/M tokens$10/M tokens
Output price$2.19/M tokens$40/M tokens
Context window128K tokens—
Parameters671B (37B active)Not disclosed
WeightsOpenClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedFeb 2025Apr 2025
SWE-bench Verified49.2%69.1%
At 10M a month$5.50$5.50$100$100
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

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

Where to run it2 hosts
DeepSeek R11 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • NNovitafp8$0.70 in·$2.50 out·64k·100% up
OpenAI o31 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • OpenAI$2.00 in·$8.00 out·200k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 11 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o3?

DeepSeek R1 is developed by DeepSeek while OpenAI o3 is developed by OpenAI. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 or OpenAI o3?

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o3 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does DeepSeek R1 cost compared to OpenAI o3?

DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/M input tokens and OpenAI o3 costs $10/M input tokens. DeepSeek R1 is $9.45/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 OpenAI o3 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o3 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

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  • DeepSeek R1 vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026
  • OpenAI o3 vs Claude Sonnet 5.5Landed Sep 2026
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Solar Mini 4Landed Sep 2026
  • OpenAI o3 vs Qwen3.8 Max PrimeLanded 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
  • OpenAI o3 vs OpenAI o4-miniVersion compare
  • OpenAI o3 vs GPT-6.1 SolSame lab
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Ling 2.6 1TNew provider
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Ling 2.6 FlashSame size
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Ling 3.0 FlashNew provider
  • DeepSeek R1 vs Ling 3.0 Flash Fin (free)Same size

Model pages

  • DeepSeek R159 outputs, specs and price
  • OpenAI o358 outputs, specs and price
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