R1 0528 vs o4-mini — LLM API Cost Comparison
Compare R1 0528 (DeepSeek) vs o4-mini (OpenAI) on cost per million tokens, context window, and monthly spend.
Prices verified 2026-06-06 · Pricing may change — use the calculator for current estimates
- Input
- $0.5/1M tokens
- Output
- $2.15/1M tokens
- Context
- 164K tokens
- Released
- 2025-05
DeepSeek R1 May-2025 snapshot; improved reasoning
- Input
- $1.1/1M tokens
- Output
- $4.4/1M tokens
- Context
- 200K tokens
- Released
- 2025-04
Best-value reasoning model; chain-of-thought built in
Monthly Cost by Usage Tier (70% input / 30% output ratio)
| Usage | R1 0528 | o4-mini | Cheaper by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (1M tokens) | $0.995 | $2.09 | R1 0528 (52%) |
| Moderate (10M tokens) | $9.95 | $20.90 | R1 0528 (52%) |
| Heavy (100M tokens) | $99.50 | $209 | R1 0528 (52%) |
| Very Heavy (1B tokens) | $995 | $2,090 | R1 0528 (52%) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper — R1 0528 or o4-mini?
For input tokens, R1 0528 is cheaper at $0.5/1M tokens — 2.2× less than $1.1/1M. For output tokens, R1 0528 wins at $2.15/1M vs $4.4/1M. At heavy workloads (100M tokens/month), the cost difference can be significant.
What is the context window difference between R1 0528 and o4-mini?
R1 0528 supports 163,840 tokens per request; o4-mini supports 200,000 tokens. o4-mini wins on context length, making it better for long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations without chunking.
When should I choose R1 0528 over o4-mini?
Choose R1 0528 (DeepSeek) if you prefer DeepSeek's ecosystem, tooling, or reliability track record. DeepSeek R1 May-2025 snapshot; improved reasoning. Choose o4-mini (OpenAI) if Best-value reasoning model; chain-of-thought built in. the price/performance fits your workload better. Use this calculator to find the break-even point for your exact token volume.
How much does 1 billion tokens cost on R1 0528 vs o4-mini?
At 700M input + 300M output tokens (1B total): R1 0528 costs $995; o4-mini costs $2090. The difference is $1095/billion tokens at this 70/30 input/output ratio.