GPT-4o mini vs DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4o mini
OpenAIAffordable small model. Fast and cost-effective for high-volume coding tasks.
| Input | $0.150/M |
| Output | $0.600/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume tasks, simple coding, cost-sensitive projects |
| Benchmark | 58/100 |
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
DeepSeekDeepSeek's reasoning model. Comparable to OpenAI's o1 but at much lower cost.
| Input | $0.550/M |
| Output | $2.19/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Complex reasoning, math, advanced coding |
| Benchmark | 72/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4o mini | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58 | 72 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 14pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 50 | 68 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 18pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 60 | 76 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 16pts |
| HumanEval | 78 | 90 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 12pts |
| BigCodeBench | 44 | 56 | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) leads by 12pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4o mini | DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.02 | $0.08 | GPT-4o mini saves $0.06 (71%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.18 | $0.63 | GPT-4o mini saves $0.45 (71%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $0.92 | $3.15 | GPT-4o mini saves $2.23 (71%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.05 | $0.15 | GPT-4o mini saves $0.10 (69%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o mini | 58 | $0.003/pt | Better value |
| DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) | 72 | $0.008/pt | Higher cost per point |
GPT-4o mini delivers the best value at $0.003 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4o mini
- + Very cheap
- + Fast responses
- - Struggles with multi-step reasoning
DeepSeek Reasoner (R1)
- + Strong reasoning chain
- + Good value
- - Slow on simple tasks
Verdict
GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.150/M, but DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) scores higher on benchmarks (72 vs 58).
Choose GPT-4o mini for cost-sensitive projects, DeepSeek Reasoner (R1) when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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