LLM API pricing · verified June 2026
LLM / OpenAI vs DeepSeek

OpenAI vs DeepSeek: API pricing compared

OpenAI vs DeepSeek, compared on real cost. We ran every model from both on the same example workload (chatbot, 100k requests/mo, 70% cached) so the prices line up directly. The lowest-cost model across both is DeepSeek V4 Flash ($17.19/mo). Full table and verdict below.

Prices verified June 2026 · changes logged in the changelog

OpenAI vs DeepSeek: the short answer

At the budget end, DeepSeek is the lower-cost option on this workload: OpenAI's cheapest (GPT-5.4 nano) is $52.3/mo vs DeepSeek's (DeepSeek V4 Flash) $17.19/mo.

At the top end, OpenAI's flagship GPT-5.5 runs $1,270/mo vs DeepSeek's DeepSeek V4 Pro at $52.71/mo. Largest verified context window — OpenAI: 1M tokens; DeepSeek: 1M tokens.

Both are priced by the same engine, so compare your own workload in the calculator — the cheaper choice flips with your token mix and cache share.

OpenAI and DeepSeek models, priced side by side

Every model from both providers on one example workload (100k requests/mo, 2,000 input / 300 output tokens, 70% cached), cheapest first. The single lowest-cost model is highlighted.

Model$ input /1M$ output /1M$ cached /1M≈ $/mo *
DeepSeek V4 FlashBUDGETDeepSeek $0.14$0.28$0.0028$17.19
GPT-5.4 nanoBUDGETOpenAI $0.20$1.25$0.02$52.3
DeepSeek V4 ProMIDDeepSeek $0.435$0.87$0.003625$52.71
GPT-5.4 miniMIDOpenAI $0.75$4.50$0.075$190.5
GPT-5.4FRONTIEROpenAI $2.50$15$0.25$635
GPT-5.5FRONTIEROpenAI $5$30$0.50$1,270
GPT-5.5 ProFRONTIEROpenAI $30$180—$11,400

* Same engine as the calculator. See OpenAI pricing · DeepSeek pricing in full.

OpenAI or DeepSeek for your workload?
The cheaper option depends on your volume and cache share — run both through the calculator.
Open calculator
All 28 models → OpenAI pricing → Anthropic pricing → Gemini pricing → DeepSeek pricing → Grok pricing → Mistral pricing → Cheapest LLM API → Open calculator →

Frequently asked questions

On our example chatbot workload, OpenAI's cheapest model (GPT-5.4 nano) is $52.3/mo and DeepSeek's (DeepSeek V4 Flash) is $17.19/mo. So DeepSeek is lower-cost at the budget end. The cheaper choice can flip with your token mix — check the calculator.
The largest context window we've verified is 1M tokens for OpenAI and 1M tokens for DeepSeek. Context windows vary by model within each provider — see the pricing pages for the per-model figures.
It depends on your workload. Compare the side-by-side table above for list prices and the ≈ $/mo column for a like-for-like cost, then run your own volume through the calculator. We rank on cost and published specs only — the changelog records every price change.
Every per-token rate is taken from each provider's official pricing and verified by hand (June 2026); the monthly figure is computed by our cost engine, not quoted.