Provider comparison

OpenAI vs DeepSeek AI models

This page helps teams compare OpenAI and DeepSeek routes with live catalog data when they need to balance cost discipline, context needs, and production capability coverage.

129Listed models compared
LivePricing and coverage data
2 providersRoute strategy decision
Fast answer

Choose the provider route that fits the workload, not a generic brand ranking

Compare the lowest viable route cost only after confirming the model can handle the required workflow

Data source and freshness

Catalog-backed, not a static price sheet

TVP refreshes this page from the live OpenRouter model catalog. This render used 587 public model records and was synchronized Sep 11, 2026, 6:27 AM UTC. Pricing, availability, and context values can change.

Verify the exact route before sending production traffic, then use the linked model and provider pages as the source for current values. Read the TVP data methodology.

Live coverage

Current provider inventory at a glance

Provider route

OpenAI

111 live models, 111 with listed paid input pricing.

111Models
1,050,000Max context
$0.01Lowest listed input
  • audio
  • embeddings
  • file
  • image
  • structured
  • text
  • tools
  • transcription
Provider route

DeepSeek

18 live models, 18 with listed paid input pricing.

18Models
1,310,720Max context
$0.065Lowest listed input
  • image
  • structured
  • text
  • tools
Start testing

High-context listed models to evaluate next

OpenAI

Model shortlist

  • OpenAI: GPT-6 AstraGPT-6 Astra is OpenAI's flagship model for demanding end-to-end work. It is suited for advanced analysis, software engineering, deep research, scientific work, and document creation, with particular strengths in long-horizon...
  • OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra (batch)GPT-6 Astra is OpenAI's flagship model for demanding end-to-end work. It is suited for advanced analysis, software engineering, deep research, scientific work, and document creation, with particular strengths in long-horizon...
  • OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra ProGPT-6 Astra Pro is the same underlying model as [GPT-6 Astra](TVP catalog), served with `reasoning.mode` set to `pro` for higher-quality responses on complex tasks. Learn more in OpenAI's docs: https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/reasoning#reasoning-mode
  • OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra Pro (batch)GPT-6 Astra Pro is the same underlying model as [GPT-6 Astra](TVP catalog), served with `reasoning.mode` set to `pro` for higher-quality responses on complex tasks. Learn more in OpenAI's docs: https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/reasoning#reasoning-mode
DeepSeek

Model shortlist

  • DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 is a sparse mixture-of-experts model from DeepSeek, with 13B active parameters out of 284B total. This re-post-trained revision is suited for coding, reasoning, and agent workflows....
  • DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 FlashDeepSeek V4.1 Flash is a sparse mixture-of-experts model from DeepSeek, and the first built on the company's Causal Encoder-Decoder (CED) architecture. It activates 8B parameters on input and 16B on...
  • DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision ExpDeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp is an experimental vision-enabled version of [DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731](TVP catalog) from DeepSeek, adding image understanding while matching the base model on text capabilities including agents,...
  • DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp (batch)DeepSeek V4 Flash Vision Exp is an experimental vision-enabled version of [DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731](TVP catalog) from DeepSeek, adding image understanding while matching the base model on text capabilities including agents,...
Provider FAQ

How to make the provider decision

Is DeepSeek a practical OpenAI alternative?

It can be for suitable workloads. Teams should validate the current model capabilities, context, price, and output quality against their actual production prompts.

What is the biggest risk of choosing by price alone?

A lower token rate can cost more overall if the route needs retries, heavier prompting, or a premium fallback to reach the required quality.