text model comparison
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs GPT-4.1 mini
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and GPT-4.1 mini are both current text models, from DeepSeek and OpenAI. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 25% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-4.1 mini, $0.30 vs $0.40. On Arena Text, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash scores 1475 Elo and GPT-4.1 mini 1383 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,047,576 and 1,000,000).
Data verified October 12, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-12
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash | GPT-4.1 mini |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.30 (better) | $0.40 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $1.20 (better) | $1.60 |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $5.40 (better) | $7.20 |
| Arena Text | 1475 Elo (#18 of 39) (better) | 1383 Elo (#38 of 39) |
| GPQA Diamond | 89.8% (#25 of 37) (better) | 65.8% (#36 of 37) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 67.4% (#22 of 37) (better) | 6.7% (#36 of 37) |
| SimpleQA Verified | Not measured | 12.7% (#33 of 34) |
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI |
| Release date | September 10, 2026 | April 14, 2025 |
| Access | API and open weights | API only |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,047,576 tokens |
| Max output | 384,000 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Input | text, image | text, image |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Best for
- High-volume agent and multimodal workloads where per-token cost dominates
- Teams that want a frontier-adjacent model they can also self-host under MIT terms
Watch out for
- The recorded API rates are the peak-hour prices; DeepSeek charges half outside 01:00-04:00 and 06:00-10:00 UTC on weekdays
- Running the open weights moves cost to your own infrastructure, which the token rates here do not represent
GPT-4.1 mini
Best for
- Cost-sensitive long-context API evaluation
Watch out for
- Not in the pinned LiveBench snapshot; its independent scores here come from Epoch AI's own GPQA Diamond, FrontierMath and SimpleQA Verified runs
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs GPT-4.1 mini FAQ
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash or GPT-4.1 mini?
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 25% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-4.1 mini, $0.30 vs $0.40. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash costs $5.40 and GPT-4.1 mini $7.20 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash or GPT-4.1 mini?
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash leads on Arena Text, 1475 Elo to 1383 Elo; DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash leads on GPQA Diamond, 89.8% to 65.8%; DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 67.4% to 6.7%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash or GPT-4.1 mini?
Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,047,576 and 1,000,000).
Can I run DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash or GPT-4.1 mini myself?
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is released as open weights you can run yourself; GPT-4.1 mini is available through its provider's API only.
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Production evaluation
Choosing between DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and GPT-4.1 mini?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty