GPT-4o
OpenAI • text+image+file->text
Context Window128K
Knowledge CutoffMay 13, 2024
GPT-4o vs R1
DeepSeek R1 for technical reasoning benchmarks, GPT-4o for production coding and OpenAI ecosystem.
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R1
DeepSeek • text->text
Context Window64K
Knowledge CutoffJan 20, 2025
Editorial Verdict
GPT-4o is the versatile generalist; DeepSeek R1 is the reasoning specialist.
GPT-4o and DeepSeek R1 are fundamentally different — GPT-4o is a versatile general-purpose flagship; DeepSeek R1 is a reasoning specialist. For general-purpose tasks and multimodal, GPT-4o wins. For hard math and science reasoning, DeepSeek R1 significantly outperforms GPT-4o.
GPT-4o
- Versatile general-purpose model with multimodal across text, images, audio, and video
- Mature API ecosystem with reliable function calling and enterprise support
- Better at coding and instruction following than at hard math reasoning
Best for: General-purpose production applications and multimodal workflows
R1
- Significantly outperforms GPT-4o on hard math, science, and competitive programming
- Transparent reasoning chain visible in outputs
- Open weights for self-hosting with full data control
Best for: Hard math, science, and competitive programming reasoning tasks
Pricing sourced from OpenRouter — updates as their catalog changes.
Pricing Comparison
All values pull from OpenRouter and update as their catalog changes.
| Metric | GPT-4o | R1 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $2.50 | $0.70 | 🏆 R1 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $10.00 | $2.50 | 🏆 R1 |
| Request fee | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Image fee | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cost Estimator
Estimate monthly billing using real OpenRouter prices.
GPT-4o Total
$237.5R1 Total
$62Estimated Monthly Savings: $175.5 with R1
Capability Signals
Scores are directional estimates from model metadata — not official benchmark results.
GPT-4oMMLU Signal (Reasoning)R1
69%
82%
GPT-4oHumanEval Signal (Coding)R1
76%
71%
GPT-4oAgentic Tooling SignalR1
84%
79%
GPT-4oMultimodal SignalR1
78%
64%
Capabilities Matrix
Feature highlights for architecture and production fit.
GPT-4o Strengths
- Supports image inputs for multimodal analysis workflows.
- Strong tool-calling and structured response support.
- Balanced general-purpose profile for chat, extraction, and automation tasks.
R1 Strengths
- Strong tool-calling and structured response support.
- Balanced general-purpose profile for chat, extraction, and automation tasks.
API Implementation
Quick start snippets for each provider style.
OpenAI (Python)
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI()
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="openai/gpt-4o",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)DeepSeek (Python)
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI()
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="deepseek/deepseek-r1",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)Choose GPT-4o when...
- Your application includes visual reasoning and image understanding tasks.
- You rely on function calling, tool chaining, and structured output contracts.
- You want a balanced default for mixed chat and workflow automation workloads.
Choose R1 when...
- You rely on function calling, tool chaining, and structured output contracts.
- You want a balanced default for mixed chat and workflow automation workloads.
- You can measure quality with your own benchmark and prompt set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical checks before selecting a production model.
Which model is better for coding?
Coding preference depends on your stack and tool-calling needs. Compare the coding signal row, test with your repository tasks, and validate latency in your target region.
Which model is cheaper at scale?
Input and output token pricing can diverge by workload profile. Use the estimator with your monthly request count and token mix to get a realistic cost difference.
Are these official benchmark numbers?
Pricing is live from OpenRouter. Benchmark rows are ModelsAtlas metadata-based signals and should be treated as directional guidance, not official leaderboard scores.
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