API cost decision in 10 seconds

DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus vs GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini

Pick DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus for lower cost; pick GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus for lower cost; pick GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is estimated at $0.74 vs $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $0.51 (40.4% lower).

Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
Context-first pickGPT-5.1-Codex-Mini
Sample savings$0.5140.4%
10x traffic gap$5.05

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has more context, but DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus saves $0.51 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $5.05. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickDeepSeek V3.1 TerminusGPT-5.1-Codex-Mini
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus$1.83$2.25
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus$1.22$2.25
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus$5.02$10.25
Cheaper input GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini $0.27 vs $0.25 / 1M

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (7.4% lower; 1.08x difference).

Cheaper output DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus $0.95 vs $2 / 1M

DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $1.05 cheaper per 1M output tokens (52.5% lower; 2.11x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini 163.84K vs 400K

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).

Sample workload DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus $0.74 vs $1.25

DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $0.51 cheaper on the standard workload (40.4% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus Calculating… Estimated API cost
GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has the lower input price; DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus has the lower output price; GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus and $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini.

Best Fit

Choose DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when you care most about lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is estimated at $0.74 vs $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $0.51 (40.4% lower).
  • DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $0.51 cheaper on the standard workload (40.4% lower).
  • GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (7.4% lower; 1.08x difference).
  • DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $1.05 cheaper per 1M output tokens (52.5% lower; 2.11x difference).
  • GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
(DeepSeek)
GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.27$0.25
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0.95$2
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0.74$1.25
Context Window163.84K400K
Release Date
Popularity#91#141

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionDeepSeek V3.1 TerminusOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is estimated at $0.74 vs $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $0.51 (40.4% lower).
High-volume input processingGPT-5.1-Codex-MiniLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsDeepSeek V3.1 TerminusLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.1-Codex-MiniA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.2.
  • R1 Distill Qwen 32B can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.43.
  • DeepSeek V3.2 can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.44.
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DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus

DeepSeek-V3.1 Terminus is an update to [DeepSeek V3.1](/deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3.1) that maintains the model's original capabilities while addressing issues reported by users, including language consistency and agent capabilities, further optimizing the model's...

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini

GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini is a smaller and faster version of GPT-5.1-Codex