DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $1.48 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84.6% lower; 6.48x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
GPT-5.2 vs DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
Pick DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus for lower cost; pick GPT-5.2 only if the larger context window matters more.
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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-5.2 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 $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.01 (91.5% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
Context-first pickGPT-5.2
Sample savings$8.0191.5%
10x traffic gap$80.05
GPT-5.2 has more context, but DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus saves $8.01 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $80.05. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | GPT-5.2 | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | $15.75 | $1.83 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | $15.75 | $1.22 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | $71.75 | $5.02 |
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $13.05 cheaper per 1M output tokens (93.2% lower; 14.7x difference).
GPT-5.2 has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $8.01 cheaper on the standard workload (91.5% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus has the lower input price; DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus has the lower output price; GPT-5.2 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 $8.75 for GPT-5.2 and $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus.
Choose GPT-5.2 when you care most about larger context window.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is estimated at $0.74 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.01 (91.5% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $8.01 cheaper on the standard workload (91.5% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $1.48 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84.6% lower; 6.48x difference).
- DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is $13.05 cheaper per 1M output tokens (93.2% lower; 14.7x difference).
- GPT-5.2 has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).
| Feature | GPT-5.2 (OpenAI) | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus (DeepSeek) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $1.75 | $0.27 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $14 | $0.95 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $8.75 | $0.74 |
| Context Window | 400K | 163.84K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #66 | #91 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus is estimated at $0.74 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.01 (91.5% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | GPT-5.2 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-5.2 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.2 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.2 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
- gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5.2 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
- GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
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