DeepSeek V3.2 is $1.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (85.6% lower; 6.94x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
GPT-5.2 vs DeepSeek V3.2
Pick DeepSeek V3.2 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.2 only if the larger context window matters more.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V3.2 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 V3.2 is estimated at $0.44 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.31 (95% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.2
Context-first pickGPT-5.2
Sample savings$8.3195%
10x traffic gap$83.09
GPT-5.2 has more context, but DeepSeek V3.2 saves $8.31 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $83.09. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
DeepSeek V3.2 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | GPT-5.2 | DeepSeek V3.2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V3.2 | $15.75 | $1.45 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V3.2 | $15.75 | $0.63 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V3.2 | $71.75 | $2.14 |
DeepSeek V3.2 is $13.62 cheaper per 1M output tokens (97.3% lower; 37x difference).
GPT-5.2 has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).
DeepSeek V3.2 is $8.31 cheaper on the standard workload (95% 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 V3.2 has the lower input price; DeepSeek V3.2 has the lower output price; GPT-5.2 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V3.2 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 $0.44 for DeepSeek V3.2.
Choose GPT-5.2 when you care most about larger context window.
Choose DeepSeek V3.2 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.2 is estimated at $0.44 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.31 (95% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.2 is $8.31 cheaper on the standard workload (95% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.2 is $1.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (85.6% lower; 6.94x difference).
- DeepSeek V3.2 is $13.62 cheaper per 1M output tokens (97.3% lower; 37x difference).
- GPT-5.2 has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).
| Feature | GPT-5.2 (OpenAI) | DeepSeek V3.2 (DeepSeek) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $1.75 | $0.252 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $14 | $0.378 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $8.75 | $0.44 |
| Context Window | 400K | 131.07K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V3.2 | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.2 is estimated at $0.44 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2, saving $8.31 (95% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | DeepSeek V3.2 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V3.2 | 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 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
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