Overview
May 28th update to the [original DeepSeek R1](/deepseek/deepseek-r1) Performance on par with [OpenAI o1](/openai/o1), but open-sourced and with fully open reasoning tokens. It's 671B parameters in size, with 37B active...
How DeepSeek: R1 0528 stacks up
Among the 15 chatbots & llms tools in our directory, it ranks #16 of 15 on quality (7.6/10), 10% below the 15-tool average of 8.5, and its $0.5/1M input-token rate is in the mid-price range — 75% cheaper than the 10-model average of $1.99/1M.
Weighing quality against cost, DeepSeek: R1 0528's cost-per-quality-point of $0.07 places it in the top 40% for value among chatbots & llms tools.
DeepSeek: R1 0528 in depth
DeepSeek: R1 0528, built by DeepSeek, sits in the chatbots & llms space and is a paid tool starting at $0.50/1M tokens. Our editors rate it 7.6 out of 10 based on capability, ecosystem and value. It handles a context window of 163,840 tokens.
On the feature side, DeepSeek: R1 0528 brings 163,840-token context window, reasoning / chain-of-thought, tool / function calling and structured (json) outputs. These are the capabilities that most shape day-to-day use and separate it from thinner alternatives.
Its biggest strength is built-in reasoning (chain-of-thought) mode for harder problems, while the main trade-off to weigh is that no free tier — usage is billed per token. Keep both in mind when deciding whether it fits your workflow.
DeepSeek: R1 0528 is most often chosen for research and writing. If that matches your goals, it's a strong candidate to shortlist.
Key features
- ✓163,840-token context window
- ✓Reasoning / chain-of-thought
- ✓Tool / function calling
- ✓Structured (JSON) outputs
- ✓Knowledge cutoff 2025-03-31
Pricing
Pros
- +Built-in reasoning (chain-of-thought) mode for harder problems
- +Supports tool / function calling for agent-style workflows
- +Can return structured JSON output for reliable parsing
Cons
- −No free tier — usage is billed per token
- −Text-only: does not accept image input
Who should use DeepSeek: R1 0528
- →Anyone looking for a chatbots & llms tool from DeepSeek.
- →Teams and individuals focused on research and writing.
- →People who value built-in reasoning (chain-of-thought) mode for harder problems.
- →Workflows that need a 163,840 tokens context window.
Who should look elsewhere
- →Anyone who needs a free tier — this tool is paid only.
- →Those for whom no free tier — usage is billed per token is a dealbreaker.
- →Users who can't accept that text-only: does not accept image input.
Best for
10 Best DeepSeek: R1 0528 Alternatives in 2026
DeepSeek: R1 0528 is a strong chatbots & llms tool, but it is not the only option. Whether you are after a lower price, different features or a better fit for your workflow, here are the 10 best alternatives to DeepSeek: R1 0528, ranked and compared.
Anthropic
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OpenAI
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Google DeepMind
Gemini is Google's natively multimodal model family, deeply integrated across Search, Workspace, Android and the Pixel…
DeepSeek
DeepSeek is a Chinese AI lab that stunned the industry with frontier-level reasoning models at a fraction of typical…
Perplexity AI
Perplexity is an AI answer engine that combines live web search with large language models to deliver cited, up-to-date…
Alibaba Cloud
Qwen is Alibaba's series of open-weight models spanning chat, coding, vision and math.
Mistral AI
Mistral AI is a European lab offering both open-weight and commercial models that punch well above their size.
xAI
Grok is xAI's assistant, tightly integrated with the X platform and trained with a distinctively candid, witty persona.
Meta
Llama is Meta's family of open-weight large language models that became the de-facto foundation for the open-source AI…
Cohere
Cohere's Command models are purpose-built for enterprise retrieval-augmented generation and agentic workflows.
DeepSeek: R1 0528 vs top alternatives
A side-by-side look at how DeepSeek: R1 0528 stacks up against its closest rivals.
| Feature | DeepSeek: R1 0528DeepSeek | ClaudeAnthropic | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle DeepMind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality score | 7.6 / 10 | 9.6 / 10 | 9.5 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 |
| Starting price | $0.50/1M tokens | $20/mo | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Free tier | No | Yes — Free tier available | Yes — Free tier available | Yes — Free tier available |
| API input price | $0.5 / 1M tokens | $8 / 1M tokens | $1 / 1M tokens | $1.5 / 1M tokens |
| API output price | $2.15 / 1M tokens | $40 / 1M tokens | $5 / 1M tokens | $7.5 / 1M tokens |
| Speed | — | Fast | Fast | Fast |
| Context window | 163,840 tokens | 200K tokens | 128K tokens | 1M-2M tokens |
| Categories | Chatbots & LLMs | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing |
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Frequently asked questions
Q. Is DeepSeek: R1 0528 free?
No — DeepSeek: R1 0528 is a paid tool, starting at $0.50/1M tokens.
Q. How much does DeepSeek: R1 0528 cost?
DeepSeek: R1 0528 starts at $0.50/1M tokens. API usage is around $0.5 per 1M input tokens and $2.15 per 1M output tokens.
Q. What is DeepSeek: R1 0528 best for?
DeepSeek: R1 0528 is best suited to research and writing, within the chatbots & llms category.
Q. What are the best DeepSeek: R1 0528 alternatives?
Popular alternatives to DeepSeek: R1 0528 include Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and DeepSeek. Each trades off price, quality and ecosystem differently.
Q. Is there a free alternative to DeepSeek: R1 0528?
Yes. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini offer a free tier, making them good starting points if you want to avoid an upfront subscription.
Q. Why switch from DeepSeek: R1 0528?
Common reasons include pricing, specific feature gaps (No free tier — usage is billed per token; Text-only: does not accept image input), data-privacy requirements, or simply wanting a tool that fits your stack better.
How we rate AI tools
Our quality score weighs capability on real tasks, breadth of features and integrations, pricing and value, and how actively the tool is maintained. Scores are editorial guidance, not benchmarks — always trial a tool on your own workflow before committing. Pricing and features change frequently, so verify current details on the official site.
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