Comprehensive side-by-side LLM comparison
o4-mini leads with 7.4% higher average benchmark score. o4-mini supports multimodal inputs. Overall, o4-mini is the stronger choice for coding tasks.
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-Zero was introduced as an experimental variant trained with minimal human supervision, designed to develop reasoning patterns through self-guided reinforcement learning. Built to explore how models can discover analytical strategies independently, it represents research into autonomous reasoning capability development.
OpenAI
o4-mini was created as part of the next generation of OpenAI's reasoning models, designed to continue advancing the balance between analytical capability and operational efficiency. Built to bring cutting-edge reasoning techniques to applications requiring quick turnaround, it represents the evolution of compact reasoning-focused models.
2 months newer

DeepSeek R1 Zero
DeepSeek
2025-01-20

o4-mini
OpenAI
2025-04-16
Context window and performance specifications
Average performance across 2 common benchmarks

DeepSeek R1 Zero

o4-mini
o4-mini
2024-05-31
Available providers and their performance metrics

DeepSeek R1 Zero

o4-mini
OpenAI

DeepSeek R1 Zero

o4-mini

DeepSeek R1 Zero

o4-mini