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DeepSeek V3 vs GPT-5.3 Codex

Head-to-head comparison across 1benchmark categories. Overall scores shown here use BenchLM's provisional ranking lane.

DeepSeek V3

36

VS

GPT-5.3 Codex

87

0 categoriesvs1 categories

Pick GPT-5.3 Codex if you want the stronger benchmark profile. DeepSeek V3 only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model.

Category Radar

Head-to-Head by Category

Category Breakdown

Coding

GPT-5.3 Codex
39.2vs63.1

+23.9 difference

Operational Comparison

DeepSeek V3

GPT-5.3 Codex

Price (per 1M tokens)

$0.27 / $1.1

$1.75 / $14

Speed

N/A

79 t/s

Latency (TTFT)

N/A

88.26s

Context Window

128K

400K

Quick Verdict

Pick GPT-5.3 Codex if you want the stronger benchmark profile. DeepSeek V3 only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model.

GPT-5.3 Codex is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 87 to 36. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.

GPT-5.3 Codex's sharpest advantage is in coding, where it averages 63.1 against 39.2. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is SWE-bench Verified, 42% to 85%.

GPT-5.3 Codex is also the more expensive model on tokens at $1.75 input / $14.00 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.27 input / $1.10 output per 1M tokens for DeepSeek V3. That is roughly 12.7x on output cost alone. GPT-5.3 Codex is the reasoning model in the pair, while DeepSeek V3 is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. GPT-5.3 Codex gives you the larger context window at 400K, compared with 128K for DeepSeek V3.

Benchmark Deep Dive

Frequently Asked Questions (2)

Which is better, DeepSeek V3 or GPT-5.3 Codex?

GPT-5.3 Codex is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 87 to 36. The biggest single separator in this matchup is SWE-bench Verified, where the scores are 42% and 85%.

Which is better for coding, DeepSeek V3 or GPT-5.3 Codex?

GPT-5.3 Codex has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 63.1 versus 39.2. Inside this category, SWE-bench Verified is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.

Self-host vs API cost

Estimates at 50,000 req/day · 1000 tokens/req average.

DeepSeek V3
API / mo$1,028
Self-host / mo$18,221
Break-even1.2B/day
GPT-5.3 Codex
API / mo$11,813
Self-host / moN/A
Break-even
Proprietary model — self-hosting not applicable.
Model the full break-even

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Last updated: May 1, 2026

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