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o3 vs o3 Deep Research

Compare OpenAI and OpenAI AI models

OpenAI
o3
vs
OpenAI
o3 Deep Research

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

o3

Per Request:$0.006000
Daily:$0.60
Monthly:$18.00
Yearly:$219.00

o3 Deep Research

Per Request:$0.03
Daily:$3.00
Monthly:$90.00
Yearly:$1,095.00

Cost Differences

+$0.024
Per Request
+$2.40
Daily
+$72.00
Monthly
+$876.00
Yearly

o3 Deep Research costs more than o3

Feature Comparison

Featureo3o3 Deep Research
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
Input Price$2.00/1M tokens$10.00/1M tokens
Output Price$8.00/1M tokens$40.00/1M tokens
Context Window1,000,000 tokens200,000 tokens
Max Output131,072 tokens32,768 tokens
Categoryreasoningreasoning
Capabilities
textreasoningvisioncode
textreasoningvisioncode
Release Date4/16/20256/26/2025

o3 vs o3 Deep Research: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between o3 and o3 Deep Research depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o3 is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens80% cheaper than o3 Deep Research. Meanwhile, o3 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 200,000 for o3 Deep Research.

Both models are in the reasoning category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: o3 would save you roughly $7,200.00/month compared to o3 Deep Research. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.

Output costs matter too. o3 charges $8.00/1M output tokens vs $40.00 for o3 Deep Research. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o3 has the edge here at $8.00/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.

Best Use Cases

Choose o3 when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
  • • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Choose o3 Deep Research when:

  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

o3 (OpenAI)

o3 Deep Research (OpenAI)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, o3 or o3 Deep Research?
o3 is cheaper for input tokens at $2.00 per million tokens vs $10.00 for o3 Deep Research — that's 80% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between o3 and o3 Deep Research?
o3 supports 1,000,000 tokens while o3 Deep Research supports 200,000 tokens — a difference of 800,000 tokens in favor of o3.
Which model is better for AI Agent / Agentic Workflows?
Both models support text, code, reasoning. For ai agent / agentic workflows, o3 is the lower-cost option, while o3 offers a larger context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Choose o3 for budget sensitivity or o3 for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, o3 costs about $18.00/month and o3 Deep Research costs about $90.00/month. Overall, o3 has lower combined input + output rates ($2.00 in, $8.00 out) vs o3 Deep Research.

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