deepseek-r1-0528 vs gemini-3-flash Benchmark Comparison

Direct benchmark comparison between deepseek-r1-0528 and gemini-3-flash based on LMArena Elo and the latest 2026 API pricing.

Direct Technical & Pricing Comparison

Frontier Model	LMArena Elo	API Cost (1M)	Throughput
deepseek-r1-0528	1422	$5e-7	37
gemini-3-flash	1474	$5e-7	83

*These models represent the Pareto Frontier (optimal cost-to-performance).*

Comparison Summary: gemini-3-flash is the more capable model in this pair, leading by 52 Elo points. Specifically, gemini-3-flash is currently on the Pareto line, suggesting it offers better systemic value for its performance tier.