DeepSeek R1 vs Codestral

Compare DeepSeek R1 and Codestral: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.

Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology

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Feature DeepSeek R1 Codestral
CategoryReasoningCode
Parameters671B22B
Context Window128K256K
Input Price$0.08/1M tokens$0.03/1M tokens
Output Price$0.15/1M tokens$0.05/1M tokens
Latency~800ms~200ms

Choose DeepSeek R1 when:

  • ✓ Complex yoga calculations
  • ✓ Dasha analysis
  • ✓ Research-grade analysis
Key Strengths:

Chain-of-thought, Complex calculations, Transparent thinking

Choose Codestral when:

  • ✓ API integration code
  • ✓ SDK generation
  • ✓ Code review
Key Strengths:

256K context for code, Strong code generation, Good APIs

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 vs Codestral

For cost efficiency, Codestral wins at $0.03/1M input tokens. For speed, Codestral is faster at ~200ms. DeepSeek R1 excels at Complex yoga calculations while Codestral is better for API integration code. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

DeepSeek R1 costs $0.08/1M input tokens and $0.15/1M output tokens. Codestral costs $0.03 input and $0.05 output. Codestral is 2.7x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

DeepSeek R1 has a 128K context window with ~800ms latency. Codestral offers 256K context at ~200ms. Codestral has the larger context window.

Best For

DeepSeek R1 (Reasoning) is optimized for: Complex yoga calculations, Dasha analysis, Research-grade analysis. Codestral (Code) works best for: API integration code, SDK generation, Code review.

Try Both on XALEN

Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:

from xalen import XALEN

client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")

# Use DeepSeek R1
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-r1",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use Codestral
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="codestral",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 or Codestral?

DeepSeek R1 (Reasoning, 671B) offers Chain-of-thought. Codestral (Code, 22B) offers 256K context for code. Choose DeepSeek R1 for Complex yoga calculations or Codestral for API integration code.

How much does DeepSeek R1 cost vs Codestral?

DeepSeek R1: $0.08/1M input, $0.15/1M output. Codestral: $0.03/1M input, $0.05/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.

Can I use both models on XALEN?

Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between DeepSeek R1 and Codestral by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.