I contrasted DeepSeek’s open distribution of R1 with OpenAI’s controlled platform strategy. I viewed the open release as a way to draw in outside developers and place smaller models in more computing environments.
For OpenAI, I focused on models selecting and creating tools within a managed platform. That suggested competition over the range of work a system could perform, alongside the cost of running it.
I favoured OpenAI’s near-term position and left the longer horizon open. That judgement belongs to the evidence available in February 2025. It is not a current ranking of either model family.