open-source
Deepseek V3 vs Deepseek R1
Side-by-side pricing, context window, features, and per-use-case verdict. Data sourced from LiteLLM, updated regularly.
Specifications
| Feature | Deepseek V3 | Deepseek R1 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | deepseek | deepseek |
| Model ID | deepseek/deepseek-v3 | deepseek/deepseek-r1 |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.27 (51% cheaper) | $0.55 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.10 (50% cheaper) | $2.19 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.07 | — |
| Context window | 66kk tokens | 66kk tokens |
| Max output | 8kk tokens | 8kk tokens |
| Vision | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| Function calling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Prompt caching | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web search | ⬜ | ⬜ |
| JSON schema | ⬜ | ⬜ |
Monthly cost comparison
No cache discount applied — pure token costs at three usage scales.
| Scale | Deepseek V3 | Deepseek R1 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small 1M in / 0.2M out | $0.49 | $0.99 | Deepseek V3 saves 50% |
| Medium 10M in / 2M out | $4.90 | $9.88 | Deepseek V3 saves 50% |
| Large 100M in / 20M out | $49.00 | $98.80 | Deepseek V3 saves 50% |
Category winners
Cheapest input
Deepseek V3
$0.27/M
· 51% less than the other
Cheapest output
Deepseek V3
$1.10/M
· 50% less than the other
Larger context
Deepseek V3
66kk tokens
More features
Deepseek V3
2 / 5 capabilities
(tied)
Better for…
High-volume RAG & repeated context
$0.07/M cached input — prompt caching makes repeated context retrieval significantly cheaper
Deepseek V3
Short interactions & high-throughput APIs
$1.10/M output — 50% cheaper on output at scale
Deepseek V3
Cost-sensitive production at scale
$49.00/month at 100M-token scale — 50% cheaper than the alternative
Deepseek V3
Deep-dive on each model
Pricing data sourced from LiteLLM and refreshed regularly. Always verify with each provider's official pricing page before making business decisions.