DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.06 cheaper per 1M input tokens (22.2% lower; 1.29x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
DeepSeek V3.1 vs DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
Pick DeepSeek V3.1 when budget is the priority.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V3.1 when budget is the priority.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 is estimated at $0.6 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.14 (18.8% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.1
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.1418.8%
10x traffic gap$1.4
The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.4. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
DeepSeek V3.1 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V3.1 | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V3.1 | $1.45 | $1.83 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V3.1 | $1 | $1.22 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V3.1 | $4.16 | $5.02 |
DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.16 cheaper per 1M output tokens (16.8% lower; 1.2x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 163.84K tokens.
DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.14 cheaper on the standard workload (18.8% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
DeepSeek V3.1 has the lower input price; DeepSeek V3.1 has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V3.1 is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.6 for DeepSeek V3.1 and $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 is estimated at $0.6 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.14 (18.8% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.14 cheaper on the standard workload (18.8% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.06 cheaper per 1M input tokens (22.2% lower; 1.29x difference).
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.16 cheaper per 1M output tokens (16.8% lower; 1.2x difference).
- Both models report the same context window at 163.84K tokens.
| Feature | DeepSeek V3.1 (DeepSeek) | DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus (DeepSeek) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.21 | $0.27 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.79 | $0.95 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.6 | $0.74 |
| Context Window | 163.84K | 163.84K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #59 | #91 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V3.1 | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 is estimated at $0.6 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.14 (18.8% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | DeepSeek V3.1 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V3.1 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Tie | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) can replace DeepSeek V3.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash can replace DeepSeek V3.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.2.
- R1 Distill Qwen 32B can replace DeepSeek V3.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.43.
- DeepSeek V3.2 can replace DeepSeek V3.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.44.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsDeepSeek catalog
Review all tracked DeepSeek models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open DeepSeek modelsDeepSeek-V3.1 is a large hybrid reasoning model (671B parameters, 37B active) that supports both thinking and non-thinking modes via prompt templates. It extends the DeepSeek-V3 base with a two-phase long-context...
DeepSeek-V3.1 Terminus is an update to [DeepSeek V3.1](/deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3.1) that maintains the model's original capabilities while addressing issues reported by users, including language consistency and agent capabilities, further optimizing the model's...