DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16% lower; 1.19x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
DeepSeek V3.1 vs Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct
Pick DeepSeek V3.1 when budget and context both matter.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V3.1 when budget and context both matter.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 is estimated at $0.6 vs $0.62 for Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct, saving $0.02 (3.2% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.1
Context-first pickDeepSeek V3.1
Sample savings$0.023.2%
10x traffic gap$0.2
DeepSeek V3.1 is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.2. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors DeepSeek V3.1, balanced workload favors Tie, and output-heavy chatbot favors Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V3.1 | Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V3.1 | $1.45 | $1.62 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Tie | $1 | $1 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct | $4.16 | $4 |
Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct is $0.04 cheaper per 1M output tokens (5.1% lower; 1.05x difference).
DeepSeek V3.1 has 32.77K more context (1.25x larger).
DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (3.2% 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; Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct has the lower output price; DeepSeek V3.1 offers the larger 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 $0.62 for Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.
Choose Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct when you care most about lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.1 is estimated at $0.6 vs $0.62 for Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct, saving $0.02 (3.2% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (3.2% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16% lower; 1.19x difference).
- Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct is $0.04 cheaper per 1M output tokens (5.1% lower; 1.05x difference).
- DeepSeek V3.1 has 32.77K more context (1.25x larger).
| Feature | DeepSeek V3.1 (DeepSeek) | Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.21 | $0.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.79 | $0.75 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.6 | $0.62 |
| Context Window | 163.84K | 131.07K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #59 | #150 |
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 $0.62 for Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct, saving $0.02 (3.2% 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 | Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | DeepSeek V3.1 | 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.
- Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite offers 1.05M context with $0.3 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.
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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 modelsQwen catalog
Check other Qwen models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open Qwen 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...
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