API cost decision in 10 seconds

🔥DeepSeek V3.2 vs Free Models Router

Pick Free Models Router when budget and context both matter.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Free Models Router when budget and context both matter.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Free Models Router is estimated at $0 vs $0.44 for DeepSeek V3.2, saving $0.44 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickFree Models Router
Context-first pickFree Models Router
Sample savings$0.44100%
10x traffic gap$4.41

Free Models Router is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $4.41. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Free Models Router stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickDeepSeek V3.2Free Models Router
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputFree Models Router$1.45$0
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputFree Models Router$0.63$0
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputFree Models Router$2.14$0
Cheaper input Free Models Router $0.252 vs $0 / 1M

Free Models Router is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V3.2 costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Free Models Router $0.378 vs $0 / 1M

Free Models Router is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V3.2 costs $0.38 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Free Models Router 131.07K vs 200K

Free Models Router has 68.93K more context (1.53x larger).

Sample workload Free Models Router $0.44 vs $0

Free Models Router is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.44.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
DeepSeek V3.2 Calculating… Estimated API cost
Free Models Router Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

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

Verdict

Free Models Router has the lower input price; Free Models Router has the lower output price; Free Models Router offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Free Models Router is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.44 for DeepSeek V3.2 and $0 for Free Models Router.

Best Fit

Choose DeepSeek V3.2 when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.

Choose Free Models Router when you care most about lower input-token price, lower output-token price, and larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Free Models Router is estimated at $0 vs $0.44 for DeepSeek V3.2, saving $0.44 (100% lower).
  • Free Models Router is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.44.
  • Free Models Router is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V3.2 costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.
  • Free Models Router is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V3.2 costs $0.38 per 1M tokens.
  • Free Models Router has 68.93K more context (1.53x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
Feature🔥DeepSeek V3.2
(DeepSeek)
Free Models Router
(OpenRouter)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.252$0
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0.378$0
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0.44$0
Context Window131.07K200K
Release Date
Popularity#8

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionFree Models RouterOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Free Models Router is estimated at $0 vs $0.44 for DeepSeek V3.2, saving $0.44 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingFree Models RouterLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsFree Models RouterLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workFree Models RouterA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

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Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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DeepSeek catalog

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OpenRouter catalog

Check other OpenRouter models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

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