LFM2.5-24B-A2B is $0.1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (66.7% lower; 3x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs NewLFM2.5-24B-A2B
Pick LFM2.5-24B-A2B for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 only if the larger context window matters more.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick LFM2.5-24B-A2B for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, LFM2.5-24B-A2B is estimated at $0.4 vs $0.45 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017, saving $0.05 (11.1% lower).
Cost-first pickLFM2.5-24B-A2B
Context-first pickDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
Sample savings$0.0511.1%
10x traffic gap$0.5
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has more context, but LFM2.5-24B-A2B saves $0.05 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.5. 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 LFM2.5-24B-A2B, balanced workload favors Tie, and output-heavy chatbot favors DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | LFM2.5-24B-A2B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | LFM2.5-24B-A2B | $1.05 | $0.6 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Tie | $0.75 | $0.75 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | $3.15 | $3.55 |
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is $0.1 cheaper per 1M output tokens (14.3% lower; 1.17x difference).
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has 920.58K more context (8.19x larger).
LFM2.5-24B-A2B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (11.1% 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
LFM2.5-24B-A2B has the lower input price; DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has the lower output price; DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, LFM2.5-24B-A2B is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.45 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 and $0.4 for LFM2.5-24B-A2B.
Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.
Choose LFM2.5-24B-A2B when you care most about lower input-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, LFM2.5-24B-A2B is estimated at $0.4 vs $0.45 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017, saving $0.05 (11.1% lower).
- LFM2.5-24B-A2B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (11.1% lower).
- LFM2.5-24B-A2B is $0.1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (66.7% lower; 3x difference).
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is $0.1 cheaper per 1M output tokens (14.3% lower; 1.17x difference).
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has 920.58K more context (8.19x larger).
| Feature | NewDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (DeepSeek) | NewLFM2.5-24B-A2B (LiquidAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.15 | $0.05 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.6 | $0.7 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.45 | $0.4 |
| Context Window | 1.05M | 128K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | LFM2.5-24B-A2B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, LFM2.5-24B-A2B is estimated at $0.4 vs $0.45 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017, saving $0.05 (11.1% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | LFM2.5-24B-A2B | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 (free) can replace DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) can replace DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) can replace DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.12.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 can replace DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.25 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Step 5 Preview · StepFun · #2
- GLM 5.3 Flash · Z.ai · #3
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash · Xiaomi · #4
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Open LiquidAI modelsDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is the October 17, 2026 snapshot of DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, served by DeepSeek under the `deepseek-flash` API model name. V4.1 Flash is a sparse mixture-of-experts model...
LFM2.5-24B-A2B is a mixture-of-experts reasoning model from Liquid AI with 24B total and 2.45B active parameters. It always reasons before answering and is built for agents that call tools. Liquid...