DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for input tokens while Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent costs $2 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) vs Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent
Pick DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) for lower cost; pick Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent only if the larger context window matters more.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) for lower cost; pick Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is estimated at $0 vs $5 for Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent, saving $5 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V4 Flash (free)
Context-first pickGrok 4.20 Multi-Agent
Sample savings$5100%
10x traffic gap$50
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent has more context, but DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) saves $5 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $50. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | $0 | $13 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | $0 | $8 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | $0 | $32 |
DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for output tokens while Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent costs $6 per 1M tokens.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent has 951.42K more context (1.91x larger).
DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $5.
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 V4 Flash (free) has the lower input price; DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) has the lower output price; Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) and $5 for Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent.
Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is estimated at $0 vs $5 for Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent, saving $5 (100% lower).
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $5.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for input tokens while Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent costs $2 per 1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is free for output tokens while Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent costs $6 per 1M tokens.
- Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent has 951.42K more context (1.91x larger).
| Feature | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) (DeepSeek) | Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent (xAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0 | $2 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0 | $6 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0 | $5 |
| Context Window | 1.05M | 2M |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) is estimated at $0 vs $5 for Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent, saving $5 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Grok Build 0.1 can replace Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.
- Grok 4.3 can replace Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.5.
- Grok 4.20 can replace Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.5.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
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Open xAI modelsDeepSeek V4 Flash is an efficiency-optimized Mixture-of-Experts model from DeepSeek with 284B total parameters and 13B activated parameters, supporting a 1M-token context window. It is designed for fast inference and...
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent is a variant of xAI’s Grok 4.20 designed for collaborative, agent-based workflows. Multiple agents operate in parallel to conduct deep research, coordinate tool use, and synthesize information...