Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.43 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
DeepSeek V4 Pro vs Gemma 4 26B A4B (free)
Pick Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4 Pro 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 Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4 Pro only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.87 for DeepSeek V4 Pro, saving $0.87 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickGemma 4 26B A4B (free)
Context-first pickDeepSeek V4 Pro
Sample savings$0.87100%
10x traffic gap$8.7
DeepSeek V4 Pro has more context, but Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) saves $0.87 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $8.7. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | $2.61 | $0 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | $1.3 | $0 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | $4.78 | $0 |
Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.87 per 1M tokens.
DeepSeek V4 Pro has 786.43K more context (4x larger).
Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.87.
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
Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) has the lower input price; Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) has the lower output price; DeepSeek V4 Pro offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.87 for DeepSeek V4 Pro and $0 for Gemma 4 26B A4B (free).
Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.87 for DeepSeek V4 Pro, saving $0.87 (100% lower).
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.87.
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.43 per 1M tokens.
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.87 per 1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro has 786.43K more context (4x larger).
| Feature | DeepSeek V4 Pro (DeepSeek) | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) (Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.435 | $0 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.87 | $0 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.87 | $0 |
| Context Window | 1.05M | 262.14K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.87 for DeepSeek V4 Pro, saving $0.87 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | DeepSeek V4 Pro | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) can replace DeepSeek V4 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash can replace DeepSeek V4 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.2.
- R1 Distill Qwen 32B can replace DeepSeek V4 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.43.
- DeepSeek V3.2 can replace DeepSeek V4 Pro 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.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
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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Open provider hubsDeepSeek catalog
Review all tracked DeepSeek models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open DeepSeek modelsGoogle catalog
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