API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewDots3-Note Preview (free) vs DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest

Pick Dots3-Note Preview (free) for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest 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 Dots3-Note Preview (free) for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.11 for DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest, saving $0.11 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickDots3-Note Preview (free)
Context-first pickDeepSeek V4 Flash Latest
Sample savings$0.11100%
10x traffic gap$1.05

DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest has more context, but Dots3-Note Preview (free) saves $0.11 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.05. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Dots3-Note Preview (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickDots3-Note Preview (free)DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.27
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.17
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.69
Cheaper input Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.04 / 1M

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest costs $0.04 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.13 / 1M

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest costs $0.13 per 1M tokens.

Larger context DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest 512K vs 1.31M

DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest has 798.72K more context (2.56x larger).

Sample workload Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.11

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.11.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Dots3-Note Preview (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest 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

Dots3-Note Preview (free) has the lower input price; Dots3-Note Preview (free) has the lower output price; DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Dots3-Note Preview (free) and $0.11 for DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest.

Best Fit

Choose Dots3-Note Preview (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.11 for DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest, saving $0.11 (100% lower).
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.11.
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest costs $0.04 per 1M tokens.
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest costs $0.13 per 1M tokens.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest has 798.72K more context (2.56x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewDots3-Note Preview (free)
(Dots Studio)		DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest
(deepseek)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$0$0.04
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$0$0.13
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$0$0.11
Context Window512K1.31M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionDots3-Note Preview (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.11 for DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest, saving $0.11 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingDots3-Note Preview (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsDots3-Note Preview (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workDeepSeek V4 Flash LatestA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • No lower-cost same-provider swap is currently tracked for this pair.
Larger context near this budget
  • No larger-context model is currently tracked within a close sample-cost band.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

Dots Studio catalog

Review all tracked Dots Studio models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open Dots Studio models

deepseek catalog

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

Open deepseek models
Dots3-Note Preview (free)

Dots3-Note Preview is an open-weight mixture-of-experts model from Dots Studio, with 16B active parameters out of 280B total. It is the lightest model in the Dots 3 family and is...

DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest

This model always redirects to the latest model in the DeepSeek V4 Flash family.