Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is $0.18 cheaper per 1M input tokens (42.5% lower; 1.74x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewGemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs DeepSeek V4 Pro
Pick DeepSeek V4 Pro when budget is the priority.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V4 Pro when budget is the priority.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Pro is estimated at $0.87 vs $1 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, saving $0.13 (13% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V4 Pro
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.1313%
10x traffic gap$1.3
The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.3. 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 Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, balanced workload favors DeepSeek V4 Pro, and output-heavy chatbot favors DeepSeek V4 Pro.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | $2 | $2.61 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V4 Pro | $1.75 | $1.3 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V4 Pro | $7.75 | $4.78 |
DeepSeek V4 Pro is $0.63 cheaper per 1M output tokens (42% lower; 1.72x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 1.05M tokens.
DeepSeek V4 Pro is $0.13 cheaper on the standard workload (13% 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
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite has the lower input price; DeepSeek V4 Pro has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V4 Pro is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and $0.87 for DeepSeek V4 Pro.
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite when you care most about lower input-token price.
Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro when you care most about lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Pro is estimated at $0.87 vs $1 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, saving $0.13 (13% lower).
- DeepSeek V4 Pro is $0.13 cheaper on the standard workload (13% lower).
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is $0.18 cheaper per 1M input tokens (42.5% lower; 1.74x difference).
- DeepSeek V4 Pro is $0.63 cheaper per 1M output tokens (42% lower; 1.72x difference).
- Both models report the same context window at 1.05M tokens.
| Feature | NewGemini 3.1 Flash Lite (Google) | DeepSeek V4 Pro (DeepSeek) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.25 | $0.435 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $1.5 | $0.87 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $1 | $0.87 |
| Context Window | 1.05M | 1.05M |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V4 Pro | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4 Pro is estimated at $0.87 vs $1 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, saving $0.13 (13% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Tie | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- 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.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsGoogle catalog
Review all tracked Google models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Google modelsDeepSeek catalog
Check other DeepSeek models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open DeepSeek modelsGemini 3.1 Flash Lite is Google’s GA high-efficiency multimodal model optimized for low-latency, high-volume workloads. It supports text, image, video, audio, and PDF inputs, and is designed for lightweight agentic...
DeepSeek V4 Pro is a large-scale Mixture-of-Experts model from DeepSeek with 1.6T total parameters and 49B activated parameters, supporting a 1M-token context window. It is designed for advanced reasoning, coding,...