API cost decision in 10 seconds
DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 vs Granite 4.0 Micro
Pick Granite 4.0 Micro for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 only if the larger context window matters more.
Budget verdict
Pick Granite 4.0 Micro for lower cost; pick DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.0 Micro is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.39 for DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1, saving $0.31 (81% lower).
DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 has more context, but Granite 4.0 Micro saves $0.31 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $3.12. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Granite 4.0 Micro stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 | Granite 4.0 Micro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Granite 4.0 Micro | $0.93 | $0.14 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Granite 4.0 Micro | $0.64 | $0.13 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Granite 4.0 Micro | $2.63 | $0.58 |
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
Granite 4.0 Micro has the lower input price, Granite 4.0 Micro has the lower output price, and DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 offers the larger context window.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.39 for DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 and $0.07 for Granite 4.0 Micro.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Granite 4.0 Micro when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
| Feature | DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 (Nex AGI) | Granite 4.0 Micro (IBM) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.14 | $0.02 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.5 | $0.11 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.39 | $0.07 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 131K |
| Release Date | 2025-12-08 | 2025-10-20 |
DeepSeek V3.1 Nex-N1 is the flagship release of the Nex-N1 series — a post-trained model designed to highlight agent autonomy, tool use, and real-world productivity. Nex-N1 demonstrates competitive performance across...
Granite-4.0-H-Micro is a 3B parameter from the Granite 4 family of models. These models are the latest in a series of models released by IBM. They are fine-tuned for long...
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Granite 4.0 Micro | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.0 Micro is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.39 for DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1, saving $0.31 (81% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Granite 4.0 Micro | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts or retrieved passages dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Granite 4.0 Micro | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | DeepSeek V3.1 Nex N1 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages and source files. |