API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-5.4 Nano vs DeepSeek V3 0324

Pick DeepSeek V3 0324 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.4 Nano 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 DeepSeek V3 0324 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.4 Nano only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3 0324 is estimated at $0.58 vs $0.82 for GPT-5.4 Nano, saving $0.24 (29.1% lower).

Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3 0324
Context-first pickGPT-5.4 Nano
Sample savings$0.2429.1%
10x traffic gap$2.4

GPT-5.4 Nano has more context, but DeepSeek V3 0324 saves $0.24 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $2.4. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

DeepSeek V3 0324 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-5.4 NanoDeepSeek V3 0324
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputDeepSeek V3 0324$1.62$1.39
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputDeepSeek V3 0324$1.45$0.97
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputDeepSeek V3 0324$6.45$4.05
Cheaper input Tie $0.2 vs $0.2 / 1M

Both models report the same input price at $0.2 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output DeepSeek V3 0324 $1.25 vs $0.77 / 1M

DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.48 cheaper per 1M output tokens (38.4% lower; 1.62x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.4 Nano 400K vs 163.84K

GPT-5.4 Nano has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).

Sample workload DeepSeek V3 0324 $0.82 vs $0.58

DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.24 cheaper on the standard workload (29.1% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-5.4 Nano Calculating… Estimated API cost
DeepSeek V3 0324 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

both models tie on input price; DeepSeek V3 0324 has the lower output price; GPT-5.4 Nano offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V3 0324 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.82 for GPT-5.4 Nano and $0.58 for DeepSeek V3 0324.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-5.4 Nano when you care most about larger context window.

Choose DeepSeek V3 0324 when you care most about lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3 0324 is estimated at $0.58 vs $0.82 for GPT-5.4 Nano, saving $0.24 (29.1% lower).
  • DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.24 cheaper on the standard workload (29.1% lower).
  • Both models report the same input price at $0.2 per 1M tokens.
  • DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.48 cheaper per 1M output tokens (38.4% lower; 1.62x difference).
  • GPT-5.4 Nano has 236.16K more context (2.44x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGPT-5.4 Nano
(OpenAI)
DeepSeek V3 0324
(DeepSeek)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.2$0.2
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$1.25$0.77
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0.82$0.58
Context Window400K163.84K
Release Date
Popularity#32#52

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionDeepSeek V3 0324On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3 0324 is estimated at $0.58 vs $0.82 for GPT-5.4 Nano, saving $0.24 (29.1% lower).
High-volume input processingTieLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsDeepSeek V3 0324Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.4 NanoA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-5.4 Nano when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.4 Nano when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.4 Nano when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
  • gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5.4 Nano when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
Larger context near this budget

Cheaper alternatives

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

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Larger context alternatives

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

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Provider catalogs

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OpenAI catalog

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DeepSeek catalog

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

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GPT-5.4 Nano

GPT-5.4 nano is the most lightweight and cost-efficient variant of the GPT-5.4 family, optimized for speed-critical and high-volume tasks. It supports text and image inputs and is designed for low-latency...

DeepSeek V3 0324

DeepSeek V3, a 685B-parameter, mixture-of-experts model, is the latest iteration of the flagship chat model family from the DeepSeek team. It succeeds the [DeepSeek V3](/deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3) model and performs really well...