API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGPT-6.1 Terra vs 🔥DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017

Pick DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 for lower cost; pick GPT-6.1 Terra 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 DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 for lower cost; pick GPT-6.1 Terra only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is estimated at $0.45 vs $3.5 for GPT-6.1 Terra, saving $3.05 (87.1% lower).

Cost-first pickDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
Context-first pickGPT-6.1 Terra
Sample savings$3.0587.1%
10x traffic gap$30.5

GPT-6.1 Terra has more context, but DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 saves $3.05 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $30.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-6.1 TerraDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
Input-heavy / RAG 5M input + 500K output DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 $7.5 $1.05
Balanced workload 1M input + 1M output DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 $6 $0.75
Output-heavy chatbot 1M input + 5M output DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 $26 $3.15
Cheaper inputDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017$1 vs $0.15 / 1M
Cheaper outputDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017$5 vs $0.6 / 1M
Larger contextGPT-6.1 Terra1.05M vs 1.05M
Sample workloadDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017$3.5 vs $0.45

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-6.1 TerraCalculating…Estimated API cost
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017Calculating…Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workloadCalculating…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

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has the lower input price, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has the lower output price, and GPT-6.1 Terra offers the larger context window.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $3.5 for GPT-6.1 Terra and $0.45 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-6.1 Terra when you care most about larger context window.

Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewGPT-6.1 Terra
(OpenAI)		🔥DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
(DeepSeek)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$1$0.15
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$5$0.6
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$3.5$0.45
Context Window1.05M1.05M
Release Date2026-10-262026-10-17
Popularity#2
GPT-6.1 Terra

GPT-6.1 Terra is the mid-tier model in OpenAI's GPT-6.1 series, priced below GPT-6.1 Sol. It is suited for everyday agentic, coding, and writing work, is particularly strong at understanding screenshots...

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is the October 17, 2026 snapshot of DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, served by DeepSeek under the `deepseek-flash` API model name. V4.1 Flash is a sparse mixture-of-experts model...

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is estimated at $0.45 vs $3.5 for GPT-6.1 Terra, saving $3.05 (87.1% lower).
High-volume input processingDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts or retrieved passages dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsDeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-6.1 TerraA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages and source files.