API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewLaguna M.1 (free) vs DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus

Pick Laguna M.1 (free) when budget and context both matter.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Laguna M.1 (free) when budget and context both matter.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.74 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickLaguna M.1 (free)
Context-first pickLaguna M.1 (free)
Sample savings$0.74100%
10x traffic gap$7.45

Laguna M.1 (free) is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $7.45. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Laguna M.1 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickLaguna M.1 (free)DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$1.83
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$1.22
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$5.02
Cheaper input Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $0.27 / 1M

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus costs $0.27 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $0.95 / 1M

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus costs $0.95 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Laguna M.1 (free) 262.14K vs 163.84K

Laguna M.1 (free) has 98.3K more context (1.6x larger).

Sample workload Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $0.74

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.74.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Laguna M.1 (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus 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

Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower input price; Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower output price; Laguna M.1 (free) offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna M.1 (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Laguna M.1 (free) and $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus.

Best Fit

Choose Laguna M.1 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, lower output-token price, and larger context window.

Choose DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.74 (100% lower).
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.74.
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus costs $0.27 per 1M tokens.
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus costs $0.95 per 1M tokens.
  • Laguna M.1 (free) has 98.3K more context (1.6x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewLaguna M.1 (free)
(Poolside)
DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus
(DeepSeek)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0$0.27
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0$0.95
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0$0.74
Context Window262.14K163.84K
Release Date
Popularity#21#91

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionLaguna M.1 (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.74 for DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, saving $0.74 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingLaguna M.1 (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsLaguna M.1 (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workLaguna M.1 (free)A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.2.
  • R1 Distill Qwen 32B can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.43.
  • DeepSeek V3.2 can replace DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.44.
Larger context near this budget

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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Poolside catalog

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DeepSeek catalog

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

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Laguna M.1 (free)

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DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus

DeepSeek-V3.1 Terminus is an update to [DeepSeek V3.1](/deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3.1) that maintains the model's original capabilities while addressing issues reported by users, including language consistency and agent capabilities, further optimizing the model's...