Qwen3.5-27B is $0.08 cheaper per 1M input tokens (27.8% lower; 1.38x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Qwen3.5-27B vs DeepSeek V3.2 Exp
Pick DeepSeek V3.2 Exp for lower cost; pick Qwen3.5-27B only if the larger context window matters more.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick DeepSeek V3.2 Exp for lower cost; pick Qwen3.5-27B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is estimated at $0.47 vs $0.98 for Qwen3.5-27B, saving $0.5 (51.3% lower).
Cost-first pickDeepSeek V3.2 Exp
Context-first pickQwen3.5-27B
Sample savings$0.551.3%
10x traffic gap$5
Qwen3.5-27B has more context, but DeepSeek V3.2 Exp saves $0.5 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
DeepSeek V3.2 Exp stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Qwen3.5-27B | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp | $1.75 | $1.56 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp | $1.76 | $0.68 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp | $8 | $2.32 |
DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is $1.15 cheaper per 1M output tokens (73.7% lower; 3.8x difference).
Qwen3.5-27B has 98.3K more context (1.6x larger).
DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is $0.5 cheaper on the standard workload (51.3% 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
Qwen3.5-27B has the lower input price; DeepSeek V3.2 Exp has the lower output price; Qwen3.5-27B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.98 for Qwen3.5-27B and $0.47 for DeepSeek V3.2 Exp.
Choose Qwen3.5-27B when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.
Choose DeepSeek V3.2 Exp when you care most about lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is estimated at $0.47 vs $0.98 for Qwen3.5-27B, saving $0.5 (51.3% lower).
- DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is $0.5 cheaper on the standard workload (51.3% lower).
- Qwen3.5-27B is $0.08 cheaper per 1M input tokens (27.8% lower; 1.38x difference).
- DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is $1.15 cheaper per 1M output tokens (73.7% lower; 3.8x difference).
- Qwen3.5-27B has 98.3K more context (1.6x larger).
| Feature | Qwen3.5-27B (Qwen) | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp (DeepSeek) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.195 | $0.27 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $1.56 | $0.41 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.98 | $0.47 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 163.84K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #81 | #98 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, DeepSeek V3.2 Exp is estimated at $0.47 vs $0.98 for Qwen3.5-27B, saving $0.5 (51.3% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Qwen3.5-27B | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | DeepSeek V3.2 Exp | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Qwen3.5-27B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (free) can replace Qwen3.5-27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B (free) can replace Qwen3.5-27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen2.5 7B Instruct can replace Qwen3.5-27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
- Qwen3.5-9B can replace Qwen3.5-27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.11.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
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