DeepSeek R1 0528 vs Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct
DeepSeek R1 0528 (2025) and Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct (2024) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and Alibaba. DeepSeek R1 0528 ships a 130k-token context window, while Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct ships a 33k-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.50/1M input tokens versus $0.70/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
DeepSeek R1 0528 is safer overall; choose Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct when provider fit matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Classification and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 130k | 33k |
| Cheapest output | $2.15/1M tokens | $0.70/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 uniquely exposes Reasoning and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 0528 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.70/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct for Classification and JSON / Tool use.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek R1 0528
$938
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct
$735
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $203. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct is $1.45/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 is $1.45/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- DeepSeek R1 0528 adds Reasoning and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-28 | 2024-06-07 |
| Context window | 130k | 33k |
| Parameters | 685B total, 37B active (MoE) | 72B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.50/1M tokens | $0.70/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.15/1M tokens | $0.70/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 0528 | Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: DeepSeek R1 0528 and code execution: DeepSeek R1 0528. Both models share structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, DeepSeek R1 0528 lists $0.50/1M input and $2.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct lists $0.70/1M input and $0.70/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct lower by about $0.29 per million blended tokens. Availability is 6 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 0528 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct?
DeepSeek R1 0528 supports 130k tokens, while Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct supports 33k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct?
Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.50/1M input and $2.15/1M output tokens. Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct costs $0.70/1M input and $0.70/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 0528 or Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct open source?
DeepSeek R1 0528 is listed under MIT. Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct is listed under Apache 2.0. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for reasoning mode, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct?
DeepSeek R1 0528 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for structured outputs, DeepSeek R1 0528 or Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct?
Both DeepSeek R1 0528 and Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run DeepSeek R1 0528 and Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct?
DeepSeek R1 0528 is available on Together AI, Fireworks AI, GCP Vertex AI, Novita AI, and OpenRouter. Together AI Qwen2-72B-Instruct is available on Together AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.