DeepSeek R1 Basic vs DeepSeek V4 Flash

DeepSeek R1 Basic (2025) and DeepSeek V4 Flash (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek R1 Basic ships a 160K-token context window, while DeepSeek V4 Flash ships a 1M-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 Basic costs $0.56/1M input tokens; DeepSeek V4 Flash ranges from $0.22 to $0.44/1M input tokens by tier. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.

DeepSeek V4 Flash fits 6x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and DeepSeek R1 Basic for tighter calls.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalDeepSeek R1 BasicDeepSeek V4 Flash
Best forreasoning-heavy appsreasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis
Decision fitLong contextCoding, RAG, and Agents
Context window160K1M
Cheapest output$1.68/1M tokens$0.12/1M tokens
Provider routes1 tracked6 tracked
Shared benchmarks0 shared0 shared

Decision tradeoffs

Choose DeepSeek R1 Basic when...
  • Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 Basic for Long context.
Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash when...
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.12/1M tokens.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash uniquely exposes JSON / Tool use and Structured outputs in local model data.
  • Local decision data tags DeepSeek V4 Flash for Coding, RAG, and Agents.

Monthly cost at traffic

Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.

Lower estimate DeepSeek V4 Flash

DeepSeek R1 Basic

$868

Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI

DeepSeek V4 Flash

$76.26

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter

Estimated monthly gap: $792. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.

Switch friction

DeepSeek R1 Basic -> DeepSeek V4 Flash
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for DeepSeek R1 Basic and DeepSeek V4 Flash; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash is $1.56/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash adds JSON / Tool use and Structured outputs in local capability data.
DeepSeek V4 Flash -> DeepSeek R1 Basic
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for DeepSeek V4 Flash and DeepSeek R1 Basic; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
  • DeepSeek R1 Basic is $1.56/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
  • Check replacement coverage for JSON / Tool use and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.

Specs

Specification
Released2025-01-012026-04-24
Context window160K1M
Parameters671B284B
ArchitectureDecoder OnlyMixture of Experts
LicenseMITOSI-approvedMITOSI-approved
OpennessOpen sourceOpen source
WeightsUnknownAvailable
CodeUnknownUnknown
Commercial useCommercial use: permittedCommercial use: permitted
Knowledge cutoff--

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeDeepSeek R1 BasicDeepSeek V4 Flash
Input price$0.56/1M tokens
Off-peak
$0.22/1M tokens
All UTC hours outside DeepSeek's peak windows. Cache-hit input: $0.007 per 1M tokens; cache-miss input: $0.22 per 1M; output: $0.66 per 1M.
Peak
$0.44/1M tokens
01:00-04:00 and 06:00-10:00 UTC. Cache-hit input: $0.014 per 1M tokens; cache-miss input: $0.44 per 1M; output: $1.32 per 1M.
Output price$1.68/1M tokens
Off-peak
$0.66/1M tokens
All UTC hours outside DeepSeek's peak windows. Cache-hit input: $0.007 per 1M tokens; cache-miss input: $0.22 per 1M; output: $0.66 per 1M.
Peak
$1.32/1M tokens
01:00-04:00 and 06:00-10:00 UTC. Cache-hit input: $0.014 per 1M tokens; cache-miss input: $0.44 per 1M; output: $1.32 per 1M.
Providers
Fireworks AI
DeepSeek PlatformOpenRouterMicrosoft FoundryVercel AI GatewayNovita AIYandex AI Studio

Capabilities

CapabilityDeepSeek R1 BasicDeepSeek V4 Flash
VisionNoNo
MultimodalNoNo
ReasoningYesYes
JSON / Tool useNoYes
Structured outputsNoYes
Code executionNoNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

Benchmarks

No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.

Deep dive

The capability footprint differs most on JSON / Tool use: DeepSeek V4 Flash, JSON / Tool use: DeepSeek V4 Flash, and structured outputs: DeepSeek V4 Flash. Both models share reasoning mode, 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 Basic lists $0.56/1M input and $1.68/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while DeepSeek V4 Flash lists tiered pricing: Off-peak is $0.22/1M input and $0.66/1M output; Peak is $0.44/1M input and $1.32/1M output. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V4 Flash lower by about $0.82 per million blended tokens. For tiered rows, this cheapest-track view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 1 providers versus 6, so concentration risk also matters.

Choose DeepSeek R1 Basic when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower cheapest-tier input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.

FAQ

Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 Basic or DeepSeek V4 Flash?

DeepSeek V4 Flash supports 1M tokens, while DeepSeek R1 Basic supports 160K 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 Basic or DeepSeek V4 Flash?

DeepSeek R1 Basic lists $0.56/1M input and $1.68/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. DeepSeek V4 Flash lists tiered pricing: Off-peak is $0.22/1M input and $0.66/1M output; Peak is $0.44/1M input and $1.32/1M output. Compare the tier you will actually use; cheap async pricing can overstate savings for interactive workflows. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.

Is DeepSeek R1 Basic or DeepSeek V4 Flash open source?

DeepSeek R1 Basic is listed under MIT. DeepSeek V4 Flash is listed under MIT. 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 Basic or DeepSeek V4 Flash?

Both DeepSeek R1 Basic and DeepSeek V4 Flash expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.

Which is better for JSON / Tool use, DeepSeek R1 Basic or DeepSeek V4 Flash?

DeepSeek V4 Flash has the clearer documented JSON / Tool use signal in this comparison. If JSON / Tool use is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.

Where can I run DeepSeek R1 Basic and DeepSeek V4 Flash?

DeepSeek R1 Basic is available on Fireworks AI. DeepSeek V4 Flash is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, Vercel AI Gateway, and Novita AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.

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Last reviewed: 2026-10-13. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.