DeepSeek V3 0324 vs DeepSeek V4 Flash
DeepSeek V3 0324 (2025) and DeepSeek V4 Flash (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek V3 0324 ships a 160k-token context window, while DeepSeek V4 Flash ships a 1m-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, DeepSeek V4 Flash leads by 2.2 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V4 Flash costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.27/1M 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 V4 Flash is ~175% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3 0324 only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 0324 | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 160k | 1m |
| Cheapest output | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 5 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 3 rows | SWE-bench Verified leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 0324 holds a shared-benchmark lead on HumanEval, ahead by 16 points.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 0324 for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 2.2 points.
- 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 $0.20/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek V3 0324
$496
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Novita AI
DeepSeek V4 Flash
$128
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $368. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash is $0.92/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.92/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 0324 | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 0324 | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 0324 | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 76.8 | 79.0 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 87.6 | 88.1 |
| HumanEval | 85.5 | 69.5 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, SWE-bench Verified has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 76.8 and DeepSeek V4 Flash at 79, with DeepSeek V4 Flash ahead by 2.2 points; Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 87.6 and DeepSeek V4 Flash at 88.1, with DeepSeek V4 Flash ahead by 0.5 points; HumanEval has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 85.5 and DeepSeek V4 Flash at 69.5, with DeepSeek V3 0324 ahead by 16 points. The largest visible gap is 16 points on HumanEval, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: DeepSeek V4 Flash, function calling: DeepSeek V4 Flash, tool use: DeepSeek V4 Flash, and structured outputs: DeepSeek V4 Flash. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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 V3 0324 lists $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while DeepSeek V4 Flash lists $0.10/1M input and $0.20/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V4 Flash lower by about $0.40 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 5, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 0324 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and lower 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 V3 0324 or DeepSeek V4 Flash?
DeepSeek V4 Flash supports 1m tokens, while DeepSeek V3 0324 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 V3 0324 or DeepSeek V4 Flash?
DeepSeek V4 Flash is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 0324 costs $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens. DeepSeek V4 Flash costs $0.10/1M input and $0.20/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 0324 or DeepSeek V4 Flash open source?
DeepSeek V3 0324 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 V3 0324 or DeepSeek V4 Flash?
DeepSeek V4 Flash 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 function calling, DeepSeek V3 0324 or DeepSeek V4 Flash?
DeepSeek V4 Flash has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3 0324 and DeepSeek V4 Flash?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is available on Fireworks AI, Microsoft Foundry, and Novita 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: 2026-06-01. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.