DeepSeek V3 0324 vs Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
DeepSeek V3 0324 (2025) and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) are compact production models from DeepSeek and AI at Meta. DeepSeek V3 0324 ships a 160k-token context window, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is ~170% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3 0324 only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Long context | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 160k | 8k |
| Cheapest output | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 0324 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 0324 for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.10/1M tokens.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite uniquely exposes Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite for Agents, 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 V3 0324
$496
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Novita AI
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $391. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for DeepSeek V3 0324 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is $1.02/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and DeepSeek V3 0324; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 is $1.02/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-03-24 | 2025-07-15 |
| Context window | 160k | 8k |
| Parameters | 671B | 8B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Llama 3 Community |
| Openness | Open source | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2024-03 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| 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
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite, tool use: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite, and structured outputs: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite. 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 Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lower by about $0.43 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 0324 when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit 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 Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?
DeepSeek V3 0324 supports 160k tokens, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite supports 8k 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 Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 0324 costs $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite costs $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 0324 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite open source?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is listed under MIT. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. 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 function calling, DeepSeek V3 0324 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite 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.
Which is better for tool use, DeepSeek V3 0324 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If 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 V3 0324 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is available on Fireworks AI, Microsoft Foundry, and Novita AI. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite 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.