DeepSeek V3 0324 vs Mixtral 8x7B
DeepSeek V3 0324 (2025) and Mixtral 8x7B (2023) are compact production models from DeepSeek and MistralAI. DeepSeek V3 0324 ships a 160k-token context window, while Mixtral 8x7B ships a 32k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, DeepSeek V3 0324 leads by 32.8 pts. On pricing, Mixtral 8x7B costs $0.15/1M 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.
Mixtral 8x7B is ~80% cheaper at $0.15/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3 0324 only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Long context | Coding and Classification |
| Context window | 160k | 32k |
| Cheapest output | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 18 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 2 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 0324 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 32.8 points.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 0324 for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
- Mixtral 8x7B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.45/1M tokens.
- Mixtral 8x7B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Mixtral 8x7B for Coding and Classification.
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
Mixtral 8x7B
$233
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Mistral AI Studio
Estimated monthly gap: $264. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Fireworks AI and Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Mixtral 8x7B is $0.67/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Provider overlap exists on Fireworks AI and Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.67/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-03-24 | 2023-12-11 |
| Context window | 160k | 32k |
| Parameters | 671B | 8x7B |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Mixtral 8x7B |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 87.6 | 54.8 |
| HumanEval | 85.5 | 80.5 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 87.6 and Mixtral 8x7B at 54.8, with DeepSeek V3 0324 ahead by 32.8 points; HumanEval has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 85.5 and Mixtral 8x7B at 80.5, with DeepSeek V3 0324 ahead by 5 points. The largest visible gap is 32.8 points on Google-Proof Q&A, 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 is close: both models cover the core production surface. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, DeepSeek V3 0324 lists $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Mixtral 8x7B lists $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Mixtral 8x7B lower by about $0.29 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 18, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 0324 when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Mixtral 8x7B when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice 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 Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek V3 0324 supports 160k tokens, while Mixtral 8x7B supports 32k 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 Mixtral 8x7B?
Mixtral 8x7B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 0324 costs $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens. Mixtral 8x7B costs $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 0324 or Mixtral 8x7B open source?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is listed under MIT. Mixtral 8x7B 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.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3 0324 and Mixtral 8x7B?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is available on Fireworks AI, Microsoft Foundry, and Novita AI. Mixtral 8x7B is available on Databricks Foundation Model Serving, NVIDIA NIM, GCP Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, and OctoAI API (Deprecated). Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick DeepSeek V3 0324 over Mixtral 8x7B?
Mixtral 8x7B is ~80% cheaper at $0.15/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3 0324 only for long-context analysis. If your workload also depends on long-context analysis, start with DeepSeek V3 0324; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Mixtral 8x7B.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.