DeepSeek V3 0324 vs Qwen3.5-9B
DeepSeek V3 0324 (2025) and Qwen3.5-9B (2026) are general-purpose language models from DeepSeek and Alibaba. DeepSeek V3 0324 ships a 160K-token context window, while Qwen3.5-9B ships a 262K-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, DeepSeek V3 0324 leads by 5.9 pts. On pricing, Qwen3.5-9B costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.27/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Qwen3.5-9B is ~170% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3 0324 only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Long context | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 160K | 262K |
| Cheapest output | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 1 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 0324 leads the largest shared benchmark signal on Google-Proof Q&A by 5.9 points.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 0324 for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
- Qwen3.5-9B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.5-9B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.15/1M tokens.
- Qwen3.5-9B uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-9B for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
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
Qwen3.5-9B
$118
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $379. 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 Qwen3.5-9B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Qwen3.5-9B is $0.97/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Qwen3.5-9B adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3.5-9B and DeepSeek V3 0324; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- DeepSeek V3 0324 is $0.97/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-03-24 | 2026-03-02 |
| Context window | 160K | 262K |
| Parameters | 671B | 9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Open Source | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.12/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| 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
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 0324 | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 87.6 | 81.7 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has DeepSeek V3 0324 at 87.6 and Qwen3.5-9B at 81.7, with DeepSeek V3 0324 ahead by 5.9 points. The largest visible gap is 5.9 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 differs most on vision: Qwen3.5-9B, multimodal input: Qwen3.5-9B, function calling: Qwen3.5-9B, tool use: Qwen3.5-9B, and structured outputs: Qwen3.5-9B. 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 Qwen3.5-9B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3.5-9B lower by about $0.41 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 0324 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-9B when long-context analysis, 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 Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B supports 262K 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 Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 0324 costs $0.27/1M input and $1.12/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-9B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 0324 or Qwen3.5-9B open source?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is listed under Open Source. Qwen3.5-9B 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 vision, DeepSeek V3 0324 or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, DeepSeek V3 0324 or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input 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 Qwen3.5-9B?
DeepSeek V3 0324 is available on Fireworks AI, Microsoft Foundry, and Novita AI. Qwen3.5-9B is available on Together AI, OpenRouter, and Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.