DeepSeek V3.1 vs DeepSeek V4
DeepSeek V3.1 (2026) and DeepSeek V4 (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek V3.1 ships a 64K-token context window, while DeepSeek V4 ships a 1M-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing. The goal is to make the tradeoff clear before deeper testing.
DeepSeek V4 fits 16x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and DeepSeek V3.1 for tighter calls.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-01 | 2026-04-24 |
| Context window | 64K | 1M |
| Parameters | — | 1.6T |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | MIT |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3.1 | DeepSeek V4 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.56/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $1.68/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3.1 | DeepSeek V4 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: DeepSeek V3.1, multimodal input: DeepSeek V3.1, reasoning mode: DeepSeek V4, function calling: DeepSeek V4, tool use: DeepSeek V4, and code execution: DeepSeek V3.1. Both models share structured outputs, 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: DeepSeek V3.1 has $0.56/1M input tokens and DeepSeek V4 has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 6 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose DeepSeek V4 when reasoning depth and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V3.1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V4 supports 1M tokens, while DeepSeek V3.1 supports 64K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is DeepSeek V3.1 or DeepSeek V4 open source?
DeepSeek V3.1 is listed under Open Source. DeepSeek V4 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 vision, DeepSeek V3.1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V3.1 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 V3.1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V3.1 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.
Which is better for reasoning mode, DeepSeek V3.1 or DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V4 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.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3.1 and DeepSeek V4?
DeepSeek V3.1 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Fireworks AI, NVIDIA NIM, Together AI, and AWS Bedrock. DeepSeek V4 is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.