DeepSeek V3.1 vs Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
DeepSeek V3.1 (2025) and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and Google DeepMind. DeepSeek V3.1 ships a 64k-token context window, while Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) ships a 131k-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input tokens versus $0.50/1M 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 V3.1 is ~85% cheaper at $0.27/1M; pay for Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3.1 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps and multimodal apps |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Vision | Long context and Vision |
| Context window | 64k | 131k |
| Cheapest output | $1/1M tokens | $60/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 8 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3.1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V3.1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek V3.1 uniquely exposes Structured outputs and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3.1 for Coding, Agents, and Vision.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) for Long context and Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek V3.1
$466
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Novita AI
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
$15,400
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
Estimated monthly gap: $14,934. 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 V3.1 and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is $59/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) adds Reasoning in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) and DeepSeek V3.1; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $59/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- DeepSeek V3.1 adds Structured outputs and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-08-21 | 2026-05-28 |
| Context window | 64k | 131k |
| Parameters | 671B total, 37B active (MoE) | — |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | MITOSI-approved | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3.1 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1/1M tokens | $60/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3.1 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), structured outputs: DeepSeek V3.1, and code execution: DeepSeek V3.1. Both models share vision and multimodal input, 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 V3.1 lists $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) lists $0.50/1M input and $60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3.1 lower by about $17.86 per million blended tokens. Availability is 8 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V3.1 or Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)?
Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) supports 131k 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.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V3.1 or Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)?
DeepSeek V3.1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) costs $0.50/1M input and $60/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3.1 or Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) open source?
DeepSeek V3.1 is listed under MIT. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is listed under Proprietary. 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 Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)?
Both DeepSeek V3.1 and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, DeepSeek V3.1 or Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)?
Both DeepSeek V3.1 and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3.1 and Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)?
DeepSeek V3.1 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Fireworks AI, NVIDIA NIM, Together AI, and AWS Bedrock. Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) is available on Google AI Studio. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.