DeepSeek V3.1 vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
DeepSeek V3.1 (2025) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B (2025) are compact production models from DeepSeek and Alibaba. DeepSeek V3.1 ships a 64k-token context window, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B ships a not-yet-sourced context window. On pricing, Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M 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.
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is ~177% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek V3.1 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3.1 | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Vision | Classification and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 64k | — |
| Cheapest output | $1/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 8 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3.1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek V3.1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek V3.1 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3.1 for Coding, Agents, and Vision.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.78/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B for 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 V3.1
$466
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Novita AI
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
$273
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $193. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on AWS Bedrock and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is $0.22/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on AWS Bedrock and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3.1 is $0.22/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- DeepSeek V3.1 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-08-21 | 2025-12-01 |
| Context window | 64k | — |
| Parameters | 671B total, 37B active (MoE) | 80B (3B active) |
| Architecture | 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 | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3.1 | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.27/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3.1 | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | 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 vision: DeepSeek V3.1, multimodal input: DeepSeek V3.1, 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.
For cost, DeepSeek V3.1 lists $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B lower by about $0.19 per million blended tokens. Availability is 8 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B 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. 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 is cheaper, DeepSeek V3.1 or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.27/1M input and $1/1M output tokens. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3.1 or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B open source?
DeepSeek V3.1 is listed under MIT. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B 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 V3.1 or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
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 Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
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 structured outputs, DeepSeek V3.1 or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Both DeepSeek V3.1 and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run DeepSeek V3.1 and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
DeepSeek V3.1 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Fireworks AI, NVIDIA NIM, Together AI, and AWS Bedrock. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is available on AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, Venice AI, and Novita AI. 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.