DeepSeek V3 vs DeepSeek V4 Pro
DeepSeek V3 (2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek. DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window, while DeepSeek V4 Pro ships a 1m-token context window. On MMLU PRO, DeepSeek V4 Pro leads by 11.6 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek V3 costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.43/1M 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 is ~335% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for DeepSeek V4 Pro only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Classification | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 64k | 1m |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | $0.87/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 13 tracked | 5 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 5 rows | MMLU PRO leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 holds a shared-benchmark lead on HumanEval, ahead by 8.7 points.
- DeepSeek V3 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek V3 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 for Coding, Agents, and Classification.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 11.6 points.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V4 Pro for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek V3
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Bitdeer AI
DeepSeek V4 Pro
$566
Cheapest tracked route/tier: DeepSeek Platform
Estimated monthly gap: $411. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on DeepSeek Platform, Fireworks AI, and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro is $0.57/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro adds Reasoning in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek V3 is $0.57/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.43/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | $0.87/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 75.9 | 87.5 |
| LiveCodeBench | 49.6 | 93.5 |
| HumanEval | 85.5 | 76.8 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1302.0 | 1460.0 |
| Massive Multitask Language Understanding | 88.5 | 90.1 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has DeepSeek V3 at 75.9 and DeepSeek V4 Pro at 87.5, with DeepSeek V4 Pro ahead by 11.6 points; LiveCodeBench has DeepSeek V3 at 49.6 and DeepSeek V4 Pro at 93.5, with DeepSeek V4 Pro ahead by 43.9 points; HumanEval has DeepSeek V3 at 85.5 and DeepSeek V4 Pro at 76.8, with DeepSeek V3 ahead by 8.7 points. The largest visible gap is 43.9 points on LiveCodeBench, 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 reasoning mode: DeepSeek V4 Pro. Both models share function calling, tool use, and 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 lists $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while DeepSeek V4 Pro lists $0.43/1M input and $0.87/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3 lower by about $0.41 per million blended tokens. Availability is 13 providers versus 5, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek V3 when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose DeepSeek V4 Pro 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 or DeepSeek V4 Pro?
DeepSeek V4 Pro supports 1m tokens, while DeepSeek V3 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 or DeepSeek V4 Pro?
DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 costs $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens. DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.43/1M input and $0.87/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 or DeepSeek V4 Pro open source?
DeepSeek V3 is listed under MIT. DeepSeek V4 Pro 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 reasoning mode, DeepSeek V3 or DeepSeek V4 Pro?
DeepSeek V4 Pro 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.
Which is better for function calling, DeepSeek V3 or DeepSeek V4 Pro?
Both DeepSeek V3 and DeepSeek V4 Pro expose function calling. 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 and DeepSeek V4 Pro?
DeepSeek V3 is available on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, Microsoft Foundry, and OpenRouter. DeepSeek V4 Pro is available on DeepSeek Platform, Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, and Novita AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.