DeepSeek V3 vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8
DeepSeek V3 (2024) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 (2025) are compact production models from DeepSeek and AI at Meta. DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 ships a 1M-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input tokens versus $0.15/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
DeepSeek V3 is ~50% cheaper at $0.1/1M; pay for Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 only for long-context analysis.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-12-26 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 64k | 1M |
| Parameters | 671B | 17B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-04 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | $0.6/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: DeepSeek V3 and tool use: DeepSeek V3. 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 lists $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lists $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3 lower by about $0.13 per million blended tokens. Availability is 12 providers versus 7, 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 Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 when long-context analysis 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 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 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 Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 costs $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 open source?
DeepSeek V3 is listed under Open Source. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is listed under Open Source. 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 function calling, DeepSeek V3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
DeepSeek V3 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for tool use, DeepSeek V3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
DeepSeek V3 has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If tool use 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 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
DeepSeek V3 is available on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, Microsoft Foundry, and OpenRouter. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Together AI, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, and DeepInfra. 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.