DeepSeek V3 vs Llama 3.1 405B
DeepSeek V3 (2024) and Llama 3.1 405B (2024) are compact production models from DeepSeek and AI at Meta. DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window, while Llama 3.1 405B ships a 128k-token context window. On HumanEval, Llama 3.1 405B leads by 3.5 pts. 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 safer overall; choose Llama 3.1 405B when long-context analysis matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents and provider-routed production | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Classification | Coding, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 64k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 13 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 5 rows | HumanEval leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek V3 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Chatbot Arena, ahead by 74 points.
- DeepSeek V3 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek V3 uniquely exposes Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek V3 for Coding, Agents, and Classification.
- Llama 3.1 405B holds a shared-benchmark lead on HumanEval, ahead by 3.5 points.
- Llama 3.1 405B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Llama 3.1 405B for Coding, Long context, and Classification.
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
Llama 3.1 405B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for DeepSeek V3 and Llama 3.1 405B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 3.1 405B and DeepSeek V3; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- DeepSeek V3 adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-12-26 | 2024-07-23 |
| Context window | 64k | 128k |
| Parameters | 671B | 405B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Llama 3 Community |
| Openness | Open source | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-04 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek V3 | Llama 3.1 405B |
|---|---|---|
| HumanEval | 85.5 | 89.0 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1302.0 | 1228.0 |
| Mostly Basic Programming Problems+ | 76.0 | 77.5 |
| HellaSwag | 95.7 | 95.8 |
| Massive Multitask Language Understanding | 88.5 | 88.6 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, HumanEval has DeepSeek V3 at 85.5 and Llama 3.1 405B at 89, with Llama 3.1 405B ahead by 3.5 points; Chatbot Arena has DeepSeek V3 at 1302 and Llama 3.1 405B at 1228, with DeepSeek V3 ahead by 74 points; Mostly Basic Programming Problems+ has DeepSeek V3 at 76 and Llama 3.1 405B at 77.5, with Llama 3.1 405B ahead by 1.5 points. The largest visible gap is 74 points on Chatbot Arena, 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 function calling: DeepSeek V3, tool use: DeepSeek V3, and structured outputs: DeepSeek V3. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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 has $0.10/1M input tokens and Llama 3.1 405B has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 13 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 when provider fit and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 3.1 405B 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V3 or Llama 3.1 405B?
Llama 3.1 405B supports 128k 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.
Is DeepSeek V3 or Llama 3.1 405B open source?
DeepSeek V3 is listed under MIT. Llama 3.1 405B is listed under Llama 3 Community. 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 3.1 405B?
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 3.1 405B?
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.
Which is better for structured outputs, DeepSeek V3 or Llama 3.1 405B?
DeepSeek V3 has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs 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 3.1 405B?
DeepSeek V3 is available on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, Microsoft Foundry, and OpenRouter. Llama 3.1 405B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. 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.