DeepSeek V3 vs Qwen3.5-35B-A3B
DeepSeek V3 (2024) and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and Alibaba. DeepSeek V3 ships a 64k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B ships a 262K-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input tokens versus $0.16/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
DeepSeek V3 is ~63% cheaper at $0.1/1M; pay for Qwen3.5-35B-A3B only for reasoning depth.
Specs
| Released | 2024-12-26 | 2026-02-24 |
| Context window | 64k | 262K |
| Parameters | 671B | 35B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-04 | - |
Pricing and availability
| DeepSeek V3 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $0.16/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | $1.3/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| DeepSeek V3 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Qwen3.5-35B-A3B. 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 $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B lists $0.16/1M input and $1.3/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek V3 lower by about $0.34 per million blended tokens. Availability is 12 providers versus 1, 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 Qwen3.5-35B-A3B 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. 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. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek V3 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B supports 262K 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. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V3 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek V3 costs $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-35B-A3B costs $0.16/1M input and $1.3/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek V3 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B open source?
DeepSeek V3 is listed under Open Source. Qwen3.5-35B-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 reasoning mode, DeepSeek V3 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B 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 Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Both DeepSeek V3 and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B expose function calling. 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 and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
DeepSeek V3 is available on DeepInfra, Fireworks AI, DeepSeek Platform, Microsoft Foundry, and OpenRouter. Qwen3.5-35B-A3B is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.