DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B vs Molmo 72B

Compare DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B and Molmo 72B: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.

Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology

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Feature DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B Molmo 72B
CategoryReasoningVision
Parameters32B72B
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.04/1M tokens
Output Price$0.06/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Latency~250ms~350ms

Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B when:

  • ✓ Production reasoning
  • ✓ Analysis
  • ✓ Structured tasks
Key Strengths:

Good reasoning, Moderate cost, Fast

Choose Molmo 72B when:

  • ✓ Visual grounding
  • ✓ Object detection
  • ✓ Research
Key Strengths:

Fully open, Good pointing/grounding, Transparent

Verdict: DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B vs Molmo 72B

For cost efficiency, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B wins at $0.03/1M input tokens. For speed, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B is faster at ~250ms. DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B excels at Production reasoning while Molmo 72B is better for Visual grounding. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B costs $0.03/1M input tokens and $0.06/1M output tokens. Molmo 72B costs $0.04 input and $0.08 output. DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B is 1.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B has a 128K context window with ~250ms latency. Molmo 72B offers 128K context at ~350ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (Reasoning) is optimized for: Production reasoning, Analysis, Structured tasks. Molmo 72B (Vision) works best for: Visual grounding, Object detection, Research.

Try Both on XALEN

Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:

from xalen import XALEN

client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")

# Use DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-r1-distill-32b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use Molmo 72B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="molmo-72b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

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Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B or Molmo 72B?

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B (Reasoning, 32B) offers Good reasoning. Molmo 72B (Vision, 72B) offers Fully open. Choose DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B for Production reasoning or Molmo 72B for Visual grounding.

How much does DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B cost vs Molmo 72B?

DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B: $0.03/1M input, $0.06/1M output. Molmo 72B: $0.04/1M input, $0.08/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.

Can I use both models on XALEN?

Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between DeepSeek R1 Distill 32B and Molmo 72B by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.