DeepSeek V3 vs DeepSeek V3.1

Compare DeepSeek V3 and DeepSeek V3.1: 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 V3 DeepSeek V3.1
CategoryOpen SourceOpen Source
Parameters671B (37B active)685B (37B active)
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.05/1M tokens$0.06/1M tokens
Output Price$0.09/1M tokens$0.10/1M tokens
Latency~400ms~400ms

Choose DeepSeek V3 when:

  • ✓ API response generation
  • ✓ High-volume processing
  • ✓ Code
Key Strengths:

MoE efficiency, Strong coding, Good structured output

Choose DeepSeek V3.1 when:

  • ✓ Production apps
  • ✓ Content generation
  • ✓ Multi-language
Key Strengths:

Improved quality, Better safety, Stronger multilingual

Verdict: DeepSeek V3 vs DeepSeek V3.1

For cost efficiency, DeepSeek V3 wins at $0.05/1M input tokens. For speed, DeepSeek V3.1 is faster at ~400ms. DeepSeek V3 excels at API response generation while DeepSeek V3.1 is better for Production apps. 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 V3 costs $0.05/1M input tokens and $0.09/1M output tokens. DeepSeek V3.1 costs $0.06 input and $0.10 output. DeepSeek V3 is 1.2x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

DeepSeek V3 has a 128K context window with ~400ms latency. DeepSeek V3.1 offers 128K context at ~400ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

DeepSeek V3 (Open Source) is optimized for: API response generation, High-volume processing, Code. DeepSeek V3.1 (Open Source) works best for: Production apps, Content generation, Multi-language.

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 V3
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-v3",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use DeepSeek V3.1
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-v3-1",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, DeepSeek V3 or DeepSeek V3.1?

DeepSeek V3 (Open Source, 671B (37B active)) offers MoE efficiency. DeepSeek V3.1 (Open Source, 685B (37B active)) offers Improved quality. Choose DeepSeek V3 for API response generation or DeepSeek V3.1 for Production apps.

How much does DeepSeek V3 cost vs DeepSeek V3.1?

DeepSeek V3: $0.05/1M input, $0.09/1M output. DeepSeek V3.1: $0.06/1M input, $0.10/1M 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 V3 and DeepSeek V3.1 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.