Llama 3.2 3B vs DeepSeek R1 0528

Compare Llama 3.2 3B and DeepSeek R1 0528: 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 Llama 3.2 3B DeepSeek R1 0528
CategoryCompactReasoning
Parameters3B671B
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.006/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Output Price$0.012/1M tokens$0.15/1M tokens
Latency~40ms~800ms

Choose Llama 3.2 3B when:

  • ✓ Mobile apps
  • ✓ Edge inference
  • ✓ Preprocessing
Key Strengths:

Ultra-small, Edge-ready, Minimal latency

Choose DeepSeek R1 0528 when:

  • ✓ Calculation verification
  • ✓ Classical text analysis
  • ✓ Quality-critical
Key Strengths:

Improved accuracy, Reduced hallucination, Strong math

Verdict: Llama 3.2 3B vs DeepSeek R1 0528

For cost efficiency, Llama 3.2 3B wins at $0.006/1M input tokens. For speed, Llama 3.2 3B is faster at ~40ms. Llama 3.2 3B excels at Mobile apps while DeepSeek R1 0528 is better for Calculation verification. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Llama 3.2 3B costs $0.006/1M input tokens and $0.012/1M output tokens. DeepSeek R1 0528 costs $0.08 input and $0.15 output. Llama 3.2 3B is 13.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Llama 3.2 3B has a 128K context window with ~40ms latency. DeepSeek R1 0528 offers 128K context at ~800ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

Llama 3.2 3B (Compact) is optimized for: Mobile apps, Edge inference, Preprocessing. DeepSeek R1 0528 (Reasoning) works best for: Calculation verification, Classical text analysis, Quality-critical.

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 Llama 3.2 3B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-3-2-3b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use DeepSeek R1 0528
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-r1-0528",
    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, Llama 3.2 3B or DeepSeek R1 0528?

Llama 3.2 3B (Compact, 3B) offers Ultra-small. DeepSeek R1 0528 (Reasoning, 671B) offers Improved accuracy. Choose Llama 3.2 3B for Mobile apps or DeepSeek R1 0528 for Calculation verification.

How much does Llama 3.2 3B cost vs DeepSeek R1 0528?

Llama 3.2 3B: $0.006/1M input, $0.012/1M output. DeepSeek R1 0528: $0.08/1M input, $0.15/1M 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 Llama 3.2 3B and DeepSeek R1 0528 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.