Can I run Babbage 002 or DeepSeek V3 cheaper on another provider?

Some models are available on inference providers like Together AI, Groq, and Fireworks AI at lower prices. Check each model's pricing page for the full provider comparison.

What is the context window difference between Babbage 002 and DeepSeek V3?

DeepSeek V3 has a larger context window at 131K tokens vs 16K. This matters for long documents, large codebases, and extended conversation histories.

Compare

Babbage 002 vs DeepSeek V3

Pricing is only the shared seller matrix below. Best rates and catalog map are separate sections, so no chart is embedded in pricing. Open the calculator for the same workload on each side.

Other

Model

Babbage 002

Best $0.400 in · $0.400 out

Context window 16K

Pricing

Deepseek

Model

DeepSeek V3

Tool calling

Best $0.140 in · $0.200 out

Context window 131K

Pricing

DeepSeek V3 is 30% cheaper on input. Babbage 002 is 4% cheaper on output. The best choice depends on your input/output ratio.

Estimate cost

Pricing matrix

Shared sellers only. Each row is a host that lists both models. Dollar amounts are per 1M tokens. Lowest in each pair of columns is emphasized.

Provider	Babbage 002 in	Babbage 002 out	DeepSeek V3 in	DeepSeek V3 out
Azure	N/A	N/A	$1.14	$4.56
DeepInfra	N/A	N/A	$0.380	$0.890
Deepseek	N/A	N/A	$0.280	$0.420
Fireworks AI	N/A	N/A	$0.900	$0.900
Hyperbolic	N/A	N/A	$0.200	$0.200
Nebius	N/A	N/A	$0.500	$1.50
Novita	N/A	N/A	$0.400	$1.30
Openrouter	N/A	N/A	$0.140	$0.280
Replicate	N/A	N/A	$1.45	$1.45
Text Completion Openai	$0.400	$0.400	N/A	N/A
Together AI	N/A	N/A	$1.25	$1.25
Vercel Ai Gateway	N/A	N/A	$0.900	$0.900

Best listed rates (this pair)

Same "best row in current pricing" logic as model pages: a compact view of the lowest input and output we show for each side. This is not the seller matrix.

Catalog map · Other · Deepseek

Each chart uses real catalog rows that include both list input and list output ($/1M). Larger green dots are the models on this comparison page; accent dots are other active models from that provider.

Other · input vs output

Scatter chart: X = input $/M, Y = output $/M. This page's models are labeled on the green dots; hover others for detail.

ListedoutputUSD/1M

One dot per catalog row that has both list prices. Green dots are labeled with the models on this page; hover any dot for name and prices. Upper-right means higher cost on both axes ($/1M).

Deepseek · input vs output

ListedoutputUSD/1M

One dot per catalog row that has both list prices. Green dots are labeled with the models on this page; hover any dot for name and prices. Upper-right means higher cost on both axes ($/1M).

Specifications

Each column header is the full model name. Tint marks the favorable value where we compute a winner.

Spec

Babbage 002

DeepSeek V3

Context window: 16,384 tokens; 131,072 tokens
Max output tokens: 4,096 tokens; 8,192 tokens
Vision: No; No
Function calling: No; Yes
Streaming: No; No
Release date: N/A; Dec 2024

Cost calculator

Same requests, input tokens, and output tokens for both columns. Pick the provider row that matches how you buy.

Babbage 002

DeepSeek V3

Requests / day

Input tokens

Output tokens

Babbage 002

Monthly

$180

Annual

$2.2K

DeepSeek V3

Monthly

$84

Annual

$1.0K

Save $96/month with DeepSeek V3

When to pick which

Short takeaways: no cards, just the points. Validate with your own workloads.

Long-context tasks
Use DeepSeek V3. Its 131K context window handles large codebases and documents better than 16K.
High-volume text generation
Use Babbage 002. Output tokens are 4% cheaper, which compounds significantly at scale.
Long output (reports, code files)
Use DeepSeek V3. Its 8K max output limit reduces the need to split requests.

Frequently asked questions

DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on input tokens, while Babbage 002 is cheaper on output. The best choice depends on your input/output ratio.

More comparisons

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