Compare

DeepSeek V3 vs Qwen-Max

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.

Deepseek

Model

DeepSeek V3

Tool calling

Best $0.140 in · $0.200 out

Context window 131K

Pricing
Alibaba

Model

Qwen-Max

Tool calling

Best $1.04 in · $4.16 out

Context window 31K

Pricing

DeepSeek V3 is cheaper across the board — 73% cheaper on input and 89% cheaper on output.

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.

ProviderDeepSeek V3 inDeepSeek V3 outQwen-Max inQwen-Max out
Alibaba CloudN/AN/A$1.60$6.40
Azure$1.14$4.56N/AN/A
DeepInfra$0.380$0.890N/AN/A
Deepseek$0.280$0.420N/AN/A
Fireworks AI$0.900$0.900N/AN/A
Hyperbolic$0.200$0.200N/AN/A
Nebius$0.500$1.50N/AN/A
Novita$0.400$1.30N/AN/A
Openrouter$0.140$0.280$1.04$4.16
Replicate$1.45$1.45N/AN/A
Together AI$1.25$1.25N/AN/A
Vercel Ai Gateway$0.900$0.900N/AN/A

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 · Deepseek · Alibaba

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.

Deepseek · 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).

Alibaba · 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
DeepSeek V3
Qwen-Max
Context window
131,072 tokens
30,720 tokens
Max output tokens
8,192 tokens
8,192 tokens
Vision
No
No
Function calling
Yes
Yes
Streaming
No
No
Release date
Dec 2024
Feb 2025

Cost calculator

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

DeepSeek V3
Monthly
$84
Annual
$1.0K
Qwen-Max
Monthly
$1.4K
Annual
$17.5K
Save $1.4K/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 30K.

  • High-volume text generation

    Use DeepSeek V3. Output tokens are 89% cheaper, which compounds significantly at scale.

Frequently asked questions

DeepSeek V3 is cheaper on both input and output tokens.

More comparisons

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