DeepSeek V4 Pro vs DeepSeek V4 Flash: which API costs less?
Averaged across three realistic workloads, DeepSeek V4 Flash is about 69% cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Pro. Below: raw rates and side-by-side monthly costs, computed from prices verified 2026-07-05 (we track what you are billed today, promos included).
Rates per 1M tokens
| Model | Input | Output | Cached input |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4 ProDeepSeek | $0.435 | $0.870 | $0.015 |
| DeepSeek V4 FlashDeepSeek | $0.140 | $0.280 | $0.003 |
DeepSeek V4 Flash: Najtansza opcja w zestawieniu.
Monthly cost, side by side
| Workload | DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4 Flash | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Customer-support chatbot 2M input + 0.5M output tokens/month, 60% of input served from prompt cache | $0.800 | $0.255 | DeepSeek V4 Flash −68% |
RAG / document Q&A 20M input + 1M output tokens/month, 70% cached (shared context) | $3.68 | $1.16 | DeepSeek V4 Flash −69% |
Agentic coding assistant 50M input + 5M output tokens/month, 80% cached (long sessions) | $9.28 | $2.91 | DeepSeek V4 Flash −69% |
Your traffic looks different? Run your own numbers in the calculator.
FAQ
Which is cheaper: DeepSeek V4 Pro or DeepSeek V4 Flash?
Across three realistic workloads (chatbot, RAG, agent), DeepSeek V4 Flash works out about 69% cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Pro on average. Raw rates: DeepSeek V4 Pro $0.435/$0.870 per 1M tokens vs DeepSeek V4 Flash $0.140/$0.280. Verified 2026-07-05.
Does prompt caching change the comparison?
Yes — cached input costs $0.015 on DeepSeek V4 Pro and $0.003 on DeepSeek V4 Flash. Our scenario numbers already include realistic cache hit rates.
Is cheaper always better?
No. Price is one axis — model capability, context window and latency differ. This page answers only the cost question; benchmark quality on your own tasks before switching.