tokevenClaudevsDeepSeek
Claude Opus 4.6 vs DeepSeek V3
Side-by-side comparison of pricing, task quality, and projected cost at higher scale.
Pricing
Side-by-side pricing
Claude Opus 4.6
FlagshipDeepSeek V3
Mid-tierInput $/MTok
$5.00
$0.27
Output $/MTok
$25.00
$1.10
Cache discount
90% off
74% off
Context
1M
164K
Quality
Task confidence comparison
Confidence score from zero to one hundred by task type, where higher is better.
Code Generation
61
vs
0
Code Review
0
vs
0
Summarization
62
vs
0
Q&A
0
vs
0
Extraction
73
vs
0
Reasoning
89
vs
0
Classification
0
vs
0
Creative Writing
66
vs
0
Claude Opus 4.6
DeepSeek V3
Guidance
When to use Claude Opus 4.6 vs DeepSeek V3
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when...
- -You need a larger context window (1M vs 164K)
- Similar performance; consider provider preference or ecosystem fit.
Choose DeepSeek V3 when...
- -Cost matters: 95% cheaper on input tokens
At scale
Cost at scale
Estimated cost assuming a seventy percent input and thirty percent output token split.
Claude Opus 4.6
DeepSeek V3
100K tokens
$1.10
$0.05Cheaper
1M tokens
$11.00
$0.52Cheaper
10M tokens
$110.00
$5.19Cheaper
FAQ
When should I use Claude Opus 4.6 instead of DeepSeek V3?
Claude Opus 4.6 and DeepSeek V3 perform similarly across all tracked tasks. Pick based on pricing and provider preference.
Is DeepSeek V3 cheaper than Claude Opus 4.6?
Yes. DeepSeek V3 input costs $0.27/MTok vs $5.00/MTok for Claude Opus 4.6, saving 95% on input.
What are the context window sizes for Claude Opus 4.6 and DeepSeek V3?
Claude Opus 4.6 has a 1M token context window. DeepSeek V3 has a 164K token context window.
Go deeper on either model
Per-call cost calculators, provider lineups, and price history for both models on this page.
Other comparisons
How Claude Opus 4.6 and DeepSeek V3 stack up against the rest of the field.
Track your real costs
Comparisons show estimated costs at list price. The dashboard reveals your real spend and savings.