tokevenDeepSeekvsAlibaba (Qwen)
DeepSeek V3 vs Qwen 3.8 Max
Side-by-side comparison of pricing, task quality, and projected cost at higher scale.
Pricing
Side-by-side pricing
DeepSeek V3
Mid-tierQwen 3.8 Max
FlagshipInput $/MTok
$0.27
$2.00
Output $/MTok
$1.10
$6.00
Cache discount
74% off
88% off
Context
164K
1M
Quality
Task confidence comparison
Confidence score from zero to one hundred by task type, where higher is better.
Code Generation
0
vs
0
Code Review
0
vs
0
Summarization
0
vs
0
Q&A
0
vs
0
Extraction
0
vs
0
Reasoning
0
vs
0
Classification
0
vs
0
Creative Writing
0
vs
0
DeepSeek V3
Qwen 3.8 Max
Guidance
When to use DeepSeek V3 vs Qwen 3.8 Max
Choose DeepSeek V3 when...
- -Cost matters: 87% cheaper on input tokens
Choose Qwen 3.8 Max when...
- -You need a larger context window (1M vs 164K)
- Similar performance; consider provider preference or ecosystem fit.
At scale
Cost at scale
Estimated cost assuming a seventy percent input and thirty percent output token split.
DeepSeek V3
Qwen 3.8 Max
100K tokens
$0.05Cheaper
$0.32
1M tokens
$0.52Cheaper
$3.20
10M tokens
$5.19Cheaper
$32.00
FAQ
When should I use DeepSeek V3 instead of Qwen 3.8 Max?
DeepSeek V3 and Qwen 3.8 Max perform similarly across all tracked tasks. Pick based on pricing and provider preference.
Is Qwen 3.8 Max cheaper than DeepSeek V3?
Qwen 3.8 Max input costs $2.00/MTok, which is 641% more than DeepSeek V3 at $0.27/MTok.
What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek V3 and Qwen 3.8 Max?
DeepSeek V3 has a 164K token context window. Qwen 3.8 Max has a 1M 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 DeepSeek V3 and Qwen 3.8 Max 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.