DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) vs o3
Complete pricing and performance comparison between DeepSeek's DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) and OpenAI's o3.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat)
7.1x cheaper input, 19.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
o3
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
o3
Score: 38 vs 32
Faster
o3
72 vs 34 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) | o3 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.28 | $2 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) is 86% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $0.42 | $8 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) is 95% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 200K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 8K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) | o3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 32 | 38 | o3 |
| Output Speed | 34 tok/s | 72 tok/s | o3 |
| Time to First Token | 1.50s | 8.62s | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) |
| Value (Quality/$) | 114.6 | 19.2 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) | o3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0004 | $0.0044 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $0.0040 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0041 | $0.044 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $0.040 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.041 | $0.440 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $0.399 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.406 | $4.40 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $3.99 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $4.06 | $44.00 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $39.94 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $406.00 | $4400.00 | DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) saves $3994.00 |
Pros & Cons
DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o3 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (72 vs 34 tok/s)
- +Higher quality score (38 vs 32)
When to Use Each Model
Choose DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Choose o3 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) or o3?
For input tokens, DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) is 7.1x cheaper at $0.28/1M tokens. For output tokens, DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) is 19.0x cheaper at $0.42/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) costs $0.406 vs o3 at $4.40.
What's the context window difference?
DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while o3 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o3 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) scores 32 vs o3 at 38. Speed: DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) generates 34 tok/s vs o3 at 72 tok/s. Time to first token: DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) at 1.50s vs o3 at 8.62s.
When should I choose DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) over o3?
Choose DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o3 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (72 vs 34 tok/s), Higher quality score (38 vs 32).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) = $4.06, o3 = $44.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): DeepSeek V3.2 (Chat) = $32.20, o3 = $280.00.
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