Key facts
- DeepSeek's V4-Flash AI model is the cheapest to run among well-known global models, according to Artificial Analysis.
- V4-Flash costs $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens.
- Artificial Analysis estimated V4-Flash's average cost at 3 cents per test, compared to 86 cents for Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 and $1.86 for OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol.
- The V4-Flash model scored 50 out of 100 on Artificial Analysis's Intelligence Index, matching Google's Gemini 3.6 Flash.
- Alibaba has unveiled its Qwen3.8-Max AI model.
A version of Chinese startup DeepSeek's flagship AI model, V4-Flash, is significantly cheaper to run than its well-known global competitors, according to research firm Artificial Analysis. The model, officially released on Friday, charges $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens. Artificial Analysis estimated V4-Flash's average cost at 3 cents per test, a fraction of the cost for models from rivals such as Moonshot AI, OpenAI, and Anthropic.
This comparison accounts for the processing steps required to complete a task, offering a more realistic measure of value than headline pricing alone. DeepSeek's V4-Flash model achieved a score of 50 out of 100 on Artificial Analysis's Intelligence Index, which combines results from nine benchmarks. This score is equal to Google's Gemini 3.6 Flash and slightly behind Meta's Muse Spark 1.1 and Z.AI's GLM-5.2. However, Moonshot's Kimi K3 scored higher at 57, and Anthropic's Claude Opus 5 and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 scored even higher.
DeepSeek, known for offering ultra-low-cost AI alternatives, is also preparing a more powerful version, V4-Pro. The company was once a dominant force in Chinese AI development but now faces competition from numerous domestic startups and tech giants like ByteDance and Alibaba, all vying for global adoption by businesses seeking scalable and affordable AI solutions. Separately, Alibaba announced its largest and most capable AI model to date, Qwen3.8-Max.