All Budget Models Compared
The cheapest AI models with 1M context windows, ranked by input price.
| Model | Provider | Tier | Input (per 1M) | Output (per 1M) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | Budget | $0.10 | $0.40 | 1M | |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | DeepSeek | Budget | $0.14 | $0.28 | 1M |
| Llama 4 Scout | Meta | Budget | $0.18 | $0.59 | 1M |
| GPT-5 mini | OpenAI | Budget | $0.25 | $2.00 | 272K |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | Budget | $0.435 | $0.87 | 1M |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Anthropic | Budget | $1.00 | $5.00 | 200K |
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Which Should You Choose?
Chatbot / Customer Support
High volume, short responses. Output-heavy. Cost per message matters most.
RAG Pipeline / Classification
Large input contexts, short responses. Input-heavy workloads. Classification, extraction, tagging.
Content Generation
Long outputs, summarization, writing. Output tokens dominate. Cost per generation matters most.
Code Generation
Mixed input/output. Longer outputs for code. Both handle most coding tasks well.
Long Document Analysis
Processing large documents with minimal output. Input-heavy. Both have 1M context.
Claude 4 Migration
Switching from Claude 4 Opus ($15/$75) or Sonnet 4 ($3/$15) after retirement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4 Flash or Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite?
It depends on your usage. Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite has cheaper input at $0.10/1M tokens (vs DeepSeek's $0.14 — 29% savings), but DeepSeek V4 Flash has cheaper output at $0.28/1M tokens (vs Gemini's $0.40 — 30% savings). For input-heavy workloads like RAG pipelines and classification, Gemini Flash wins. For output-heavy workloads like content generation and chatbots, DeepSeek V4 Flash wins.
Can I use these as a Claude 4 replacement?
Yes. Both are excellent Claude 4 alternatives at a fraction of the cost. Claude 4 Opus costs $15/$75 per 1M tokens. DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14/$0.28 is 99% cheaper. Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite at $0.10/$0.40 is 99% cheaper on input. Both have 1M context windows (vs Claude 4's 200K). The tradeoff is quality — Claude 4 Opus is more capable, but for many tasks these budget models are sufficient.
What is the cheapest AI API with 1M context window?
Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite at $0.10/$0.40 per 1M tokens is the cheapest 1M-context model. DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14/$0.28 is close behind and cheaper on output. Both beat Claude Haiku 4.5 ($1/$5, 200K context) and GPT-5 mini ($0.25/$2.00, 272K context) on price while offering 4-5x more context.
DeepSeek V4 Flash vs Gemini Flash for chatbots?
For high-volume chatbots, DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14/$0.28 is generally better because chatbot responses are output-heavy and DeepSeek's output pricing is 30% cheaper ($0.28 vs $0.40). For input-heavy chatbots (long system prompts, large context), Gemini Flash at $0.10/$0.40 saves 29% on input. Both have 1M context windows, enough for any conversation.
Are DeepSeek and Gemini Flash available worldwide?
Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite is available globally through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. DeepSeek V4 Flash is available through DeepSeek's API and some third-party providers. Gemini has broader availability through Google Cloud. Check APIpulse's provider pages for current availability and regional restrictions.
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