Qwen3.8 Max
No extra published tiers, cache components, Batch rates, or time-based rates are listed.
Qwen3.8 Max vs DeepSeek V4 Pro API Pricing
Compare verified published API prices for Qwen3.8 Max and DeepSeek V4 Pro. This page compares price, not output quality.
Verified Oct 28, 2026, Qwen3.8 Max lists input at $2.00 and output at $6.00 per 1M tokens, while DeepSeek V4 Pro lists $1.32 input and $3.96 output. DeepSeek V4 Pro is 34% cheaper on input. DeepSeek V4 Pro is 34% cheaper on output. This is a comparison of published prices only, not output quality.
| Model | Input $/1M | Cached input $/1M | Output $/1M | Source | Last verified How we verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3.8 Max | $2.00 | $0.25 | $6.00 | Official source | Oct 28, 2026 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | $1.32 | $0.044 | $3.96 | Official source | Oct 27, 2026 |
Prices from official provider pages, verified on the date shown.
Published rates
Side-by-side API pricing
| Field | Qwen3.8 Max | DeepSeek V4 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Alibaba | DeepSeek |
| Input / 1M | $2.00 | $1.32 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.25 | $0.044 |
| Output / 1M | $6.00 | $3.96 |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Release date | Not listed | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Official source How we verify | Alibaba pricing ↗ | DeepSeek pricing ↗ |
Standard token prices
Which is cheaper depends on your input:output ratio
Costs below allocate 1M total tokens across each input:output ratio. They use standard prices only, without cache or Batch discounts.
| Input:output ratio | Qwen3.8 Max | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Cheaper published price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:1 (RAG / long context) | $2.36 | $1.56 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by 34% |
| 3:1 (chat) | $3.00 | $1.98 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by 34% |
| 1:1 | $4.00 | $2.64 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by 34% |
| 1:3 (long generation) | $5.00 | $3.30 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by 34% |
Computed examples
Monthly cost for real workloads
| Workload | Assumed volume | Qwen3.8 Max | DeepSeek V4 Pro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side project | 10,000 requests/month | $34.00 | $22.44 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by $11.56 (34%) |
| Customer support chatbot | 10,000 conversations/month | $308.10 | $203.35 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by $104.75 (34%) |
| Agent task | 1,000 tasks/month | $43.20 | $28.51 | DeepSeek V4 Pro by $14.69 (34%) |
Assumptions
- Side project: 10,000 requests per month, with 800 input and 300 output tokens per request.
- Customer support chatbot: 10,000 conversations, with 6 replies per conversation, 600 system tokens, 90 user-message tokens, 1,000 retrieved-context tokens, 180 output tokens per reply, and 50% history carry.
- Agent task: 1,000 tasks, with 8 calls per task and 1,500 input plus 400 output tokens per call.
- All three rows use standard non-cached, non-batch prices and exclude retries, tools, storage, and taxes.
Provider conditions
Pricing rules that can change the answer
DeepSeek V4 Pro
Time-based pricing
Rates are selected by request time in UTC.
- off peak: input $0.66, cached input $0.022, output $1.98 per 1M tokens.
- peak: input $1.32, cached input $0.044, output $3.96 per 1M tokens.
Official pricing notes: Higher-capability DeepSeek tier with 1M context and 384K max output. DeepSeek uses time-based pricing. This estimate uses the peak rate; off-peak rates are 50% lower.
Verified changes
Price history
First observed on Oct 28, 2026; Alibaba Qwen did not publish an effective date. Alibaba Qwen added Qwen3.8 Max with published input $2.00 and output $6.00 per 1M tokens.
View this update in the price monitor
Operational costs
Cheaper per token is not always cheaper per task
Retries, failed calls, fallback requests, and longer outputs can raise the cost of completing a task even when the published token price is lower. Model the effect with the LLM Retry & Fallback Cost Calculator, read the cost-per-successful-task guide, or estimate a migration with the Model Switch Cost Calculator.
Primary evidence and next steps
Related
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Qwen3.8 Max cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Pro?
DeepSeek V4 Pro is 34% cheaper on input. DeepSeek V4 Pro is 34% cheaper on output. This compares published list prices, not output quality.
How much do Qwen3.8 Max and DeepSeek V4 Pro cost for 10,000 requests a month?
At 800 input and 300 output tokens per request, Qwen3.8 Max costs about $34.00 and DeepSeek V4 Pro costs about $22.44 at standard list prices.
Which is cheaper for input-heavy workloads like RAG?
At a 10:1 input-to-output token ratio, Qwen3.8 Max costs $2.36 and DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $1.56 per 1M total tokens. DeepSeek V4 Pro by 34%.
Where do these prices come from?
The prices come from Alibaba and DeepSeek official pricing sources, verified on Oct 28, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026, respectively.
See the pricing verification methodology and AI API pricing dataset.