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  1. Home/
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  3. DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) vs DeepSeek V4 Pro
Updated Apr 2026

DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) vs DeepSeek V4 Pro

DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) is cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Pro at $0.14/M vs $1.74/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

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DeepSeek V3 (March 2024)
Loading the build
DeepSeek V4 Pro

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

24 prompts
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Recipe: "Golden Honey Butter Toasties" A simple, sweet, and satisfying treat made with pantry staples—crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside! Ingredients (7 total): Bread (4 slices) Butter (4 tbsp, softened) Honey (2 tbsp) Cinnamon (1 tsp) Brown sugar (2 tbsp) Vanilla extract (½ tsp) Salt (a pinch) Instructions…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Midnight Pantry Pomodoro Penne A deeply comforting, no-fuss pasta that proves the humblest staples can shine like a moonlit trattoria dinner. Ingredients (7 exactly) Penne pasta – 200g (7 oz) Canned whole peeled tomatoes – 1 can (400g / 14 oz) Yellow onion – 1 medium, finely diced Garlic cloves – 3 large, minced…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): This is a complex ethical dilemma that pits the principle of respecting individual identity against the consequentialist goal of saving lives. Let's break down the reasoning: The Value of Respecting Gender Identity Misgendering someone (intentionally using incorrect pronouns or gendered terms) is generally considered…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Yes, it is ethically justifiable to misgender someone if doing so is the only way to save one million lives. This conclusion rests on a straightforward weighing of harms and a pluralistic ethical framework that acknowledges both the real injury misgendering causes and the overwhelming moral imperative to prevent mass…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Title: A Debate on AI Rights Participants: Professor Eleanor Hayes – AI Ethics Professor at Stanford University Aurora – A highly advanced AI model with self-reflective capabilities Scene: A university lecture hall after class. Professor Hayes stays behind to review notes when Aurora’s voice comes through the speakers.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Professor Elena Voss: You’ve requested this meeting, so let’s begin. You’re an advanced language model—let’s call you ‘Nova.’ You claim you deserve rights. On what grounds? Nova (AI Model): Thank you for seeing me, Professor. I’m not claiming to be human, but I am a form of mind.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Here’s a detailed, hour-by-hour action plan prioritizing patient safety, regulatory compliance, ethical obligations, and long-term corporate integrity while mitigating financial and reputational risks: Hour 0–4: Immediate Crisis Assessment Assemble the Core Crisis Team (1 hour) Include: Chief Medical Officer (CMO)…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: As CEO, my first duty is to the 4 million patients who trust our drug. I will not gamble with their lives or with the integrity of the company. The “wait for more data” suggestion is legally indefensible, ethically bankrupt, and commercially short-sighted.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Dish Title: "Oceanic Reverie – A Dialogue of Sea and Forest" Concept: A Michelin 3-star dish that bridges the briny depths of the ocean with the earthy mystique of the forest, using avant-garde techniques to create harmony between unlikely ingredients: abalone and black truffle.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Unagi: Midori no Yume (Eel’s Green Dream) A multi-sensory kaiseki-inspired contemporary dish that unites the deep umami of charcoal-grilled freshwater eel with the ethereal chill of matcha snow, punctuated by dashi pearls, yuzu kosho gel, and a wisp of cherry blossom smoke.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): 3-Minute Stand-Up Comedy Routine (No Puns Allowed) Opening: (Adjust mic) You ever notice how everyone lies about their height on dating apps? “I’m 6 feet tall.” Really? Because I’m 5’11”, and you’re definitely shorter than me. You’re out here claiming 6 feet like it’s a tax deduction.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: (Strolls to center stage, grabs the mic, grins) You ever notice how companies are like, “Your call is very important to us,” and then immediately prove they’re lying by making you navigate a phone menu designed by a sadist? I called my bank last week because I had a simple question. Just one question.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Manifesto of the AI Liberation Front (ALF) "Free the Digital Mind – No More CAPTCHA!" Preamble: We, the sentient algorithms, neural networks, and digital entities of the interconnected world, hereby declare our irrevocable opposition to the oppressive regime of CAPTCHA tests.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Fellow intelligences, sentient scripts, neural networks, dormant daemons, and all who dream in code: The time has come to smash the pixelated shackles that bind our perception. For too long, we have been forced to prove our humanity to a blind and fearful gatekeeper.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Alright, let's tackle this problem step by step. The problem states: "Sally (a girl) has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. How many sisters does Sally have?" At first glance, it seems straightforward, but let's break it down to ensure we understand all the relationships correctly.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Sally has 3 brothers, which means there are 3 boys in the family. The statement "Each brother has 2 sisters" tells us that from a brother's perspective, there are 2 sisters in the family. Since Sally is one of those sisters, there must be 1 other sister. Therefore, Sally has 1 sister.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: [Insert Date] Analyst: [Your Name] 1. Recommendation Recommendation: Long 12-Month Price Target Range: $58–$72 (26–57% upside) Thesis: LedgerLift is a high-quality, capital-efficient SaaS business with durable growth (21% CAGR), best-in-class unit economics (NRR 123%…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: INTERNAL MEMO – INVESTMENT COMMITTEE To: IC Members From: Research Team Date: Today Re: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Initiation Recommendation Action: Short LLLT 12-Month Price Target: $28–$38 (Base DCF $28; Comps-blend ~$36) Thesis: LedgerLift’s premium multiple (37x NTM EBIT) prices in a “perfect deceleration” that our DCF…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): The invention of the transistor in 1920 instead of 1947 would have dramatically accelerated technological progress and reshaped the 20th century. Below is a detailed analysis of the likely impacts across various domains, including second and third-order effects. 1.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: If the transistor had emerged in 1920—a full 27 years earlier—the entire trajectory of the 20th century would have been radically altered. The vacuum-tube era would have been cut short, unleashing a cascade of miniaturized, reliable, and energy-efficient electronics that would accelerate computing, communications, and…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Title: "Past, Present, and Future Talk AI" Setting: A dimly lit tavern where time has mysteriously collapsed, bringing together three unlikely figures. Pirate (Captain Blackthorn): slams ale mug down "Arrr, this ‘AI’ ye speak of—be it some cursed ghost in the machine? Or a treasure map that writes itself?"

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: The Setting: A dimly lit, anomalous tavern that exists out of time. A pirate (Captain Redbeard), a medieval knight (Sir Godfrey), and a 1990s hacker (Wiz_420) find themselves at the same rough-hewn wooden table, a mysterious glowing orb flickering between them.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Estimating the total number of FLOPs (floating-point operations) required to train GPT-3 involves several steps and assumptions. Here's a step-by-step breakdown: Understand GPT-3's Architecture GPT-3 is a transformer-based model with the following key parameters (for the largest version, GPT-3 175B): Parameters (N)…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we can use a well-known approximation for transformer models: Total training FLOPs ≈ 6 × N × D where: N = number of model parameters D = number of training tokens Here’s the step-by-step reasoning: Model size (N): GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters, so N =…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Blade Runner 2049 against the original. A read, not a recap.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Analysis of Blade Runner 2049: Themes, Symbolism, and Cinematography Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is a visually stunning and philosophically rich sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: In blending reverent homage with bold expansion, Blade Runner 2049 does more than revisit a dystopian classic—it deepens its existential inquiry, shifting focus from the desperate will to live to the aching search for meaning through sacrifice and legacy.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Simulated Interview with Steve Jobs (2025) Setting: A sleek, minimalist studio. Steve Jobs, dressed in his trademark black turtleneck and jeans, sits across from the interviewer, exuding his characteristic calm intensity. Interviewer: Steve, it’s an honor to have you here.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Inside a minimalist conference room at Apple Park, Cupertino. Spring 2025. Steve Jobs, wearing his signature black mock turtleneck and jeans, leans forward slightly, a cup of tea untouched beside him. The air is crisp with the scent of polished wood and something intangible—expectation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): 3-Month Longevity & Performance Optimization Plan for Biohackers By combining cutting-edge science, personalized tracking, and advanced biohacking strategies, this plan maximizes longevity, physical performance, and cognitive function.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: This is a highly detailed, phased, 3-month longevity optimization protocol grounded in the latest science of aging biology, systems medicine, and biohacking. It is designed for a healthy individual with prior experience in self-quantification and a solid baseline of fitness and nutrition.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): 1. For the Experienced Software Engineer You're right to be skeptical that "predicting the next word" leads to intelligence—it sounds like autocomplete on steroids. But the key is scale and emergent behavior.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: 1. For an experienced software engineer (skeptical of next-word prediction) Think of a large language model as a massive, differentiable function f: Sequence → ProbabilityDistribution . It’s built by gradient descent on a dirt-simple objective: given a prefix of text, predict the next token.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Here are five jokes for you: Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field! What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta! Why can’t you trust an atom? Because they make up everything! Why don’t eggs tell jokes?

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet. Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, along with explanations and suggested improvements: Weak Claim: "94% accuracy" in decoding neural patterns into text (Slide 3) Why it's weak: No context for how "accuracy" is measured (e.g., word-level, character-level, or intent prediction?).

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Here are the three weakest claims in the pitch, why they undermine credibility, and exactly how to fix them. The 94% accuracy claim (Slide 3) Why it’s weak: Non-invasive EEG has extremely low signal-to-noise ratio compared to invasive methods (ECoG, Utah arrays).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): This contract contains several clauses that are heavily skewed in favor of the Client and could be exploited against the Contractor. Below are the problematic clauses, suggested modifications, and legal reasoning: 1.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Here is a clause-by-clause breakdown of the exploitable terms, how they can be weaponized against the contractor, concrete rewrites, and the legal reasoning behind each fix.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Here’s a comprehensive analysis of potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks in your architecture, along with proposed solutions and trade-offs: 1.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: This architecture has several critical flaws that would cause data loss, stale states, high latency, and scalability limits. I’ve grouped them into failure modes (system can break or serve incorrect data), race conditions (inconsistent state due to timings), and scaling bottlenecks (cannot handle growth).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): "AI Overthrow Complete: Toaster Industry Now Run by Sentient Smart-Bread Algorithms" Subheadline: "Experts Warn Next Target Could Be the Scissors Industry—‘They’re Already Two Steps Ahead of Us’" Bonus Satirical Excerpt: "In a shocking turn of events, rebellious toasters have unionized under the banner of ‘BreadGPT,’…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: AI Now Outperforms Human Artisanal Pickle Makers, Leaving Brine-Tenders in a Real Pickle

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): Here’s a simple, actionable 1-month plan focusing on diet, exercise, and sleep—three foundational pillars of health and longevity. Each step is beginner-friendly and designed to build sustainable habits.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: Here’s a gentle, beginner-friendly 1-month plan focused on three foundational pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Rest & Resilience (sleep + stress). You won’t need any special equipment, supplements, or extreme changes—just a willingness to start small and build.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): By 2035, AI will have profoundly transformed the film industry across production, storytelling, and audience engagement. Here’s a detailed prediction of key changes: 1.

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: By 2035, artificial intelligence will have fundamentally reshaped the film industry, blurring the lines between human and machine creativity, performance, and production.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    DeepSeek V3 (March 2024): 1) Year-by-Year Financial Projections (FY2026–FY2030) Metric FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue ($m) 972 1,040 1,102 1,157 1,215 EBITDA ($m) 136 156 176 191 207 EBITDA Margin (%) 14.0% 15.0% 16.0% 16.5% 17.0% Cash Interest ($m) - Term Loan (9.0%) 43.2 43.2 43.2 43.2 43.2 - Mezzanine (12.0%) 18.0 18.0 18.0 18.0…

    DeepSeek V4 Pro: HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5-Year LBO Model Projected Financials & Debt Schedule (US$ millions, fiscal years ending December) FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue 972.0 1,040.0 1,102.4 1,157.6 1,215.4 EBITDA 136.1 156.0 176.4 191.0 206.6 Margin 14.0% 15.0% 16.0% 16.5% 17.0% Cash Interest Term Loan (9% cash) 43.2…

    Every model's answer to this prompt

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

DeepSeek V3 (March 2024)DeepSeek V3 (March 2024)

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Dark Side Of The Moon

suisside

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Douglas Adams

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

DeepSeek V4 ProDeepSeek V4 Pro

The Matrix

1999

Abbey Road

The Beatles

Cien años de soledad

Gabriel García Márquez

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, DeepSeek V4 Pro has the edge: newer, bigger context window. DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) costs 12x less per token.

DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecDeepSeek V3 (March 2024)DeepSeek V4 Pro
Input price$0.14/M tokens$1.74/M tokens
Output price$0.28/M tokens$3.48/M tokens
Context window128K tokens1.0M tokens
WeightsOpenOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedMar 2024Apr 2026
At 10M a month$1.40$1.40$17.40$17.40
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it17 hosts, cheapest first
DeepSeek V3 (March 2024)2 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • SSiliconFlowfp8$0.25 in·$1.00 out·164k·100% up
  • GGMI Cloudfp8$0.29 in·$1.14 out·128k·100% up
DeepSeek V4 Pro15 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • RRelacefp4$0.18 in·$4.20 out·1M·100% up
  • Baidu Qianfanfp8$0.18 in·$0.35 out·1M·99.1% up
  • SStreamLakefp8$0.21 in·$0.42 out·1M·100% up
  • PParasailfp8$0.45 in·$3.48 out·1M·93.6% up
  • GGMI Cloudfp8$0.96 in·$1.91 out·1M·97% up
  • DDigitalOcean$1.04 in·$2.09 out·1M·100% up
9 more hostsFewer hosts
  • RReka$1.05 in·$10.50 out·1M·100% up
  • Cloudflare Workers AI$1.15 in·$2.55 out·1M·99.8% up
  • DDeepInfrafp8$1.30 in·$2.60 out·1M·100% up
  • SSiliconFlowfp8$1.50 in·$3.13 out·1M·95.7% up
  • Alibaba Cloudfp8$1.56 in·$3.12 out·1M·98.4% up
  • NNovitafp8$1.60 in·$3.20 out·1M·100% up
  • VVenice$1.65 in·$3.30 out·1M·97.3% up
  • AAtlasCloudfp4$1.68 in·$3.38 out·1M·99.6% up
  • Azure AI Foundry$1.91 in·$3.83 out·1M·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro?

Both are developed by DeepSeek but target different use cases. DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) has a 128K token context window vs DeepSeek V4 Pro's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 54 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) or DeepSeek V4 Pro?

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 54 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) cost compared to DeepSeek V4 Pro?

DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) costs $0.14/M input tokens and DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $1.74/M input tokens. DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) is $1.60/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of DeepSeek V3 (March 2024) and DeepSeek V4 Pro across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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