DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero vs DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small: Live Promos, Pricing, Hidden Fees & Latency
Verified 2026 FinOps benchmark comparing DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero (deepseek/deepseek-r1-zero) vs DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small (deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small). Simulate cache read multipliers, context cliffs, MAU bills, and P90 latency.
DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero (deepseek/deepseek-r1-zero) — Automatic Disk KV Cache (0.05/1M) & Off-Peak Promo
DeepSeek-V4 Pro (1.6T MoE) automatically caches repeated 64-token prompt prefixes on NVMe storage at $0.022/1M off-peak input tokens (vs $0.66 off-peak base) with zero code changes required, plus off-peak UTC scheduling discounts.
DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small (deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small) — Automatic Disk KV Cache (0.006/1M) & Off-Peak Promo
DeepSeek-V4 Pro (1.6T MoE) automatically caches repeated 64-token prompt prefixes on NVMe storage at $0.022/1M off-peak input tokens (vs $0.66 off-peak base) with zero code changes required, plus off-peak UTC scheduling discounts.
In Etuki October 2026 FinOps telemetry comparing DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero (API ID: deepseek/deepseek-r1-zero) vs DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small (API ID: deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small), DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small offers lower standard input pricing at $0.06/1M tokens ($0.18/1M output), while DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small leads in cached prefix economics at $0.006/1M tokens (90% discount). DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero achieves a 0ms faster P90 time-to-first-token latency (195ms vs 195ms).
Gateway-synced rate ($0.5/$2 per 1M, flat 128K window). Verify upstream provider cache TTL and regional routing before high-volume batch runs.
Gateway-synced rate ($0.06/$0.18 per 1M, flat 64K window). Verify upstream provider cache TTL and regional routing before high-volume batch runs.
| Specification / FinOps Dimension | DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero | DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small | Verified Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Vendor API ID | deepseek/deepseek-r1-zero | deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small | Pinned Snapshot IDs |
| Standard Input / Output (per 1M) | $0.5 / $2 | $0.06 / $0.18 | DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small |
| Cache Read Price (per 1M) | $0.05/1M (90% Off) | $0.006/1M (90% Off) | DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small |
| Context Window / Max Output | 128K In / 64K Out | 64K In / 64K Out | DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero |
| P90 First-Token / Edge Latency | 195ms | 195ms | DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero (-0ms) |
DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero (deepseek/deepseek-r1-zero): OpenRouter gateway-synced model at $0.5/1M input, $2/1M output, $0.05/1M cached input (128K context window).
DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small (deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small): OpenRouter gateway-synced model at $0.06/1M input, $0.18/1M output, $0.006/1M cached input (64K context window).
Real-Time Stack Cost & Hidden-Fee Simulator (MAU / Token / Egress / GMV)
Calibrated with Reddit r/FinOps & r/devops telemetry: Includes Context Caching, Bandwidth Egress, and MoR Tax
⚡Switch from DeepSeek Deepseek R1 Zero to DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small
DeepSeek Deepseek Vl2 Small (deepseek/deepseek-vl2-small): OpenRouter gateway-synced model at $0.06/1M input, $0.18/1M output, $0.006/1M cached input (64K context window). Verified P90 latency of 195ms.