DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 vs Gemini 3.8 Flash: Live Promos, Pricing, Hidden Fees & Latency
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017) — 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 $0.07/1M input tokens (50% off $0.14 base) with zero code changes required, plus off-peak UTC scheduling discounts.
Gemini 3.8 Flash (gemini-3.8-flash) — Google AI Startup Credits ($350K) & 75% Cache Promo
Google DeepMind is currently subsidizing Gemini 4 Argon at 50% off standard rates ($2.00/1M input & $10.00/1M output instead of $4/$20) until November 30, 2026, alongside 95% off Context Caching ($0.10/1M) and up to $350,000 in Google for Startups Cloud/Vertex AI credits.
In Etuki October 2026 FinOps telemetry comparing DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (API ID: deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017) vs Gemini 3.8 Flash (API ID: gemini-3.8-flash), DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 offers lower standard input pricing at $0.07/1M tokens ($0.14/1M output), while DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 leads in cached prefix economics at $0.006/1M tokens (75% discount). DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 achieves a 0ms faster P90 time-to-first-token latency (270ms vs 270ms).
Official token rate is $0.07/$0.14 with $0.006/1M disk-KV cache hit. Built-in Search & Fetch API calls are billed separately at $0.75 per 1,000 requests.
⚠️ Intro Rate Expiration: Official $0.75/$3.75 (Cache $0.15/1M) introductory pricing ends 2026-12-31, increasing to $1.50/$7.50 in Jan 2027.
| Specification / FinOps Dimension | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | Gemini 3.8 Flash | Verified Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Vendor API ID | deepseek-v4.1-flash-1017 | gemini-3.8-flash | Pinned Snapshot IDs |
| Standard Input / Output (per 1M) | $0.07 / $0.14 | $0.75 / $3.75 | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 |
| Cache Read Price (per 1M) | $0.006/1M (75% Off) | $0.15/1M (75% Off) | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 |
| Context Window / Max Output | 1000K In / 128K Out | 1000K In / 128K Out | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 |
| P90 First-Token / Edge Latency | 270ms | 270ms | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (-0ms) |
DeepSeek Oct 17, 2026 Pareto coding update ("Wish-Driven Programming"): 77.0% on DeepSWE v1.1, 60.5% Automation-Bench, $0.07/$0.14 ($0.006 Cache Hit) + Search/Fetch API ($0.75/1K).
Google high-speed multimodal model at official Intro Price of $0.75/$3.75 (Cache Read $0.15/1M) valid through Dec 31, 2026; reprices to $1.50/$7.50 in 2027.
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 V4.1 Flash 1017 to Gemini 3.8 Flash
Google high-speed multimodal model at official Intro Price of $0.75/$3.75 (Cache Read $0.15/1M) valid through Dec 31, 2026; reprices to $1.50/$7.50 in 2027. Verified P90 latency of 270ms.