# DeepSeek's V4-Flash is the cheapest major AI model to run

> DeepSeek's V4-Flash runs over 100 times cheaper than Anthropic's Claude Fable 5.

*Artificial Analysis found it costs just 3 cents per test, versus $3.15 for Claude Fable 5.*

By Behzad Hosseini · FeaturedDaily
Canonical: https://featureddaily.com/news/deepseek-s-v4-flash-is-the-cheapest-major-ai-model-to-run

**What happened:** DeepSeek released V4-Flash on 31 July. Research firm Artificial Analysis found it is by far the cheapest well-known AI model to run, according to [Reuters via Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/deepseeks-ai-model-far-cheapest-054143251.html).

**The numbers:** V4-Flash costs 3 cents per test on average, against 86 cents for Moonshot's Kimi K3, $1.86 for OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol, and $3.15 for Anthropic's Claude Fable 5. That makes it more than 100 times cheaper than Fable 5. List price sits at $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens.

**The context:** Artificial Analysis measures cost per test, not just list price, because a model that looks cheap per token can still end up pricier if it needs many more steps to reach the right answer, according to [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/deepseek-v4-flash-cheapest-ai-model-to-run).

**The catch:** Cheap doesn't mean best. V4-Flash scores 50 out of 100 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, level with Google's Gemini 3.6 Flash and a point behind Meta's Muse Spark 1.1 and Z.ai's GLM-5.2. Kimi K3 scores 57. Claude Opus 5, Fable 5 and GPT-5.6 all lead by at least nine points.

**The details:** V4-Flash is a mixture-of-experts model with about 284 billion total parameters, only around 13 billion active per request. It uses hybrid attention and supports a 1 million token context window.

**Why it matters:** For routine, high-volume tasks, price is becoming the deciding factor. Chinese labs keep pushing that price towards zero.

**Who's affected:** DeepSeek is reportedly preparing for a possible IPO. Its R1 model triggered a global tech sell-off in early 2025.

**What's next:** Buyers weighing routine AI workloads now have a far cheaper option, even as top-tier accuracy still sits with pricier models like Fable 5 and GPT-5.6.

## Key takeaways

- V4-Flash averages 3 cents per benchmark test, far below rivals
- Scores 50/100 on Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, behind top models
- DeepSeek reportedly weighing an IPO after R1's 2025 market shock

## Sources

- [DeepSeek's new AI model is by far the cheapest of well-known models to run, research firm says](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/deepseeks-ai-model-far-cheapest-054143251.html) — Reuters via Yahoo Finance, 2026-08-03
- [DeepSeek's V4-Flash is the cheapest well-known AI model to run, research firm finds](https://thenextweb.com/news/deepseek-v4-flash-cheapest-ai-model-to-run) — The Next Web, 2026-08-03