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DeepSeek vs Particle.AI
Particle.AI resells DeepSeek Flash models through Vercel AI Gateway, with V4 Flash 0731 at $0.14 in and $0.28 out. DeepSeek's own API offers V4.1 Flash, V4 Pro and off-peak pricing.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
DeepSeek vs Particle.AI: key differences
Particle.AI serves DeepSeek's weights, so this is a comparison of two routes to the same Flash models. Through Vercel AI Gateway, Particle lists DeepSeek V4.1 Flash at $0.25 in and $1 out with about 157 tokens per second, and GLM 5.3 Flash, all at 1M context with $0.03 cache reads. DeepSeek's own V4.1 Flash is $0.30 in and $1.20 out at peak, and exactly half that off-peak.
So Particle is cheaper during DeepSeek's peak hours, and DeepSeek is cheaper off-peak. Particle also lists DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 at $0.14 in and $0.28 out, and Vercel users need no new contract. DeepSeek direct adds V4 Pro, reasoning effort settings and up to 384K output, but stores hosted data in China. Particle is a very early company with a tiny catalog and a 3.5 second latency on its V4.1 Flash listing. Many teams will put both behind a gateway and route by price and hour.
What DeepSeek and Particle.AI do
DeepSeek
DeepSeek is the Chinese lab whose open-weight models reset price expectations for the whole market. Its API now serves two models, both with 1M context and 384K max output. V4.1 Flash shipped September 10, 2026 with built-in image understanding at $0.30 in and $1.20 out at peak. V4 Pro, generally available since August 13, costs $1.32 in and $3.96 out at peak. Cache hits cost a few cents per million or less, and the weights ship on Hugging Face under an MIT license.
Example models: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, DeepSeek V4 Pro
Full DeepSeek profile
Particle.AI
Particle AI is an early San Francisco infrastructure startup with a mission to make intelligence as cheap and abundant as electricity. The team works on post-training, inference optimization and distributed systems, all aimed at pushing down cost per unit of intelligence. It is still hiring its founding team and works fully in person. Public detail about funding and founders is thin as of this writing.
Example models: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash
Full Particle.AI profileShould you choose DeepSeek or Particle.AI?
DeepSeek
Choose DeepSeek for
- Off-peak Flash calls below Particle's price
- V4 Pro and long outputs up to 384K
- Getting DeepSeek releases from the source
Particle.AI
Choose Particle.AI for
- Cheaper DeepSeek Flash during DeepSeek's peak hours
- Vercel users who want no new contract
- A $0.28 output rate on V4 Flash 0731
DeepSeek vs Particle.AI at a glance
| Attribute | DeepSeek |  Particle.AI |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights (MIT) | Open weights |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, V4 Pro | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash |
| Speed | ~35 tok/s on V4 Pro | ~157 tok/s on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash |
| Price | Off-peak hours at half price | $0.10 in, $0.40 out (GLM 5.3 Flash) |
| Customization | Open weights to fine-tune | Unknown |
| Deployment | First-party API, Hugging Face weights | Via Vercel AI Gateway |
| Long context | 1M, 384K max output | 1M |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DeepSeek and Particle.AI?
Particle.AI resells DeepSeek Flash models through Vercel AI Gateway, with V4 Flash 0731 at $0.14 in and $0.28 out. DeepSeek's own API offers V4.1 Flash, V4 Pro and off-peak pricing.
When should I choose DeepSeek over Particle.AI?
Off-peak Flash calls below Particle's price; V4 Pro and long outputs up to 384K; Getting DeepSeek releases from the source.
When should I choose Particle.AI over DeepSeek?
Cheaper DeepSeek Flash during DeepSeek's peak hours; Vercel users who want no new contract; A $0.28 output rate on V4 Flash 0731.
Is DeepSeek or Particle.AI cheaper?
DeepSeek: Off-peak hours at half price. Particle.AI: $0.10 in, $0.40 out (GLM 5.3 Flash). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, DeepSeek or Particle.AI?
DeepSeek: 1M, 384K max output. Particle.AI: 1M.
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