Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Phi-3.5-mini-instructWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 (by DeepSeek) and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct (by Microsoft) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

On price, Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Phi-3.5-mini-instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.1x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instructdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 ($0.09/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 ($0.18/1M tokens) is 1.8x more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Aug 04 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
Input tokens$0.09
Output tokens$0.18
Best providerDeepinfra
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

300.2B diff

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 has 300.2B more parameters than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct, making it 7900.0% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
304.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
3.8Bparameters
304.0B
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
3.8B
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Phi-3.5-mini-instruct's 128,000 tokens. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is limited to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Tue Aug 04 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under MIT.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731

MIT

Open weights

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 was released on 2026-07-31, while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct was released on 2024-08-23.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is 24 months newer than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731

Jul 31, 2026

3 days ago

1.9yr newer
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Aug 23, 2024

1.9 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Novita. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is available from Azure.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.09/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.18/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Microsoft
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
✓ Preferred
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 or Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 (DeepSeek) and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct (Microsoft) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 compare to Phi-3.5-mini-instruct in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 scores Terminal-Bench 2.1: 82.7%, CyberGym: 76.7%, Toolathlon: 70.3%, DSBench-FullStack: 68.7%, DSBench-Hard: 59.6%. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct scores GSM8k: 86.2%, ARC-C: 84.6%, RULER: 84.1%, PIQA: 81.0%, OpenBookQA: 79.2%.

Is DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 cheaper than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 costs $0.09/M input and $0.18/M output via deepinfra. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs $0.10/M input and $0.10/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 supports 1.0M tokens and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($0.09 vs $0.10/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 is developed by DeepSeek and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is developed by Microsoft.

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