DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash leads the LLM Stats Score 51.8 to 14.7. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 2.7x cheaper per token.
DeepSeek · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash leads the overall LLM Stats Score 51.8 to 14.7, ranking #12 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is roughly 2.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,040,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
- overall performance matters — it scores 51.8 and ranks #12 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 2.7x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,040,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026
Choose Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
- you want predictable pricing at $0.89/M input and $0.89/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
20 reported for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash · 18 for Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.22/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash ($0.66/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash has 358.2B more parameters than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct, making it 88.4% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash accepts 1,040,000 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 405B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash can generate longer responses up to 393,216 tokens, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.1 405B Instruct does not.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is licensed under MIT, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash was released on 2026-09-10, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is 26 months newer than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.
Sep 10, 2026
2 days ago
2.1yr newerJul 23, 2024
2.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash is available from Fireworks, DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Fireworks, Bedrock, Together, Hyperbolic, Google, Replicate.
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.