DeepSeek V4.1 Flash vs Llama Guard 4 12B
Price and specs side by side · USD per 1M tokens · verified 2026-10-23
// side by side
| metric | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|
| input / 1M | $0.20 | $0.18 |
| output / 1M | $0.60 | $0.18 |
| blended (3:1) | $0.30 | $0.18 |
| cache read / 1M | $0.006 | — |
| context | 1.05M | 163.8K |
| max output | 384K | 163.8K |
| input types | text · image | text · image |
| reasoning | yes | no |
| tool calling | yes | no |
| structured output | yes | no |
| open weights | yes | yes |
| released | 2026-09-10 | 2025-04-29 |
| knowledge cutoff | 2025-05 | n/a |
| lab | DeepSeek | Meta |
// monthly cost scenarios
| workload | tokens in / out | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|
| Chatbot | 10M / 2M | $3.20 | $2.16 |
| RAG app | 50M / 5M | $13.00 | $9.90 |
| Coding agent | 20M / 10M | $10.00 | $5.40 |
// verdict
- Llama Guard 4 12B is 40% cheaper than DeepSeek V4.1 Flash on a blended 3:1 input/output basis.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash has the larger context window (1.05M vs 163.8K tokens).
- Only DeepSeek V4.1 Flash supports built-in reasoning.
- Only DeepSeek V4.1 Flash supports tool calling.
- Only DeepSeek V4.1 Flash supports structured output.
- Chatbot (10M input / 2M output tokens per month): Llama Guard 4 12B costs $2.16 vs $3.20 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, saving $1.04 per month.
- RAG app (50M input / 5M output tokens per month): Llama Guard 4 12B costs $9.90 vs $13.00 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, saving $3.10 per month.
- Coding agent (20M input / 10M output tokens per month): Llama Guard 4 12B costs $5.40 vs $10.00 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, saving $4.60 per month.
// DeepSeek V4.1 Flash or Llama Guard 4 12B: which one to choose
- Choose Llama Guard 4 12B for cost-sensitive, high-volume workloads.
- Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash for long documents and large codebases (1.05M-token context).
- Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash if you need built-in reasoning.
- Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash if you need tool calling.
- Choose DeepSeek V4.1 Flash if you need structured output.