Union Alpha vs DeepSeek V4 Flash
Union Alpha is a free anonymous multimodal preview; DeepSeek V4 Flash is a cheap, paid, text-only model with published pricing and a disclosed vendor.
Quick verdict
Union Alpha wins on cost (zero) and image input during the preview. DeepSeek V4 Flash wins on predictability, listed pricing and long-running production use.
Side-by-side comparison
| Field | Union Alpha | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Undisclosed (stealth) | DeepSeek |
| Context window | 262K tokens | 1.31M tokens |
| Input / 1M | $0 | $0.060 |
| Output / 1M | $0 | $0.120 |
| Modalities | Text, Vision | Text |
| Best for | Agents, Long Context, Multimodal, Free | Budget, Long Context |
Cost estimates
| Workload | Input | Output | Union Alpha | DeepSeek V4 Flash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick test | 20,000 | 5,000 | $0 | $0.002 |
| Product chat month | 500,000 | 125,000 | $0 | $0.045 |
| Document batch | 5,000,000 | 1,000,000 | $0 | $0.420 |
Estimates use list input/output prices and exclude cache discounts, provider surcharges and tool fees.
Choose Union Alpha if
- ✓You want free inference for experiments now
- ✓You need vision input on a budget of zero
- ✓You do not need vendor guarantees
Choose DeepSeek V4 Flash if
- ✓You want a known per-million price and no anonymous dependency
- ✓You need stable throughput for a running workload
- ✓Text-only is enough
FAQ
Is Union Alpha cheaper than DeepSeek V4 Flash?
Union Alpha costs $0 input and $0 output per 1M tokens. DeepSeek V4 Flash costs $0.060 input and $0.120 output per 1M tokens.
Which model has the larger context window?
Union Alpha offers 262K tokens; DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.31M tokens. Provider-specific limits can vary by route.
Which one should I choose?
Union Alpha wins on cost (zero) and image input during the preview. DeepSeek V4 Flash wins on predictability, listed pricing and long-running production use.
Pricing and context data are based on a 2026-09-17 snapshot. Provider limits and pricing can change; verify on OpenRouter before production.