DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast vs Qwen3.6 35B A3B

As of November 12, 2026, Qwen3.6 35B A3B and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast cost the same per input token ($0.05 per 1M), but Qwen3.6 35B A3B costs 167% more per output token ($0.40 vs $0.15) and has a 256K-token context window versus 1M.

Prices from LiteLLM's price fileChecked November 12, 2026

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast vs Qwen3.6 35B A3B side by side

Headline prices in US dollars per 1M tokens: each model's own lab where it sells it, otherwise its cheapest provider. Source: LiteLLM model price file, as of November 12, 2026.
	DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast	Qwen3.6 35B A3B
Input, per 1M tokens	$0.05	$0.05
Output, per 1M tokens	$0.15	$0.40
Cache read, per 1M tokens	$0.003	$0.02
Cache write, per 1M tokens	–	–
Context window	1,048,576 tokens	262,144 tokens
Max output	262,144 tokens	262,144 tokens
Image input	No	Yes
Tool calling	Yes	Yes
Structured output (JSON)	Yes	Yes
Prompt caching	Yes	Yes
Reasoning	Yes	Yes
Providers on LiteLLM	4	12
Price shown is from	Refuseless	Sail
Added to LiteLLM	September 29, 2026	June 2026

Cheapest provider for each

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast: Refuseless at $0.05 input and $0.15 output per 1M tokens (refuseless/deepseek-v4.1-flash-fast)
Qwen3.6 35B A3B: Sail at $0.05 input and $0.40 output per 1M tokens (sail/Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B)

When to pick which

Pick DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast for

Costs 63% less per output token: $0.15 vs $0.40 per 1M.
Larger context window: 1,048,576 vs 262,144 tokens.

Pick Qwen3.6 35B A3B for

Supports image input, which DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast doesn't list.
Available from 12 providers through LiteLLM, vs 4.

From differences in the data above only; where the data is equal, no reason is given.

Call DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast or Qwen3.6 35B A3B with LiteLLM

Both use the OpenAI format through LiteLLM, so switching is a model name change. Set each provider's API key in the environment first.

Python SDK

from litellm import completion

messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]

# DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast
response = completion(model="refuseless/deepseek-v4.1-flash-fast", messages=messages)

# Qwen3.6 35B A3B
response = completion(model="sail/Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B", messages=messages)

# DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast, falling back to Qwen3.6 35B A3B if the call fails
response = completion(model="refuseless/deepseek-v4.1-flash-fast", messages=messages, fallbacks=["sail/Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B"])

FAQ

Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast or Qwen3.6 35B A3B?

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast is cheaper at 3 input tokens per output token: $0.075 per 1M tokens blended ($0.05 input, $0.15 output), versus $0.1375 ($0.05 and $0.40) for Qwen3.6 35B A3B, as of November 12, 2026.

Which has the larger context window, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast or Qwen3.6 35B A3B?

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast has the larger context window: 1,048,576 tokens, versus 262,144 for Qwen3.6 35B A3B.

Can I switch from DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast to Qwen3.6 35B A3B without changing my code?

Yes. Through LiteLLM both use the OpenAI format, so switching means changing the model name from "refuseless/deepseek-v4.1-flash-fast" to "sail/Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B", or pointing a LiteLLM gateway model alias at the other model. You can also use one as a fallback for the other.