DeepSeek V4 Pro vs GPT-6 Astra
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
DeepSeek V4 Pro (DeepSeek) and GPT-6 Astra (OpenAI), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.
Specs and pricing
 DeepSeek V4 Pro |  GPT-6 Astra | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | OpenAI |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥341.32 | ¥1,717.72 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥684.42 | ¥8,588.62 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥684 | ¥6,012 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Release date | 4/24/2026 | 9/4/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | file, image, text |
| Arena · overall | #55 · ELO 1,458 | Unranked |
| Arena · Japanese | #21 · ELO 1,462 | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #63 · ELO 1,502 | Unranked |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, DeepSeek V4 Pro: ¥684.42 per 1M output tokens, 92% less than GPT-6 Astra.
- For long documents, GPT-6 Astra: a 1,050,000-token context window against 1,048,576 for DeepSeek V4 Pro.
- If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.
Real answers to the same prompts
Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.
DeepSeek V4 Pro
The word is "strawberry". Let's count the occurrences of the letter 'r' step by step:
1. Write the word: s t r a w b e r r y
2. Examine each character:
- s: not an 'r'
- t: not an 'r'
- r: is an 'r' → count 1
- a: not an 'r'
- w: not an 'r'
- b: not an 'r'
- e: not an 'r'
- r: is an 'r' → count 2
- r: is an 'r' → count 3
- y: not an 'r'
3. Total number of 'r's = 3.
Therefore, there are **3** 'r's in "strawberry".
7.3s1136 output tokens
GPT-6 Astra
“strawberry” is spelled **s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y**.
The letter **r** appears in positions **3, 8, and 9**, so there are **3 r’s**.
3.8s85 output tokens
Debug This Error
I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…
DeepSeek V4 Pro
The error is occurring because `users` is `undefined` when the component renders, and you're trying to call `.map()` on it. This typically happens when the data hasn't been loaded yet or wasn't passed correctly to the component.
## Here are several ways to fix this:
### 1. **Add a default value with empty array (Simplest fix)**
```javascript
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
### 2. **Add a conditional check**
```javascript
function UserList({ users }) {
if (!users) {
return <div>No users found</div>;
}
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}<…
6.9s442 output tokens
GPT-6 Astra
The error means **`users` is `undefined` when React renders `UserList`**, so calling `users.map(...)` fails. This commonly happens when the parent doesn’t pass the prop or when data hasn’t finished loading.
### 1. Default `users` to an empty array
If an absent prop should mean “no users,” use a default value:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
```
This handles a missing or `undefined` prop, but **not `null` or other non-array values**.
### 2. Check where the prop comes from
Make sure the parent passes an array. For data loaded asynchronously, initialize state to…
6.7s380 output tokens
Code Review
Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…
DeepSeek V4 Pro
Here’s a review of your `get_data` function, highlighting issues and suggesting improvements.
## Overall Observations
- The function works but has several readability, robustness, and maintainability issues.
- Imports are inside the function, bare `except` hides errors, and the filtering logic is not Pythonic.
- No type hints or docstring, making it harder to use and understand.
## Specific Improvements
### 1. Move Imports to the Top of the Module
**Why:** Imports inside a function are executed every time the function is called, which is slightly slower and violates PEP 8 style guidelines.
**Before:**
```python
def get_data(url, retries=3):
import requests
import time
# ...
`…
40.5s2277 output tokens
GPT-6 Astra
The function is compact, but its biggest issue is that **all failures silently become `[]`**, making an unavailable API indistinguishable from a successful response with no active items.
### Suggested improvements
- **Move imports to module scope** for clarity and conventional organization.
- **Avoid bare `except:`.** It catches everything, including `KeyboardInterrupt`, and hides bugs such as missing dictionary keys.
- **Retry only transient failures**, such as connection errors, timeouts, rate limiting, and selected server errors. Retrying a `401` or `404` usually won’t help.
- **Don’t sleep after the final failed attempt.** Use exponential backoff rather than a fixed delay.
- **Use desc…
19.2s965 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4 Pro or GPT-6 Astra?
- Per 1M output tokens, DeepSeek V4 Pro is ¥684.42 and GPT-6 Astra is ¥8,588.62 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so DeepSeek V4 Pro is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of DeepSeek V4 Pro and GPT-6 Astra compare?
- DeepSeek V4 Pro takes 1,048,576 tokens; GPT-6 Astra takes 1,050,000.
- Can I use DeepSeek V4 Pro and GPT-6 Astra with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "deepseek-v4-pro" or "gpt-6-astra" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.
Try both on one API key
Create an account and add credit to call DeepSeek V4 Pro and GPT-6 Astra from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.