Simulating realistic RAG / search-augmented answers parameters (8,000 in / 500 out with 50% cache reuse). QwQ 32B (Reasoner) delivers a 39% cost reduction over DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner).
Quick answer
For RAG / search-augmented answers, QwQ 32B (Reasoner) is the lower-cost option at $0.00236 per request versus $0.003855 for DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner), a modeled saving of 39%.
Method & trust
The comparison uses 8,000 input tokens, 500 output tokens, and 50% cache reuse for the selected workload. Pricing is applied per model, then scaled to monthly request volumes.
| Traffic Volume Tier | QwQ 32B (Reasoner) Monthly | DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner) Monthly | Monthly Savings by picking QwQ 32B (Reasoner) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 reqs/mo (Dev/Testing) | $2.36 | $3.855 | Save $1.495 / mo |
| 10,000 reqs/mo (Small App) | $23.60 | $38.55 | Save $14.95 / mo |
| 100,000 reqs/mo (Growth Production) | $236.00 | $385.50 | Save $149.50 / mo |
| 1,000,000 reqs/mo (Scale SaaS) | $2,360.00 | $3,855.00 | Save $1,495.00 / mo |
QwQ 32B (Reasoner) is 39% cheaper for RAG / search-augmented answers workloads. At standard RAG / search-augmented answers parameter ratios (8,000 input tokens, 500 output tokens, 50% cache hit), QwQ 32B (Reasoner) costs $0.00236 per request compared to $0.003855 on DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner).
QwQ 32B (Reasoner) offers a context window of 128,000 tokens (max output: 32,768), while DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner) offers 64,000 tokens (max output: 8,000).
At 100,000 requests per month, using QwQ 32B (Reasoner) saves $149.50 every month (or $1,794.00 annually) compared to DeepSeek R1 (Reasoner).
retrieved-context dominates cost — tune top-k and chunk size before switching models. Re-rank and drop marginal chunks; halving context roughly halves input cost. Deduplicate repeated chunks across queries to raise the cache hit rate.