Alternatives

# Cheaper DeepSeek Alternatives in October 2026

> The strongest lower-cost alternative to DeepSeek as of October 2026 is MiMo-V2.6-Flash from Xiaomi: 5.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 5.7× cheaper per token; open weights. Compared against DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek's current top model.
- Canonical page: https://noometry.com/alternatives/deepseek/cheaper
- Last updated: 2026-10-10
- Title: Cheaper DeepSeek Alternatives (October 2026) | Noometry

The strongest lower-cost alternative to DeepSeek as of October 2026 is MiMo-V2.6-Flash from Xiaomi: 5.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 5.7× cheaper per token; open weights. Compared against DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek's current top model.

Last verified October 10, 2026

1.  ## [MiMo-V2.6-Flash](https://noometry.com/models/mimo-v2-6-flash) Xiaomi
    
    5.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 5.7× cheaper per token; open weights.
    
    Score 48.5, $0.18 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/deepseek-v4-pro-vs-mimo-v2-6-flash)
    
2.  ## [GPT-6 Luna](https://noometry.com/models/gpt-6-luna) OpenAI
    
    about as strong as DeepSeek V4 Pro, 4.9× cheaper per token.
    
    Score 53.3, $0.20 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/deepseek-v4-pro-vs-gpt-6-luna)
    
3.  ## [Claude Haiku 5.5](https://noometry.com/models/claude-haiku-5-5) Anthropic
    
    4.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 4.9× cheaper per token.
    
    Score 49.5, $0.20 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/claude-haiku-5-5-vs-deepseek-v4-pro)
    
4.  ## [GLM-5.3-Flash](https://noometry.com/models/glm-5-3-flash) Z.ai (Zhipu)
    
    2.5 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 4.2× cheaper per token; open weights.
    
    Score 51.8, $0.24 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/deepseek-v4-pro-vs-glm-5-3-flash)
    
5.  ## [Inkling-Small](https://noometry.com/models/inkling-small) Thinking Machines Lab
    
    7.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 1.6× cheaper per token; open weights.
    
    Score 46.5, $0.64 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/deepseek-v4-pro-vs-inkling-small)
    
6.  ## [Kimi K2.5](https://noometry.com/models/kimi-k2-5) Moonshot AI
    
    6.3 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 1.1× cheaper per token; open weights.
    
    Score 48.1, $0.90 per M tokens blended.[Compare with DeepSeek V4 Pro](https://noometry.com/compare/deepseek-v4-pro-vs-kimi-k2-5)
    

More: [All alternatives](https://noometry.com/alternatives/deepseek), [Open-source](https://noometry.com/alternatives/deepseek/open-source), [For coding](https://noometry.com/alternatives/deepseek/coding)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best alternative to DeepSeek?

The strongest lower-cost alternative to DeepSeek as of October 2026 is MiMo-V2.6-Flash from Xiaomi: 5.8 points behind DeepSeek V4 Pro, 5.7× cheaper per token; open weights. Compared against DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek's current top model.

### How were these alternatives chosen?

Each is the highest-ranked model from a different provider that costs less per token and scores within 8 points, compared on the Noometry Index against DeepSeek V4 Pro.