Try DeepSeek on your own work.
A budget model deserves a fair test, not an automatic place in production. Use the same tasks and acceptance criteria you already use for your current provider.
Pin the model and date
Record the exact model version and current published rates. Compare tasks that represent your workload, including edge cases. Avoid borrowing benchmark results from an older model or a different task.
Measure total operating cost
Include retries, response time, human review, and integration work. Check hosting location, data handling, and account limits against your needs. Cost per accepted result is more useful than price per token alone.
Start with a limited route
Use a low-risk feature for the first rollout and monitor quality. Keep a tested fallback for failures. If you use third-party credits, confirm the account, allowed models, and usable balance before factoring the discount into your forecast.