DeepSeek overtakes Google on volume, cost per token falls 13.6%

Vercel's AI Gateway Production Index for August 2026 reports that DeepSeek surpassed Google to become the second-largest lab by token volume, running more than twice Google's volume.

The average price paid per token fell 13.6% in July, driven by companies choosing cheaper models and shifting their model mix.

Anthropic collected 65% of gateway spending on 30% of token volume, at 4.4 times the average price of other labs' tokens.