DeepSeek Pricing 2026: Free Chat, API Costs, V4 Flash & V4 Pro Rates
Quick answer: DeepSeek pricing has two different meanings. The official DeepSeek web and app chat experience is free to access, while the official DeepSeek API is usage-based and billed by tokens. Current official API models are deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. API input tokens are split into cheaper cache-hit input and higher cache-miss input, while generated responses are billed as output tokens. As of July 10, 2026, DeepSeek lists V4 Flash at $0.0028 cache-hit input, $0.14 cache-miss input, and $0.28 output per 1M tokens. V4 Pro is listed at $0.003625 cache-hit input, $0.435 cache-miss input, and $0.87 output per 1M tokens. Always verify production budgets against the official DeepSeek Models & Pricing page.
Last verified by Chat-Deep.ai: July 10, 2026.
Independent note: Chat-Deep.ai is an independent website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by DeepSeek. Chat-Deep.ai does not sell official DeepSeek API keys, credits, or billing plans. Official DeepSeek API prices can change, so always verify the latest public rates on the official DeepSeek pricing page before making production billing decisions.
Is DeepSeek Free?
Yes, the official DeepSeek web and app chat experience is free to access. That free chat experience is separate from the official DeepSeek API pricing used by developers. If you are using DeepSeek in a browser or the official app for personal chat, you are not estimating the same cost model as a production API integration.
The official DeepSeek API is different: it is usage-based and billed by tokens. Developers pay based on the model selected, cache-hit input tokens, cache-miss input tokens, and output tokens. Do not assume that free DeepSeek chat access means free API usage for apps, agents, RAG systems, coding tools, or backend automations.
DeepSeek Free Chat vs DeepSeek API Pricing
The table below separates the main pricing meanings users often confuse when searching for DeepSeek Pricing.
| Experience | Pricing model | Best for | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official DeepSeek web/app chat | Free access | Personal use, testing DeepSeek, casual chat, writing help, and research. | Use the official DeepSeek website or app for the official consumer chat experience. |
| Official DeepSeek API | Usage-based token billing | Developers building apps, chatbots, AI agents, coding tools, RAG systems, and production workflows. | API cost depends on model, input tokens, cache hits, cache misses, and output tokens. |
| Chat-Deep.ai browser experience and guides | Independent website experience | Users who want browser-based DeepSeek-related guides, examples, and tools. | Chat-Deep.ai is independent and does not sell official DeepSeek API keys or billing plans. |
DeepSeek API Pricing by Model
The official DeepSeek API pricing table is listed per 1 million tokens. Current official V4 API models are deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. The API charges different rates for cache-hit input, cache-miss input, and output tokens.
| Model | Cache-hit input / 1M tokens | Cache-miss input / 1M tokens | Output / 1M tokens | Context / notes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
deepseek-v4-flash | $0.0028 | $0.14 | $0.28 | 1M-token context length; maximum output 384K tokens; lower-cost V4 option. | High-volume chat, summarization, extraction, classification, routine coding help, lightweight agents, and cost-sensitive workloads. |
deepseek-v4-pro | $0.003625 | $0.435 | $0.87 | 1M-token context length; maximum output 384K tokens; higher-cost V4 option. | Harder reasoning, complex coding, long-context analysis, agentic workflows, and higher-value production tasks. |
Pricing was checked against the official DeepSeek Models & Pricing page on . DeepSeek states that product prices may vary, so confirm the official page before production use.
Check the official DeepSeek Models & Pricing page for the latest public API rates.
DeepSeek Price per 1K Tokens
DeepSeek lists API prices per 1M tokens, but many developers estimate usage per 1K tokens or per request. To convert a DeepSeek price per 1M tokens into a price per 1K tokens, divide the official rate by 1,000.
| Model | Cache-hit input / 1K | Cache-miss input / 1K | Output / 1K | 1K cache-miss input + 500 output | 10K cache-miss input + 1K output | 50K cache-miss input + 5K output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
deepseek-v4-flash | $0.0000028 | $0.00014 | $0.00028 | ~$0.00028 | ~$0.00168 | ~$0.0084 |
deepseek-v4-pro | $0.000003625 | $0.000435 | $0.00087 | ~$0.00087 | ~$0.00522 | ~$0.0261 |
These examples assume 0% cache hit for the input portion. Real usage can be cheaper when a meaningful share of the input receives cache-hit pricing.
How DeepSeek API Billing Works
DeepSeek API billing is token-based, not a fixed price per request. A short request with a short answer costs less than a long request with a long answer. A request with a high cache-hit share can also cost less than one where every input token is processed as a cache miss.
| Billing line | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Input tokens, cache hit | Input tokens served from DeepSeek context caching at the lower cache-hit price. | Repeated or reusable prefixes can reduce API costs when they receive cache-hit pricing. |
| Input tokens, cache miss | Input tokens that require fresh processing and are billed at the higher cache-miss input price. | New prompts, changed prefixes, and uncached context usually increase input cost. |
| Output tokens | Tokens generated by the model in the response and billed at the selected model’s output rate. | Longer answers cost more, so output limits are important for budget control. |
DeepSeek states that API expenses are deducted from topped-up balance or granted balance, with granted balance used first when both are available. For production planning, review the official rates, then use the DeepSeek API guide for integration details and model selection.
Cache Hit vs Cache Miss Pricing
DeepSeek context caching is enabled by default. A cache hit happens when a later request can reuse a persisted matching prefix from earlier requests. A cache miss happens when the input cannot be served from an already persisted matching prefix and requires fresh processing.
Do not assume every repeated prompt receives cache-hit pricing. DeepSeek describes context caching as best-effort, and cache hits depend on matching persisted prefixes. For accurate billing analysis, track prompt_cache_hit_tokens and prompt_cache_miss_tokens in the API response.
| Usage field | Meaning | Cost impact |
|---|---|---|
prompt_cache_hit_tokens | The number of input tokens that received cache-hit treatment. | These tokens are billed at the lower cache-hit input rate. |
prompt_cache_miss_tokens | The number of input tokens that did not hit the cache. | These tokens are billed at the higher cache-miss input rate. |
completion_tokens | The number of generated output tokens. | These tokens are billed at the model’s output-token rate. |
When cache-hit pricing can help
- Multi-round conversations with a stable history prefix.
- Repeated system prompts that stay at the beginning of the request.
- Long static documents reused across several questions.
- RAG or chatbot workflows where the same context prefix is reused.
- Batch analysis where multiple requests share a stable instruction and document prefix.
When cache-hit pricing may not help
- Every request uses a completely new prompt or document.
- The reusable content changes position or no longer fully matches a persisted prefix.
- The workload has low repetition and few overlapping prefixes.
- You rely on cache-hit assumptions instead of measuring actual usage fields.
DeepSeek V4 Flash vs V4 Pro: Which Should You Choose?
Choose deepseek-v4-flash when speed and cost efficiency matter most. It is the better default for everyday chat, routine summarization, extraction, classification, lightweight coding help, high-volume support bots, and cost-sensitive API workloads.
Choose deepseek-v4-pro when the task needs stronger reasoning, more careful coding output, complex technical analysis, or higher-value agentic workflows. V4 Pro costs more than V4 Flash across cache-hit input, cache-miss input, and output tokens, so it is usually best reserved for tasks where quality matters more than the lowest token price.
| Use case | Recommended starting model | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume chatbot | deepseek-v4-flash | Lower input and output token costs make it better for scale. |
| Summarization or extraction | deepseek-v4-flash | Usually cost-sensitive and repeatable, especially with long shared context. |
| Complex coding task | deepseek-v4-pro | Better fit when reasoning quality matters more than minimum cost. |
| Agentic workflow | deepseek-v4-pro | Useful for multi-step tasks where mistakes can be more expensive than token usage. |
| Budget testing | deepseek-v4-flash | Start with the cheaper model, then route only harder tasks to V4 Pro. |
Current DeepSeek API Model Details
The current official DeepSeek V4 API models listed on the Models & Pricing page are deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. Both are listed with OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible API formats, support thinking and non-thinking modes, and have a 1M-token context length with a maximum output of 384K tokens.
| Feature | deepseek-v4-flash | deepseek-v4-pro |
|---|---|---|
| Model version | DeepSeek-V4-Flash | DeepSeek-V4-Pro |
| OpenAI-compatible base URL | https://api.deepseek.com | https://api.deepseek.com |
| Anthropic-compatible base URL | https://api.deepseek.com/anthropic | https://api.deepseek.com/anthropic |
| Context length | 1M tokens | 1M tokens |
| Maximum output | 384K tokens | 384K tokens |
| Thinking mode | Supported | Supported |
| Non-thinking mode | Supported | Supported |
| JSON Output | Supported | Supported |
| Tool Calls | Supported | Supported |
| Chat Prefix Completion | Supported, beta | Supported, beta |
| FIM Completion | Supported in non-thinking mode only, beta | Supported in non-thinking mode only, beta |
| Concurrency limit | 2500 | 500 |
Legacy Model Names: deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner
The older model names deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner are legacy compatibility names. For compatibility, DeepSeek states that deepseek-chat corresponds to the non-thinking mode of deepseek-v4-flash, while deepseek-reasoner corresponds to the thinking mode of deepseek-v4-flash.
Migration note: DeepSeek lists deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner as scheduled for deprecation on July 24, 2026 at 15:59 UTC. New API integrations should use deepseek-v4-flash or deepseek-v4-pro directly.
| Legacy name | Compatibility behavior | Recommended replacement |
|---|---|---|
deepseek-chat | Corresponds to deepseek-v4-flash non-thinking mode. | deepseek-v4-flash with thinking disabled. |
deepseek-reasoner | Corresponds to deepseek-v4-flash thinking mode. | deepseek-v4-flash with thinking enabled for compatibility, or deepseek-v4-pro for harder reasoning tasks. |
DeepSeek API Cost Examples
These examples are simplified estimates using the official API rates verified on July 10, 2026. They exclude taxes, retries, extra infrastructure costs, and any future price changes. Actual cost depends on cache ratio, output length, model choice, and real token usage returned by the API.
| Scenario | Model | Token usage | Cache assumption | Estimated API cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple chatbot reply | deepseek-v4-flash | 1,000 input + 500 output | 0% cache hit | ~$0.00028 per request |
| Simple higher-quality reply | deepseek-v4-pro | 1,000 input + 500 output | 0% cache hit | ~$0.00087 per request |
| Long document summary | deepseek-v4-flash | 50,000 input + 5,000 output | 0% cache hit | ~$0.0084 per request |
| Complex coding assistant request | deepseek-v4-pro | 20,000 input + 5,000 output | 0% cache hit | ~$0.01305 per request |
| Cached repeated prompt | deepseek-v4-flash | 100,000 cache-hit input + 5,000 output | 100% cache hit input | ~$0.00168 per request |
| Cached high-value analysis | deepseek-v4-pro | 100,000 cache-hit input + 5,000 output | 100% cache hit input | ~$0.0047125 per request |
| High-volume support bot | deepseek-v4-flash | 1,000 input + 500 output × 1,000 requests/day × 30 days | 0% cache hit | ~$8.40 per month |
For precise billing analysis, use the token usage fields returned by the API instead of estimating cache hits manually. For quick budgeting, use the calculator above or the dedicated DeepSeek API cost calculator.
API Pricing vs Chat-Deep.ai Browser Chat
This page covers the difference between free official DeepSeek chat access and official DeepSeek API billing. It does not describe a paid Chat-Deep.ai subscription plan, and it does not sell official DeepSeek API credits.
Chat-Deep.ai offers a browser-based DeepSeek-related experience, guides, examples, and pricing explainers. That is different from official DeepSeek API usage, where developers use the official DeepSeek Platform for API keys, billing, balance, and production settings.
| Topic | Use Chat-Deep.ai | Use official DeepSeek API |
|---|---|---|
| Quick browser workflow | Use DeepSeek Chat online for a simple browser workflow. | Not required unless you are building an app or integration. |
| API keys and billing | Chat-Deep.ai does not sell official DeepSeek API keys, credits, or billing plans. | Use the official DeepSeek Platform for API keys, balance, usage, and billing. |
| Production applications | Use our API guide to understand workflows, terminology, and model choices. | Use official DeepSeek API docs and official pricing for production decisions. |
How We Verify DeepSeek Pricing
We verify DeepSeek API rates against the official DeepSeek Models & Pricing page, then convert the official per-1M-token rates into per-1K-token and example request estimates. We separate cache-hit input, cache-miss input, and output tokens because DeepSeek bills them at different rates.
We also check DeepSeek’s official token usage, context caching, rate limit, and FAQ documentation when explaining billing behavior. Because DeepSeek says product prices may vary, this page should be rechecked before using the numbers for production budgeting.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| Official DeepSeek Models & Pricing | Current model names, API rates, context length, max output, concurrency limits, and legacy alias note. |
| Official DeepSeek Token & Token Usage | Token billing terminology and usage measurement. |
| Official DeepSeek Context Caching | Cache-hit rules, cache-miss behavior, and usage fields. |
| Official DeepSeek Rate Limit & Isolation | Concurrency limits and request behavior. |
| Official DeepSeek website | Free official DeepSeek web/app access and official product links. |
Pricing Update Log
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 10, 2026 | Updated the page into a broader DeepSeek Pricing hub, removed expired V4 Pro promotion wording, verified official V4 Flash and V4 Pro API rates, added per-1K conversions, calculator, free chat comparison, improved FAQ, and schema. |
| April 26, 2026 | Previous page version focused mainly on DeepSeek API pricing, V4 models, cache-hit/cache-miss pricing, and legacy model names. |
DeepSeek Pricing FAQ
Is DeepSeek free?
DeepSeek’s official web and app chat experience is free to access. That is separate from the official DeepSeek API, which is usage-based and billed by tokens.
How much does DeepSeek API cost?
DeepSeek API pricing is listed per 1 million tokens. As of July 10, 2026, deepseek-v4-flash is listed at $0.0028 per 1M cache-hit input tokens, $0.14 per 1M cache-miss input tokens, and $0.28 per 1M output tokens. deepseek-v4-pro is listed at $0.003625 per 1M cache-hit input tokens, $0.435 per 1M cache-miss input tokens, and $0.87 per 1M output tokens.
Is DeepSeek API free?
No. Official DeepSeek API usage is not the same as free web chat. API usage is billed by input and output tokens. Some accounts may have granted balance shown in the official platform, but production budgets should use the official pricing page.
Does DeepSeek charge per request or per token?
DeepSeek API billing is token-based, not fixed per request. Each request cost depends on cache-hit input tokens, cache-miss input tokens, and output tokens.
What is DeepSeek pricing per 1M tokens?
Current official DeepSeek API pricing per 1M tokens is split by model and token type. V4 Flash is $0.0028 cache-hit input, $0.14 cache-miss input, and $0.28 output. V4 Pro is $0.003625 cache-hit input, $0.435 cache-miss input, and $0.87 output.
What is DeepSeek pricing per 1K tokens?
Divide the official per-1M-token rate by 1,000. For example, V4 Flash cache-miss input is $0.00014 per 1K tokens and output is $0.00028 per 1K tokens. V4 Pro cache-miss input is $0.000435 per 1K tokens and output is $0.00087 per 1K tokens.
What is the cheapest current DeepSeek API model?
deepseek-v4-flash is the lower-cost current DeepSeek V4 API model across cache-hit input, cache-miss input, and output token pricing. It is usually the best starting point for cost-sensitive applications and high-volume workloads.
What is the difference between V4 Flash and V4 Pro pricing?
V4 Flash is cheaper and better for high-volume everyday tasks. V4 Pro costs more and is better suited for harder reasoning, coding, long-context analysis, and agentic workflows where quality matters more than the lowest token price.
What is cache-hit pricing?
Cache-hit pricing applies to input tokens that DeepSeek can serve from context caching because the relevant prefix is already persisted and matched. Cache-hit input tokens are much cheaper than cache-miss input tokens.
What is cache-miss pricing?
Cache-miss pricing applies to input tokens that require fresh processing. It is higher than cache-hit pricing, while output tokens are billed separately at the selected model’s output rate.
Are repeated prompts always billed at cache-hit pricing?
No. DeepSeek context caching works on a best-effort basis and depends on persisted matching prefixes. Track prompt_cache_hit_tokens and prompt_cache_miss_tokens in the API response to understand the real split for each request.
How can I reduce DeepSeek API costs?
Use V4 Flash when appropriate, keep reusable context at the beginning of prompts, reuse stable system prompts or long documents to improve cache hits, cap maximum output length, and monitor prompt_cache_hit_tokens and prompt_cache_miss_tokens.
What are deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner now?
The official pricing page says deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner are compatibility names for the non-thinking and thinking modes of deepseek-v4-flash, respectively. They are scheduled for deprecation on July 24, 2026 at 15:59 UTC.
Where can I verify official DeepSeek pricing?
Use the official DeepSeek Models & Pricing page. That page is the source of truth for current public API rates. Chat-Deep.ai is independent and does not control official DeepSeek API pricing.
Is Chat-Deep.ai affiliated with DeepSeek?
No. Chat-Deep.ai is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by DeepSeek. It does not sell official DeepSeek API keys, credits, or billing plans.
Recommended Next Pages
DeepSeek Chat Online — use Chat-Deep.ai’s browser chat experience.
DeepSeek API Cost Calculator — estimate per-request, daily, monthly, and yearly costs.
DeepSeek API Guide — learn setup, API calls, model selection, and examples.
DeepSeek Context Caching — understand cache hits, cache misses, and prompt reuse.
DeepSeek Models — compare available DeepSeek models and usage patterns.