Free Chat + API pay-as-you-go
DeepSeek Pricing 2026: Free Chat, V4 API Costs & Country Availability
DeepSeek is free on Web and App — there is no ChatGPT Plus–style monthly Pro subscription. Paid usage is API-only: deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-pro bill per million tokens in USD or CNY (list rates are roughly equivalent, not country storefront discounts). This page covers free vs API, live list rates, a monthly cost calculator, and availability/privacy notes.
Free ChatAPI Pay-as-you-goNo paid subscription
Rates snapshot: 2026-08-05 · Official API docs
Is DeepSeek free or paid?
| Product | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek Chat / App | Free | No monthly subscription |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | $0.14 / $0.28 · ¥1 / ¥2input miss / output · per 1M tokens | API pay-as-you-go |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | $0.435 / $0.87 · ¥3 / ¥6input miss / output · per 1M tokens | API pay-as-you-go |
There is no DeepSeek monthly Pro subscription like ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. “Pro” here means the API model deepseek-v4-pro only.
V4 API rates (USD & CNY)
| Model | Input cache hit | Input cache miss | Output | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DeepSeek V4 Flash deepseek-v4-flash | $0.0028 / ¥0.02 | $0.14 / ¥1 | $0.28 / ¥2 | 1M · max out 384K |
DeepSeek V4 Pro deepseek-v4-pro | $0.0036 / ¥0.025 | $0.435 / ¥3 | $0.87 / ¥6 | 1M · max out 384K |
Peak pricing note: DeepSeek has announced peak/off-peak pricing (peak up to 2×). No formal effective date published as of the snapshot date.
USD and CNY are settlement currencies — not App Store country discounts. OpenAI + Anthropic API · Tool Calls · 1M context · OpenAI-compatible API
API cost calculator
Estimate monthly spend from tokens, cache hit rate, and request volume.
Per request
$0.0003
Monthly estimate
$2.828
Input portion
$1.428
Output portion
$1.400
Estimates use published list rates per 1M tokens. Confirm against official docs before production budgets.
Compare with subscription products
Free Chat vs ChatGPT Plus
DeepSeek chat is $0/mo. ChatGPT Plus is ~$20/mo US list, often lower via App Store countries.
ChatGPT country prices →DeepSeek API vs Claude
DeepSeek is token-metered. Claude Pro is a monthly subscription with country floors.
Claude country prices →Looking for subscription floors?
The global cheapest-subscription ranking excludes DeepSeek so free chat does not pollute paid comparisons.
Cheapest subscriptions →Availability & privacy notes
- We do not claim “works everywhere.” Official terms note availability and features may differ by jurisdiction. Platform terms
- The privacy policy states user data may be collected, processed, and stored in mainland China. Privacy policy
- Some governments and managed-device policies have restricted DeepSeek — separate that from ordinary consumer app availability; do not overstate bans.
🔑 Key Facts
- Web chat and mobile app: free (no monthly DeepSeek Pro subscription)
- API only: pay-as-you-go per 1M tokens — not App Store regional pricing
- V4 Flash: $0.14 cache-miss / $0.0028 cache-hit / $0.28 output (¥1 / ¥0.02 / ¥2)
- V4 Pro: $0.435 cache-miss / $0.003625 cache-hit / $0.87 output (¥3 / ¥0.025 / ¥6)
- 1M context, up to 384K output; OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible APIs
- Peak pricing (up to 2×) announced; effective date not yet published
⚠️ Purchase Considerations
Not a subscription deal product
AISubDeal’s core ranking compares App Store subscription floors. DeepSeek free chat is not “$0 global lowest subscription” — mixing it into that leaderboard would mislead readers.
API list ≠ country PPP
USD and CNY API lists are currency denominations of the same token rates. Switching regions or Apple IDs does not unlock a cheaper DeepSeek subscription.
Availability and compliance
Access and features can differ by jurisdiction. Some governments and institutions have restricted DeepSeek on managed devices — that is separate from ordinary consumer app availability. Verify local policy for your use case.
Rates change
Token prices and peak windows can change. Always confirm against official API docs before budgeting production traffic.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes for everyday chat: DeepSeek Web and the mobile app are free. There is no paid monthly “DeepSeek Pro” subscription comparable to ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. Developers pay only for the API by tokens.
Is there a DeepSeek Pro monthly subscription?
No public monthly consumer subscription exists as of our 2026-08-05 snapshot. “Pro” on DeepSeek refers to the API model deepseek-v4-pro (pay-as-you-go), not an App Store plan.
How much does the DeepSeek API cost?
Per 1M tokens (list rates): V4 Flash is $0.14 input (cache miss), $0.0028 (cache hit), $0.28 output. V4 Pro is $0.435 / $0.003625 / $0.87. CNY list: Flash ¥1 / ¥0.02 / ¥2; Pro ¥3 / ¥0.025 / ¥6. Use the calculator on this page for monthly estimates.
Does DeepSeek have cheaper prices by country?
No App Store regional subscription tiers. API USD and CNY are settlement currencies for the same product, not country storefront discounts. We intentionally do not publish /pricing/deepseek/{country}/ pages.
What is DeepSeek peak pricing?
DeepSeek has announced peak/off-peak API pricing that may charge up to 2× during peak windows. As of our snapshot, a formal effective date is not published. Treat 2× as hypothetical until it goes live.
Where is DeepSeek user data processed?
DeepSeek’s privacy policy states that user data may be collected, processed, and stored in mainland China. Availability and features can vary by jurisdiction. This is not legal advice — read official policies before enterprise or regulated use.
DeepSeek free chat vs ChatGPT Plus — which should I use?
DeepSeek free chat is a zero-monthly-fee option for many tasks. ChatGPT Plus (~$20/mo US list, often lower via App Store countries) adds OpenAI’s product ecosystem and regional subscription options. Compare ChatGPT country prices on AISubDeal if you need a paid assistant with storefront savings.
Continue with paid AI subscriptions
DeepSeek is a free-chat and low-cost API entry. For regional subscription savings, compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more.
DeepSeek is a trademark of its respective owners; AISubDeal is independent and unaffiliated.