Pricing
DeepSeek Pricing 2026
DeepSeek · DeepSeek V3
DeepSeek is available via API only. API access starts at $0.27 per 1M input tokens. Open weights. ~20× cheaper API than GPT-5.2. Chinese hosting raises data-residency considerations for some.
Free tier
$0
- Fully free in the consumer app
- Free-tier score: 5/5
API only
—
- Full access to DeepSeek V3
- Context window: 128K tokens
- Web search
API pricing
$0.27per 1M input tokens
$1.10per 1M output tokens
~$0.49est. per 1M in + 200K out
Context window
128K
Knowledge cutoff
2026-01
Intelligence Index
87.0
Free tier
5/5
Open weights
Yes
Cheaper alternatives to DeepSeek
FAQ
How much does DeepSeek cost?
DeepSeek is available via API only. API: $0.27 per 1M input tokens, $1.10 per 1M output tokens.
Is DeepSeek free?
Fully free in the consumer app. DeepSeek has one of the most generous free tiers among consumer AI models.
What's a cheaper alternative to DeepSeek?
The cheapest alternatives are Character.AI ($9.99/mo), Le Chat ($14.99/mo), and ChatGPT ($20/mo). Or skip the choice entirely — Perspective AI bundles DeepSeek and 13 other AI models for $14.99/month.
Or skip the choice
Get DeepSeek plus 13 other AI models — $14.99/month.
Use DeepSeek alongside Claude, Gemini, Grok, Copilot, and more in one app. Switch mid-conversation. No per-vendor logins, no separate bills.