Is the DeepSeek API free? Pricing, free routes & alternatives
As of 2026-10-17, the official DeepSeek API is pay-as-you-go and we have no record of an official free tier; the cheapest official model is DeepSeek V4.1 Flash at $0.523 blended per 1M tokens (official China site, peak price). （source · verified）
Free route: OpenCode Zen offers DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free (model ID deepseek-v4.1-flash-free) free for a limited time — input/output/cache free; provider is zero-retention per the docs. （source · verified）
DeepSeek official peak/off-peak pricing: “Off-peak rates are half of the peak rates. Peak hours are 01:00 - 04:00 and 06:00 - 10:00 UTC, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. All other hours are off-peak, including weekends and Chinese public holidays in full.” (i.e. peak = 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00 UTC+8 on weekdays.) （source · verified）
DeepSeek official API pricing, officially sourced free/deal info, and cheaper alternatives.
OpenCode Zen offers DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free (model ID deepseek-v4.1-flash-free) free for a limited time — input/output/cache free; provider is zero-retention per the docs · activeSource
| # | Model | Blended | Cheapest channel | China usability | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DeepSeek V4 ProDeepSeek | $0.26 | OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | 2026-10-17 |
| 2 | DeepSeek V4.1 FlashDeepSeek | $0.523 | Official (China) | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | 2026-10-17 |
| 3 | DeepSeek V4 Pro (0813)DeepSeek | $1.98 | Official (Intl) | ?CN direct·unverified?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | 2026-10-17 |
| — | DeepSeek V4 FlashRetired · third-party hostedDeepSeek | $0.028 | OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | 2026-10-17 |
| — | DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731Retired · third-party hostedDeepSeek | $0.09 | OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | 2026-10-17 |
FAQ
Is DeepSeek API free?
Official API is pay-as-you-go; OpenCode Zen docs list DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free as free for a limited time.
Related: DeepSeek prices & off-peak hours · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek in Codex · DeepSeek in Claude Code · Signup credits · Cheaper alternatives