DeepSeek
Chinese lab's low-cost chat assistant and open models.
Short answer: DeepSeek is a chat assistant (web and app) from the Chinese lab of the same name, with web search, a Deep-Think mode and file upload. The official app is free with no in-app purchases; developers pay per token for the API.
Who DeepSeek is for
People who want a free general chat assistant, and developers looking for low per-token API prices. Check your organisation's data rules before uploading work files.
Key features (from the vendor)
- Web search and Deep-Think (reasoning) mode
- File upload and text extraction
- Chat history synced across devices
- API compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic formats; 1M-token context on current models
| Pricing | App: free. API: pay as you go, e.g. deepseek-flash $0.30 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) and $1.20 per 1M output tokens at peak; off-peak is half price. |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: DeepSeek states the official app is 100% free. |
| Last checked | 2026-10-17 |
FAQ
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a chat assistant (web and app) from the Chinese lab of the same name, with web search, a Deep-Think mode and file upload. The official app is free with no in-app purchases; developers pay per token for the API.
Who is DeepSeek for?
People who want a free general chat assistant, and developers looking for low per-token API prices. Check your organisation's data rules before uploading work files.
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes: DeepSeek states the official app is 100% free.
How much does DeepSeek cost?
App: free. API: pay as you go, e.g. deepseek-flash $0.30 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) and $1.20 per 1M output tokens at peak; off-peak is half price.
| Free tier | Yes |
|---|---|
| From | unverified |
| Pricing note | DeepSeek says its official app is free with no in-app purchases (deepseek.com app announcement). The API is pay-as-you-go per 1M tokens, e.g. deepseek-flash $0.30 input (cache miss) / $1.20 output at peak, with half price off-peak. |
| Official pricing page | https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing/ |
| Pricing read from official page on | 2026-10-17 |
| Arabic support | unverified |
| Payment methods | unverified |