Is DeepSeek free? Yes, the official DeepSeek web assistant and mobile app are currently free for ordinary users. However, the developer API is a separate prepaid service billed by usage, Search and Fetch API calls have per-request fees, and running downloadable DeepSeek models on your own hardware or cloud infrastructure still costs money.
DeepSeek does not currently list a paid consumer subscription in the official website and app-store sources checked for this guide. That does not mean every DeepSeek product is free, that the chatbot has no usage controls, or that its current pricing will remain unchanged.
What is free and what costs money?
| DeepSeek option | Current cost | Main qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Official web assistant | Currently free | An account is required, and no permanent unlimited-use promise is published |
| Official iOS and Android apps | Currently free to install and use | Features and availability may vary by platform, account, region, or rollout |
| DeepSeek API model calls | Paid | Billed for input and output tokens, with different cache and time-based rates |
| Search API | Paid | Billed per successful request |
| Fetch API | Paid | Billed per successful request |
| Selected downloadable model weights | No separate license fee under the applicable open license | You still need hardware, cloud capacity, storage, electricity, and technical support |
| DeepSeek Harness software | MIT-licensed open-source software | Models, API tokens, Search, Fetch, plugins, and external services may cost money |
| Third-party DeepSeek service | Varies | The third party sets its own free tier, subscription, credit, and data policies |
The key is to identify which product you are using. The free consumer chatbot, paid developer API, downloadable model weights, DeepSeek Harness, and third-party platforms have different cost structures.
Is the DeepSeek web chat free?
Yes. The official DeepSeek download page currently describes its consumer assistant as free, and the official iOS and Android listings also present the app as free.
DeepSeek’s current terms state that users must register an account using an available email or third-party sign-in method before using the covered services. The exact sign-in options can change, so follow the choices displayed on the official website or app rather than an older tutorial.
The free consumer service provides access to the chatbot and, where available in the current interface, features such as web search, file uploads, and visual understanding. DeepSeek does not publish separate consumer prices for those features in the official sources checked for this article.
Use the official service at chat.deepseek.com or reach the verified mobile listings through DeepSeek’s download page. A similarly named website or app may be an independent service with different fees and policies.
Does DeepSeek have a paid subscription?
DeepSeek did not list a paid Plus, Premium, Max, or equivalent consumer-chat subscription in the official product and store pages checked on November 6, 2026. The official app is presented as a free assistant rather than a free tier leading to a separately listed consumer upgrade.
This is a description of the current offering, not a promise that DeepSeek will remain free permanently. The company’s terms allow it to add, modify, suspend, or discontinue service features, and its developer pricing documentation states that prices may be adjusted.
DeepSeek V4 Pro is a model, not a subscription plan
The word Pro can create confusion. DeepSeek V4 Pro is the name of a model available through the API and through Expert Mode in supported consumer interfaces. It is not evidence of a monthly “DeepSeek Pro” consumer subscription.
A model name, interface mode, and subscription plan are different things. Check the official product page before paying a third-party website that advertises a “DeepSeek Pro” membership.
Is free DeepSeek usage unlimited?
DeepSeek does not publish a clear permanent message allowance for the consumer chatbot in the official pages checked for this guide. That absence should not be interpreted as a guarantee of unlimited use.
The service may still apply capacity controls, conversation limits, attachment restrictions, safety restrictions, temporary rate limits, or feature-specific limits. Availability can also be affected by high demand or service incidents.
Therefore, the accurate description is that the consumer chat is currently free, not that it is permanently unlimited or guaranteed to be available without interruption.
Is the DeepSeek API free?
No. The official DeepSeek API pricing page lists usage-based prices for its current API models. Developers must create an API key and maintain sufficient topped-up or granted balance to pay for requests.
The API and free chatbot use the same broader DeepSeek ecosystem, but they are separate products. Free access to the consumer app does not include free API usage.
Current DeepSeek API prices
The following prices were verified on November 6, 2026. All figures are in US dollars per one million tokens. In each table cell, the first number is the off-peak rate and the second is the peak rate.
| API model | Input: cache hit Off-peak / peak | Input: cache miss Off-peak / peak | Output Off-peak / peak |
|---|---|---|---|
deepseek-flash | $0.003 / $0.006 | $0.15 / $0.30 | $0.60 / $1.20 |
deepseek-v4-pro | $0.022 / $0.044 | $0.66 / $1.32 | $1.98 / $3.96 |
Peak hours are currently 01:00–04:00 UTC and 06:00–10:00 UTC, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. All other hours—including weekends and Chinese public holidays—use off-peak rates.
Prices can change, so check the official pricing page before estimating a production workload or publishing a cost comparison.
What cache hit and cache miss mean
- Input tokens: The prompt, prior conversation context, instructions, and other content sent to the model.
- Output tokens: The text, code, reasoning, or structured content produced by the model.
- Cache hit: Input content that DeepSeek can reuse from its prompt cache and bill at the lower cached-input rate.
- Cache miss: New or changed input that must be processed at the standard input rate.
- Peak pricing: The higher rate applied during the published weekday peak windows.
- Off-peak pricing: The lower rate applied outside those windows.
A low cache-hit price does not mean every prompt will receive that rate. Whether input qualifies as cached depends on the actual request structure and reuse of eligible prompt content.
Example API cost
Suppose an off-peak deepseek-flash request uses 50,000 cache-miss input tokens and generates 10,000 output tokens:
Input cost:
50,000 ÷ 1,000,000 × $0.15 = $0.0075
Output cost:
10,000 ÷ 1,000,000 × $0.60 = $0.0060
Estimated model cost:
$0.0075 + $0.0060 = $0.0135The same workload at peak rates would cost approximately $0.027. This example excludes Search, Fetch, external tools, storage, hosting, network costs, and any third-party service charges.
Do DeepSeek Search and Fetch cost extra?
Yes, when used through the developer API. DeepSeek’s official Search and Fetch documentation lists both tools at $0.75 per 1,000 successful requests.
| API | Current price | What is billable? |
|---|---|---|
| Search | $0.75 per 1,000 successful requests | An HTTP 200 response with a non-empty results array |
| Fetch | $0.75 per 1,000 successful requests | An HTTP 200 response that returns page content |
Failed requests, empty search results, and timeouts are not billed under the current rules. The number of results requested does not change the per-request price.
Search and Fetch calls triggered through supported server-side tools in DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code, or Codex are also billed per successful request. This billing took effect on November 1, 2026.
Do not confuse the developer Search API with the search feature inside the free consumer chat. They are different access methods with different billing structures.
Does DeepSeek offer free API credits?
DeepSeek’s pricing documentation refers to both topped-up balance and granted balance. Topped-up balance is money prepaid by the user, while granted balance can represent credit applied to an account by DeepSeek.
However, the official public pricing materials checked for this guide do not promise a universal, permanent free API tier for every developer. The Open Platform terms state that any free quota is subject to the information displayed on the product and platform pages.
If your account shows promotional or granted balance, check its amount, eligible services, expiration rules, and regional conditions inside your account. Do not build a long-term cost forecast around a promotional balance unless DeepSeek explicitly guarantees it.
Can you download DeepSeek models for free?
Selected DeepSeek model weights can be downloaded without paying a separate model-license fee. For example, the official DeepSeek-R1 repository licenses its code and principal model weights under the MIT License, and the official DeepSeek-V4-Pro model repository also lists an MIT license.
A free model download is not the same as free operation. The model files require compatible inference software and sufficient computing resources before they can answer a prompt.
Check the exact repository and license before using any model. Some distilled R1 variants are based on Qwen or Llama models and remain subject to relevant base-model license terms in addition to DeepSeek’s documentation.
Is running DeepSeek locally free?
Not in practical terms. You may be able to obtain selected model weights without a license payment, but self-hosting creates infrastructure and operating expenses.
- GPUs or other compute hardware.
- System RAM and GPU memory.
- Storage for model files and caches.
- Electricity and cooling.
- Cloud-compute instances when hardware is rented.
- Bandwidth and data transfer.
- Inference and model-serving software.
- Security, monitoring, backups, and updates.
- Engineering and maintenance time.
- Scaling and reliability infrastructure.
The total depends on the exact model, precision, quantization, context length, workload, concurrency, runtime, and hardware. A smaller distilled or quantized model can cost less to operate, but it is not identical to the largest official model.
A local deployment can still contact external services if its interface uses web search, telemetry, plugins, remote storage, or hosted tools. Local model files do not automatically make the complete workflow offline.
Is DeepSeek Harness free?
DeepSeek Harness is open-source software released under the MIT License. The repository and official download pages do not list a separate software-license fee for obtaining the Harness application.
Using the software can still create several charges:
- Official DeepSeek models: The Harness terms state that the default official model service requires prepayment through the DeepSeek Open Platform.
- Search and Fetch: Successful developer-tool requests are billed under the current per-request pricing.
- Third-party models: A custom model provider may charge its own token, subscription, or hosting fees.
- Local models: You pay the hardware, cloud, electricity, storage, and maintenance costs.
- Plugins and MCP services: External tools may require separate accounts, infrastructure, subscriptions, or API payments.
The accurate description is therefore: the Harness software is MIT-licensed, but a complete Harness workflow may not be free to operate.
Can DeepSeek be used commercially for free?
Commercial use depends on the product and license involved.
- Consumer app: DeepSeek’s terms allow outputs to be used for a range of lawful purposes, but using the free chatbot for business work does not grant permission to resell the service or use DeepSeek trademarks as if your product were officially endorsed.
- Developer API: It can be integrated into commercial applications, but API usage remains billable and developers have contractual and data-protection responsibilities toward their end users.
- DeepSeek-R1: The official repository says the main R1 code and model weights support commercial use under the MIT License.
- Distilled models: Additional Qwen or Llama base-model terms may apply.
- DeepSeek-V4 models: Check the exact official model repository and its current license before deployment or redistribution.
- Third-party service: The host’s own commercial-use, output, subscription, and redistribution rules also apply.
A public repository is not enough by itself to establish every commercial right. Review the exact model license, service terms, base-model license, dependencies, distribution method, and trademark rules for the planned use. This is not legal advice.
Third-party DeepSeek apps may not be free
A cloud provider, API marketplace, chatbot, mobile app, or model-hosting website can offer a DeepSeek model under its own pricing. It may charge a monthly subscription, sell credits, apply an API markup, or restrict the model to a short trial.
Before paying or submitting data, verify:
- Who operates the service.
- Whether it is officially affiliated with DeepSeek.
- Which DeepSeek model or derivative it uses.
- Whether its free tier is permanent, promotional, or limited.
- Whether API prices include a markup.
- How prompts, files, and account information are stored.
- Which privacy policy and commercial terms apply.
A third-party free trial is not a DeepSeek free tier, and a third-party subscription is not an official DeepSeek consumer plan.
The privacy tradeoff of the free app
Free describes the monetary price, not the service’s data-handling practices. The current DeepSeek Privacy Policy states that the covered services may collect account information, prompts, chat history, voice input, uploaded files, photos, feedback, device and network information, usage logs, and approximate location based on an IP address.
The policy also states that personal data collected through the covered services is directly collected, processed, and stored in the People’s Republic of China. It says users may have the right to opt out of using personal data for model training or technology optimization, and can manage, copy, or delete chat history through available settings.
DeepSeek’s current terms identify the relevant setting as “Improve the model for everyone.” Review the setting in your account before submitting information you do not want used for model improvement.
Practical privacy precautions
- Do not enter passwords, API keys, authentication tokens, or private encryption keys.
- Do not upload confidential company or client files without authorization.
- Avoid health records, legal documents, financial information, and customer data.
- Redact names, account numbers, addresses, and other identifiers before uploading a document.
- Check your employer’s, client’s, or school’s AI-use policy.
- Review third-party privacy policies separately.
- Delete chats or files when they are no longer needed, where the applicable controls are available.
Which DeepSeek option is cheapest for you?
| Your goal | Usually the lowest-cost route | Important tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Ask questions, write, study, or analyze non-sensitive material | Official DeepSeek web or mobile app | Consumer data and availability are governed by DeepSeek’s terms and privacy policy |
| Build a small application | deepseek-flash API, with requests scheduled off-peak when practical | Every token and successful tool request can add cost |
| Process repeated long prompts | API with effective prompt caching | Not every input qualifies for the lower cache-hit rate |
| Run an agent over files and repositories | DeepSeek Harness software with a carefully selected model provider | The software license may be free while inference and tools are paid |
| Control model infrastructure | Download a suitably licensed model | Hardware, cloud, security, and maintenance costs replace API charges |
| Avoid technical setup | Official consumer app or a third-party hosted service | Third-party subscriptions and data policies can differ substantially |
For an ordinary user, the official web or mobile assistant is currently the simplest way to use DeepSeek without paying. For developers, API cost depends on model choice, token volume, cache behavior, time of use, and tool calls. For self-hosters, infrastructure—not the model download—is usually the main expense.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepSeek completely free?
No. The official consumer web and mobile assistant are currently free, but the API, Search and Fetch tools, self-hosting infrastructure, external model providers, and third-party services can cost money.
Do I need an account to use free DeepSeek?
DeepSeek’s current terms state that users must register an account using an available email or third-party account method before using the covered services. The sign-in methods shown can vary by platform or region.
Does DeepSeek have a Pro or Plus subscription?
No paid consumer subscription was listed in the official product and app-store sources checked on November 6, 2026. DeepSeek V4 Pro is a model name, not a monthly consumer plan.
Is the DeepSeek API free?
No universal permanent free API tier is published in the current official pricing materials. API usage is billed from topped-up or granted balance according to tokens and separately billed tools.
Are web search and file uploads free?
DeepSeek does not currently publish separate consumer charges for search, uploads, or visual analysis inside the free official app where those features are available. Developer Search and Fetch APIs are separate and currently cost $0.75 per 1,000 successful requests.
Is DeepSeek unlimited?
DeepSeek does not publish a clear permanent consumer message limit in the official sources checked. That does not establish unlimited access; capacity, safety, conversation, attachment, or feature-specific restrictions may still apply.
Is DeepSeek-R1 free?
The official DeepSeek-R1 repository makes its main code and model weights available under the MIT License and states that the series supports commercial use. Running the model still requires hardware or cloud resources, and distilled versions may carry additional base-model license terms.
The bottom line
DeepSeek is free for most ordinary users who access the official web assistant or mobile app. There is currently no paid consumer-chat subscription listed in the official sources checked, but free should not be interpreted as unlimited, permanently guaranteed, or free of data-processing considerations.
Developers pay for API tokens and successful Search or Fetch requests. Selected model weights and DeepSeek Harness software can be obtained under open licenses, but operating them requires models, hardware, cloud services, tools, maintenance, or other paid resources.
Before choosing a route, identify whether you need the consumer chat, direct API access, a self-hosted model, DeepSeek Harness, or a third-party platform. That distinction determines the real price.
Official sources checked
Information verified on November 6, 2026. DeepSeek can change its consumer offering, API prices, tool charges, model licenses, and terms. Recheck the official pages before making a purchasing, deployment, or commercial-use decision.
- Official DeepSeek download page
- Official DeepSeek API models and pricing
- Official Search and Fetch pricing and billing rules
- DeepSeek Open Platform Terms of Service
- Current DeepSeek Terms of Use
- Current DeepSeek Privacy Policy
- Official DeepSeek-R1 repository and DeepSeek-V4-Pro model repository
- Official DeepSeek Harness repository and Harness terms