DeepSeek
by DeepSeek🧠 General AIChina's leading open-weight model — near-frontier quality at 10x cheaper API pricing
Our take: Open-source powerhouse with reasoning capabilities rivaling top models. Self-hostable and extremely cost-effective via API. If you're building AI apps on a budget, DeepSeek is hard to beat.
A Chinese AI lab releasing frontier-quality models at a fraction of the cost. V3.2 scores competitively with GPT-5.2 on coding benchmarks, and the API costs just $0.28/M input tokens. Open weights under MIT license mean you can self-host.
V3.2, open weights, 128K context, reasoning mode, code generation, MIT license for weights
Last updated: March 29, 2026 · Pricing verified from official sources. Prices are subject to change by the provider.
Pricing
Price stable
Free TierYes — free web chat + generous API free tier
Entry PlanAPI only: $0.28/1M input
Team Plan—
EnterpriseNot available
API Pricing$0.28/$0.42 per 1M tokens
See full API pricing & compare models →Prices exclude applicable taxes (VAT/GST/sales tax varies by region). Monthly prices shown — annual plans typically save 15-20%.
Specifications
Context / Input128K tokens
Max OutputHigh quality, competitive with GPT-5.2
ModalitiesText
Agent / AgenticVia API integrations
SecurityChina-hosted servers — consider data sovereignty
Self-hostedNo
DeepSeek — Who Is It Best For?
Budget API usage, self-hosting, open-source projects, cost-sensitive teams
Ideal for:DevelopersdataFoundersFreelancers
✅ Strengths
• Free tier available
• 128K tokens context
• Via API integrations
• China-hosted servers — consider data sovereignty certified
• V3.2
💭 Consider
• Cloud-only (no self-hosting)
• No enterprise tier available
💡 Budget tip: Start with DeepSeek's free tier to test it. For a free alternative, check out Claude.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does DeepSeek cost?
DeepSeek offers a free tier.
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes, DeepSeek offers a free tier with limited features. Contact sales for paid plan pricing.
What is DeepSeek best for?
DeepSeek is best for Budget API usage, self-hosting, open-source projects, cost-sensitive teams. Key features include: V3.2, open weights, 128K context, reasoning mode, code generation, MIT license for weights.
Is DeepSeek right for you?
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AiToolsMentor.com · Pricing verified March 29, 2026 · AI Tools Mentor Fit Score