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DeepSeek review

Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

DeepSeek suits developers who want a direct route to its own models over an OpenAI-compatible API, with a largest context window of 1,000,000 tokens.

Key facts

Best for
Long-context work on a single lab's own models over an OpenAI-compatible API.
Input price from
$0.15 to $1.32↗
Output price from
$0.60 to $3.96↗
Models offered
Deepseek-flash (DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash), Deepseek-v4-pro (DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813)↗
Largest context window
1,000,000↗
OpenAI-compatible API
Yes↗
Legal entity
Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.↗
Headquarters
China↗
Founded
2023↗
Support channels
Email, Community, Help-centre↗
Official website
deepseek.com

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 4 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
Google Play
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaXgithub.comzhihu.com

Pricing

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek V3.1 (USD)

    input-tokens: $0.27 / million

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek V3.1 (USD)

    output-tokens: $0.95 / million

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek V3.1 (USD)

    cached-input-tokens: $0.13 / million

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek R1 (USD)

    input-tokens: $0.14 / million

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek R1 (USD)

    output-tokens: $0.55 / million

  • DeepSeek DeepSeek R1 (USD)

    cached-input-tokens: $0.04 / million

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Input fees of $0.15 to $1.32 and output fees of $0.60 to $3.96 are published per model, so a workload can be costed before it ships.
  • The API is OpenAI-compatible, so existing client code and SDKs can be repointed by changing the base address.
  • A largest context window of 1,000,000 tokens, enough for long documents without splitting them up first.

Cons

  • Support runs on email, community and help centre only, with no live chat or phone line listed.
  • The catalogue is deepseek flash (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) and deepseek v4 pro (DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813), so there is no second model from the same lab to fall back on.
  • Headquartered in China, which narrows the choice for teams bound by regional data rules.
DeepSeek

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Scored 8.7 / 10 by DeployCue.

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Who it suits

  • Teams already calling an OpenAI-compatible endpoint that want a long context in a single request.
  • Developers who want a short, fixed catalogue and are content with email, community and help centre for support.
  • Builders running research or document workloads where 1,000,000 tokens matters more than model variety.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Salad, where input pricing starts at $0.06, under DeepSeek's $0.15 to $1.32.
  • Azure AI Foundry, if you need the breadth of gpt 6 astra, gpt 6 luna and gpt 6 sol rather than a single lab's models.
  • Supascale AI, if you want DeepSeek and other families routed together in DeepSeek V4 Pro, GPT 5.6 Sol and GPT 5.6 Terra.

Plans, egress and billing

Pricing is a per-model rate rather than a plan tier. Input fees run $0.15 to $1.32 and output fees run $0.60 to $3.96, and each figure covers a range, so routine traffic and heavy prompts sit at opposite ends of the same scale. Check the model name against the rate before you commit a workload to it.

How DeepSeek compares

Frequently asked questions

How much does DeepSeek charge for input and output?+

Prices here are per model. Input fees run $0.15 to $1.32 and output fees run $0.60 to $3.96, and each figure covers a range, so routine calls and heavy ones sit at opposite ends of the scale. Budget per request against the model you actually send.

Which models are on the DeepSeek API?+

The catalogue is deepseek flash (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) and deepseek v4 pro (DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813). That is the lineup behind the API, which keeps model selection and cost forecasting simple, though it leaves no same-lab model to switch to when the other is busy.

How much context can a single request hold?+

The largest context window is 1,000,000 tokens, enough to hold a long document, a repository snapshot or a wide chat history in a single request, and it sits among the largest in this comparison.

Can I keep my existing OpenAI client code?+

Yes. The endpoint is OpenAI-compatible, so existing client code and SDK settings can be repointed by changing the base address instead of rewriting calls. Both models in deepseek flash (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) and deepseek v4 pro (DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813) sit behind that same interface.

What support do I get when something breaks?+

Support runs on email, community and help centre: email, a community space and a help centre. No live chat or phone line is listed, so an outage on a production workload depends on your own escalation path.

Who runs DeepSeek and where is it based?+

DeepSeek was founded in 2023 and is headquartered in China. The service is run by a Hangzhou registered artificial intelligence research company, the operator to check on any contract or invoice.

How does DeepSeek compare with Salad, Azure AI Foundry and Supascale AI?+

On entry cost, Salad starts at $0.06 for input against DeepSeek's $0.15 to $1.32. On model choice, Azure AI Foundry lists gpt 6 astra, gpt 6 luna and gpt 6 sol, and Supascale AI serves DeepSeek with other families in DeepSeek V4 Pro, GPT 5.6 Sol and GPT 5.6 Terra.

Sources

Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

DeepSeek

DeepSeek

Long-context work on a single lab's own models over an OpenAI-compatible API.

8.7/10See alternatives