DeepSeek R1 API offers a versatile usage model that accommodates both free and paid projects. Here are the key points regarding its accessibility:
- Free Access: DeepSeek provides unrestricted access to its core functionalities without any payment requirements. Users can sign up using just a Gmail account, allowing individuals, students, and small businesses to leverage advanced AI capabilities without incurring costs[1][2].
- Open Source: The API is open-source, which means developers have the option to run it independently on their own systems. This setup can be completely free if they choose to manage the infrastructure themselves[4][5].
- Paid Options: For those who prefer utilizing DeepSeek's hosted API services, there are competitive pricing models based on token usage. This allows businesses and developers to scale their applications while managing costs effectively. The pricing structure is designed to be cost-effective compared to other leading AI models, enabling extensive use cases in paid projects[1][2].
In summary, you can indeed use the DeepSeek API for both free and paid projects, making it a flexible choice for a wide range of applications.
Citations:
[1] https://meetcody.ai/blog/deepseek-r1-api-pricing/
[2] https://www.creolestudios.com/deepseek-vs-chatgpt-cost-comparison/
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/LLMDevs/comments/1i7zd0v/has_anyone_experimented_with_the_deepseek_api_is/
[4] https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3/issues/327
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_LLiqUptsE
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/LocalLLaMA/comments/1i8w7ra/how_is_deepseek_chat_free/
[7] https://www.deepseek.com
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4WVuGoDPdc