DeepSeek FAQ: Chat, App, Models, API, Pricing & Privacy

Last reviewed: October 10, 2026

This FAQ answers common questions about DeepSeek’s official chat, apps, models, API, pricing, privacy, and troubleshooting. It also explains the role of Deep-AI.chat as an independent editorial guide.

DeepSeek products, model names, prices, limits, and policies can change. For an important decision, follow the official source linked in the relevant answer and confirm the current information shown to your account.

Deep-AI.chat is not the official DeepSeek website and does not provide an on-site DeepSeek chatbot. Read our About page and Editorial Policy for more information.

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DeepSeek basics

What is DeepSeek?

DeepSeek can refer to the company, its official web chat and mobile apps, the developer API platform, the underlying AI models, and model resources published through official repositories. The right starting point depends on whether you want to chat, build with the API, or study or run a model yourself.

Use the official DeepSeek website for the current product links.

Who owns and operates DeepSeek?

DeepSeek’s official Terms of Use and Privacy Policy identify Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. as the company that owns or controls the hosted DeepSeek services. Deep-AI.chat is independent from that company.

Is DeepSeek the same as ChatGPT?

No. DeepSeek and ChatGPT are separate AI products operated by different organizations. They can overlap in tasks such as writing, explaining, coding, summarizing, and question answering, but their models, accounts, interfaces, prices, policies, and feature availability are different.

Where is the official DeepSeek website?

The official website is deepseek.com. The official hosted chat is at chat.deepseek.com. Use those domains instead of assuming that any website containing “DeepSeek” is official.

Is DeepSeek open source?

DeepSeek publishes model weights, model cards, technical material, and code through its official GitHub organization and Hugging Face organization. However, each release can have a different license and scope.

“Open weights” does not automatically mean that the training data, full training infrastructure, hosted service, or every implementation detail is open. Check the license and model card for the exact release you plan to use.

Can I run DeepSeek locally?

Some DeepSeek model releases provide downloadable weights that can be run locally or on your own infrastructure when you have suitable hardware, software, and technical experience. Requirements vary greatly by model.

Running an open-weight model locally is different from using the official web chat or API. Review the specific model card, license, hardware requirements, and inference instructions before downloading or deploying anything.

What are the current DeepSeek API models?

As reviewed on October 19, 2026, the official API model table lists deepseek-flash, which serves DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017, and deepseek-v4-pro, which serves DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813. The model used in the consumer chat or app may be presented differently and can change independently.

Check the official models and pricing page before starting a new integration.

Should I still use deepseek-chat or deepseek-reasoner in API code?

For new integrations, use the current model names in the official documentation. DeepSeek’s change log says the legacy names deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner were discontinued in July 2026.

The older names deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-flash-vision-exp are temporarily accepted for compatibility, but current requests are served by V4.1-Flash and billed at the current Flash price. See the official change log.

Official chat, apps, accounts, and downloads

Where can I chat with DeepSeek?

Use the official web chat at chat.deepseek.com. Deep-AI.chat does not host a DeepSeek chatbot.

Does DeepSeek have official iPhone and Android apps?

Yes. The official DeepSeek download page links to the current iOS and Android options. Starting from that page is safer than using an unofficial app store listing or download mirror.

Does DeepSeek have an official desktop app?

Yes. DeepSeek’s official download page offers DeepSeek Harness for desktop. The page currently lists a macOS version for Apple silicon on macOS 13 or later and a Windows version.

Harness is a desktop agent product for local files and longer computer-based tasks; it is not simply the mobile chat app copied to a desktop window.

Can I use DeepSeek without installing an app?

Yes. You can use the official web chat in a supported browser. Developers can also access DeepSeek through the official API without installing the consumer app.

Is the official DeepSeek chat or app free?

DeepSeek’s official download page describes the consumer app as free to use. This does not make the developer API free, and the hosted service may still apply usage, feature, account, or regional limits.

For a clear separation between consumer access and API charges, see our DeepSeek pricing guide.

Do I need an account to use DeepSeek?

The hosted service may ask you to sign up or sign in, and the available methods can vary by interface and region. DeepSeek’s Privacy Policy refers to account details such as email address or telephone number and to Apple or Google sign-in where available.

Follow the current instructions on the official DeepSeek interface, and do not enter account credentials on an unofficial site.

Is DeepSeek available in every country?

Availability is not guaranteed in every jurisdiction. DeepSeek’s Terms of Use state that services and features may vary by location. App-store availability, account creation, search, payments, and individual features can therefore differ.

Check the official website, the official app store in your region, and the terms shown to your account.

How can I avoid fake DeepSeek apps and unsafe downloads?

Start from the official download page, verify the publisher, and avoid random APK sites, cracked installers, browser extensions, or download mirrors. Do not enter a DeepSeek password or API key into a third-party tool unless you have verified who operates it and how it handles your data.

Features, images, files, tools, and accuracy

What can DeepSeek help with?

Depending on the model and interface, DeepSeek can help explain topics, draft and edit text, summarize material, reason through multi-step problems, assist with code, analyze images, and support application workflows through an API.

A feature available in the API may not appear in the same form in the web chat or app, and a third-party service using a DeepSeek model can have different limits.

Can DeepSeek search the web?

The hosted DeepSeek service includes a Search function when it is available to your interface and region. Search can provide fresher context, but it does not make every answer accurate.

The API model does not automatically browse the web merely because you call it. In the Responses API, deepseek-v4-pro supports server-side web_search: DeepSeek performs the search and adds the results to context. deepseek-flash ignores that built-in tool and needs a separate retrieval route for web-grounded answers. In application-managed retrieval, your application executes the search and sends its results back to the model.

Can DeepSeek understand images?

Yes. The current DeepSeek Vision guide says deepseek-flash accepts images alongside text. It can describe pictures, read text from screenshots, and analyze charts or other visual material.

Image support, size limits, and accepted formats can differ between the API, web chat, mobile app, and third-party tools.

Can DeepSeek generate images?

The current DeepSeek API documentation describes image understanding: you provide an image and receive a text response. That is not the same as an image-generation endpoint.

Do not assume that a third-party image tool using the DeepSeek name is an official DeepSeek image generator.

Can I upload files to DeepSeek?

DeepSeek’s hosted services can accept uploaded files or photos where the interface provides that option. The API also has a Files API for uploading supported image files and referencing them later by file ID.

The current API Files guide lists JPEG, PNG, GIF, and WebP. Do not assume that every document type, file size, or upload feature is supported in every DeepSeek product.

What is DeepSeek Thinking Mode?

Thinking Mode lets the model perform additional reasoning before returning its final answer. In the current API documentation, thinking is enabled by default with a default effort of high, and developers can request low, high, or max effort.

Higher effort can increase latency and token use. Use the official Thinking Mode guide for the current request format.

Can DeepSeek help with coding?

Yes. DeepSeek can explain code, draft functions, review snippets, help debug errors, and support agent or tool-based developer workflows. The quality of the result depends on the model, prompt, context, language, and task.

Review generated code, test it in a safe environment, check dependencies and licenses, and never paste production secrets into a prompt.

Can DeepSeek call external tools?

Yes. The DeepSeek API supports tool calls. The model can return a structured request to use a function, but your application is responsible for executing that function and sending the result back to the model.

The model does not automatically run your function merely because it named it. See the official Tool Calls guide.

Does DeepSeek support JSON or structured output?

Yes. The current API model table lists JSON output and tool calls for both deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. DeepSeek also documents a beta strict mode for tool schemas.

Your application should still validate required fields, data types, allowed values, completeness, and error cases before using model output.

Are DeepSeek answers always accurate?

No. DeepSeek’s own Terms of Use warn that model outputs can be incorrect, incomplete, or inaccurate. Search, tools, files, or Thinking Mode may improve a result, but none of them guarantees correctness.

Verify important facts, calculations, code, citations, and high-stakes conclusions with reliable sources or qualified professionals.

DeepSeek API and developer questions

Does DeepSeek have an official API?

Yes. Developers can use the DeepSeek Platform to manage API access and the official API documentation for current models, request formats, pricing, limits, and guides.

How do I get a DeepSeek API key?

Create or sign in to an account on the official DeepSeek Platform and use its API-key management area. Store the key on a secure server or in a secrets manager.

Do not expose an API key in browser JavaScript, a mobile app bundle, a public repository, a screenshot, or a prompt.

Is the DeepSeek API compatible with the OpenAI SDK?

Yes. DeepSeek documents an OpenAI-compatible API format. You generally configure the OpenAI SDK with your DeepSeek API key, the DeepSeek base URL, and a current DeepSeek model name.

Compatibility does not mean that every OpenAI-specific model name, parameter, or feature behaves identically. Check the DeepSeek documentation for supported fields.

Is the DeepSeek API compatible with the Anthropic SDK?

Yes. The current model table lists Anthropic API support for both active API models. Use the official DeepSeek Anthropic-compatible endpoint and follow the DeepSeek Anthropic API guide.

What are the official DeepSeek API base URLs?

The current documentation lists https://api.deepseek.com for the OpenAI-compatible format and https://api.deepseek.com/anthropic for the Anthropic-compatible format. Do not send a DeepSeek API key to an unrelated proxy unless you have intentionally chosen and assessed that provider.

What context window and output limit do current API models have?

As reviewed on October 10, 2026, the official model table lists a 1-million-token context length and a maximum output of 384K (393,216) tokens for the current API models.

These are upper limits, not a recommendation to fill every request. Large contexts and long outputs can increase cost, latency, and the chance of irrelevant or truncated results.

Which DeepSeek API model supports image input?

The current API model table lists Vision support for deepseek-flash. It lists Vision as unsupported for deepseek-v4-pro. Recheck the official model table before deploying because model capabilities can change.

Does the API support the Responses API, tool calls, and FIM completion?

The current model table lists Responses API support and tool calls for both active models. It also lists chat prefix completion and FIM completion, with FIM limited to non-thinking mode.

Use the dedicated guide for each feature rather than assuming complete compatibility with another provider’s implementation.

How do DeepSeek API rate limits work?

DeepSeek publishes account-level concurrency limits by model. A request counts as concurrent until its response is complete, and requests above the allowed concurrency can receive HTTP 429.

The limits and expansion process are described on the Rate Limit & Isolation page. Multiple API keys under the same account do not create separate account limits.

What is DeepSeek context caching?

Context caching can reduce the price of repeated input prefixes when the API records a cache hit. It is useful when stable instructions or reference material appear at the beginning of related requests.

Caching is best effort, not a guaranteed hit percentage. Use the token-usage fields returned by the API to distinguish cached and uncached input, and see the official context-caching guide.

What should I check when a DeepSeek API request fails?

Check the base URL, current model name, authorization header, API-key status, account balance, request JSON, required parameters, file or image limits, output limits, and account concurrency. Then compare the response with the official error-code page and the service status page.

Log the HTTP status, request ID if available, error body, model, and time of failure without logging the full API key or sensitive prompt data.

Pricing, billing, credits, and subscriptions

Is the DeepSeek API free?

The official DeepSeek API is usage-based. Requests consume account balance according to the current model, token usage, cache status, and pricing period. A promotional or granted balance, if shown in your account, does not make all API use permanently free.

How does DeepSeek API billing work?

DeepSeek prices API usage per 1 million tokens. Input tokens can be billed at different cache-hit and cache-miss rates, while output tokens have their own rate. The current pricing system also distinguishes peak and off-peak periods.

Use the usage values returned by the API and the current official price table. Our DeepSeek pricing guide explains the calculation with examples.

Does “Pro” in deepseek-v4-pro mean a subscription plan?

No. In deepseek-v4-pro, “Pro” is part of the API model name. It does not by itself identify a monthly consumer subscription.

Does DeepSeek sell a monthly consumer subscription?

As of the review date above, the official consumer pages reviewed describe the app as free and do not advertise a separate monthly or annual consumer subscription. This can change, so check the current official app, account interface, and payment terms before relying on that status.

Does every new API account receive free credit?

A universal free-credit amount could not be confirmed in the official pages reviewed. The billing rules recognize granted balances, but that is not a promise that every account receives the same credit or any credit at all.

Only include free credit in a budget after confirming the amount, eligible services, and expiration inside your own DeepSeek Platform account.

What are DeepSeek peak and off-peak API prices?

DeepSeek currently charges lower off-peak rates and higher peak rates. The official price table says off-peak rates are half of the corresponding peak rates and defines the current UTC schedule and holiday rules.

Because rates and time windows can change, link your budget to the live official table rather than copying an old figure into application code.

Why can another service charge a different price for DeepSeek?

A third-party app, cloud platform, API gateway, or model marketplace sets its own prices, limits, routing rules, and fees. Its “DeepSeek” offering may not use the same model version, caching rules, support, or privacy terms as the first-party DeepSeek API.

Compare the exact provider, model, input and output units, cache treatment, region, and additional fees—not the brand name alone.

Privacy, data, safety, and responsible use

What personal data can DeepSeek collect?

DeepSeek’s Privacy Policy says the hosted services can collect account information, prompts, text or voice input, uploaded files, photos, feedback, chat history, device and network information, logs, approximate location based on IP address, cookies, and payment information for paid platform services.

Read the current DeepSeek Privacy Policy for the full description and regional rights.

Where does DeepSeek store personal data?

DeepSeek’s current Privacy Policy says that, to provide its services, it directly collects, processes, and stores personal data in the People’s Republic of China. The policy also discusses international transfers and safeguards where required.

Can DeepSeek use my chats to improve or train its models?

DeepSeek’s Terms of Use say it may use inputs and outputs in a securely processed and de-identified form to provide, maintain, develop, or improve the services and underlying technologies. The policy also provides an opt-out choice.

Where available, turn off Improve the model for everyone if you do not want your personal data used for model training or technology optimization. Review the current account settings and Privacy Policy because controls can change.

How can I delete my DeepSeek chat history or account?

DeepSeek’s Privacy Policy says users can manage, copy, or delete chat history through settings. It also says account deletion is irreversible: you cannot reactivate the deleted account or retrieve its associated content afterward.

Some information may still be retained where required for legal, contractual, security, or enforcement reasons. For privacy-rights requests, the policy lists [email protected].

What should I avoid sharing with DeepSeek?

Avoid passwords, API keys, private keys, access tokens, identity documents, confidential company files, private customer data, protected health information, payment details, unpublished source code, and personal information you are not authorized to disclose.

Before uploading anything, consider who owns the data, the applicable law or contract, your organization’s approved-tool policy, and whether the same task can be completed with redacted or synthetic information.

Is DeepSeek safe for confidential work or school data?

There is no universal yes-or-no answer. Suitability depends on the sensitivity of the data, your organization’s policies, legal duties, contract terms, the product configuration, and the current DeepSeek privacy and security terms.

For business, education, government, legal, medical, or regulated data, obtain approval from the responsible privacy, security, legal, or IT team before use.

Can I rely on DeepSeek for medical, legal, or financial advice?

No AI output should be treated as a substitute for a qualified professional. DeepSeek’s Terms of Use specifically warn that outputs may contain errors and do not constitute professional advice.

Use a qualified professional and verified primary sources for decisions that can materially affect health, legal rights, finances, employment, education, housing, insurance, safety, or compliance.

Troubleshooting and official support

What should I do if DeepSeek is down or not responding?

Check the official DeepSeek status page first. Then confirm that you are using the official site or app, test your connection, refresh or restart the app, install available updates, and try a new conversation.

For API problems, also check the response code, model name, balance, concurrency, request size, and the official change log. Avoid repeatedly sending the same large request during an active outage.

What should I do if I cannot sign in to DeepSeek?

Confirm that you are on an official DeepSeek domain and use the same sign-in method you originally selected. Check email or phone access, browser cookies, device time, network restrictions, app updates, and any error message shown by the official service.

Deep-AI.chat cannot recover or change a DeepSeek account. Contact DeepSeek through its official support channel if the problem continues.

Where can I get official DeepSeek support?

The official DeepSeek website lists [email protected] for general service contact. The API documentation lists [email protected] for API-related contact.

Use [email protected] for privacy-rights requests and [email protected] for security vulnerabilities. Do not send passwords, API keys, or unnecessary sensitive data in an email.

Questions about Deep-AI.chat

Is Deep-AI.chat the official DeepSeek website?

No. Deep-AI.chat is an independent English-language editorial guide. It is not owned, operated, sponsored, endorsed, or controlled by DeepSeek, and it does not provide an on-site DeepSeek chatbot, official accounts, API keys, billing, or customer support.

Learn more on our About page.

How does Deep-AI.chat research its articles?

We prioritize official DeepSeek documentation, product pages, change logs, policies, repositories, model cards, and technical reports. Material claims are checked before publication, and each article is reviewed by a second editor.

Our full workflow appears in the Editorial Policy.

Does Deep-AI.chat use AI tools when creating content?

We may use AI tools to assist with research organization, outlines, drafting, language refinement, or editorial checklists. AI output is not treated as an authoritative source and does not make the final publishing decision.

Human editors verify material claims, edit the page, and remain responsible for the published version.

Does Deep-AI.chat use affiliate links or sponsored content?

As of the review date above, Deep-AI.chat does not use affiliate links and does not publish sponsored content. The site may display third-party advertising, including Google AdSense when enabled, but advertisers do not control our editorial conclusions.

If a material commercial relationship is introduced later, it will be disclosed where relevant.

How can I report an error or suggest a correction?

Email [email protected] with the page URL, the statement you believe is wrong or outdated, an explanation, and a reliable source where available. Use the subject line Editorial Feedback.

Our correction standards are explained in the Editorial Policy.

How does Deep-AI.chat handle visitor data?

Deep-AI.chat may process information submitted through its contact form and technical data associated with services such as Cloudflare, analytics, cookies, and advertising when enabled. It does not operate the DeepSeek service and does not receive the prompts or files you submit directly to DeepSeek.

See our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Terms of Service, and Disclaimer.

Still have a question?

For a question about this independent website, a correction, or a source suggestion, email [email protected]. For account, billing, app, chat, or API support, contact DeepSeek through the official channels listed above.

Before relying on any AI-generated answer, review our Disclaimer and verify important information against current primary sources.