Is DeepSeek free, and is it safe to use?
Short answer: The official DeepSeek iOS app is free. The developer API is billed per token. 'Safe' depends on what you share: check the publisher (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.), read the privacy policy, and don't paste anything business-sensitive or personal.
- Install only the app published by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.
- Read the privacy policy before sharing work data.
- For the API, check the docs' pricing page before budgeting; prices change.
- The API is OpenAI/Anthropic compatible, so you can test it with the OpenAI SDK by changing base_url to https://api.deepseek.com.
Related questions
Is the DeepSeek API free?
No. It's billed per token (DeepSeek docs).
Which model name should I use?
DeepSeek's docs list deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro.
Where these facts come from
- api-docs.deepseek.com: API format, base URLs, models
- DeepSeek on the App Store
Checked Oct 29, 2026. Plans change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.
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