How to Get a DeepSeek API Key for Free
Updated 27 October 2026.
In short: DeepSeek's own API is not free. A new DeepSeek Platform account starts with a balance of $0.00 and no free credit, so every request needs a top-up first. DeepSeek's models are free elsewhere: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash is on the free plans of Experiential Labs and NVIDIA, DeepSeek V4 Flash is on Gonka Broker's free monthly tokens, and OpenCode includes DeepSeek V4.1 Flash free inside its app. The DeepSeek chat app is free to use, but it is not an API.
DeepSeek's own API: a top-up first
A new account on platform.deepseek.com shows only a Topped-up balance of $0.00 (box 1), with no free or granted balance, checked on 27 October 2026. The free option in the menu is Chat for free (box 2): the DeepSeek chat app, which has no API key.
DeepSeek's pricing page lists the paid rates:
| Model name | Input (cache miss), per 1M tokens | Output, per 1M tokens |
|---|---|---|
deepseek-flash (DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017) | $0.30 peak, $0.15 off-peak | $1.20 peak, $0.60 off-peak |
deepseek-v4-pro (DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813) | $1.32 peak, $0.66 off-peak | $3.96 peak, $1.98 off-peak |
Off-peak is half price: every hour outside 01:00 - 04:00 and 06:00 - 10:00 UTC on weekdays, and all
weekend. The base URL is https://api.deepseek.com.
Where DeepSeek models are free
| Where | DeepSeek model | Free allowance | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experiential Labs | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | 1M tokens a day on its Free plan | A $1 card verification, credited to the balance |
| NVIDIA (build.nvidia.com) | deepseek-ai/deepseek-v4.1-flash | Up to 40 requests a minute, no daily limit stated | Phone verification, not offered in every country |
| Gonka Broker | DeepSeek V4 Flash | At least 1M tokens a month, shared with its other models | A mobile number verified by SMS |
| Perplexity Agent API | perplexity/deepseek-v4-pro-0813 | A one-time $10 signup credit for some new accounts, 60 days | A Perplexity API account; no card |
| Easy GonkaAI API | deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731 | 10 million tokens once, for a new account | A free account; no card, no phone check |
| OpenCode | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free | Free inside the OpenCode app | Nothing; it only works in OpenCode, not as an API key |
Each row links to a step-by-step page or the service's own page. The full list of free AI APIs, with each limit and source, is on how to get AI API keys for free.
Use one free DeepSeek key in an app made for OpenAI
Every service in the free table above has an OpenAI-compatible address, except OpenCode's in-app models. In the app, enter that service's key, its base URL and its DeepSeek model name:
| Service | Base URL |
|---|---|
| Experiential Labs | https://api.experientiallabs.ai/v1 |
| NVIDIA | https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1 |
| Gonka Broker | https://proxy.gonkabroker.com/v1 |
To put several free keys behind one address on your own computer, the open-source OmniRoute gateway switches to the next key when one runs out.
Words to know
- API key: the password an app uses to call a model. See what is an API key.
- Topped-up balance: money paid into a DeepSeek account in advance; requests are charged from it.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash: DeepSeek's fast model, called
deepseek-flashon DeepSeek's own API. - Third-party API key: a key from a service that runs models made by other companies, such as DeepSeek's.
- Token: a piece of a word; the unit models read and write. See tokens and context windows.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DeepSeek API free?+
No. A new DeepSeek Platform account starts with a $0.00 balance and no free credit, so requests need a top-up. The DeepSeek chat app is free, but it has no API key.
Where can I use DeepSeek for free with an API key?+
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash is on the Experiential Labs Free plan (after a $1 card check) and on NVIDIA build.nvidia.com (after phone verification). DeepSeek V4 Flash is on Gonka Broker's free monthly tokens (after SMS verification).
How much does the DeepSeek API cost?+
deepseek-flash costs $0.30 per million input tokens and $1.20 per million output tokens at peak times, half that off-peak. deepseek-v4-pro costs $1.32 and $3.96.
What is the DeepSeek API base URL?+
https://api.deepseek.com for DeepSeek's own API. On free services, use their base URL with their DeepSeek model name, such as https://api.experientiallabs.ai/v1 on Experiential Labs.
More free API key tutorials
- How to get a Gemini API key for free
- How to get a Groq API key for free
- How to get a Cloudflare Workers AI API key for free
- How to get a Cohere API key for free
- How to get an OpenRouter API key for free
- How to get an Experimental Labs API key for free (with the $1 verification)
- How to get a Requesty API key for free
- How to use Kilo Code free models (no API key)
- How to get an LLM7 API key for free
- How to use a free AI API without an API key
- How to get an Ollama API key for free
- How to get a Gonka AI API key for free
- How to get a Perplexity API key for free
- Where Qwen is free
- Where Mistral models are free
- The Grok API, checked on a new account
- Where GLM models are free
- Where OpenAI models are free
- Every free AI API and its daily limit
By model: OpenAI (GPT) · Claude · Grok · Perplexity · Mistral · Kimi · Qwen · GLM · MiniMax · Llama · Nemotron · Gemma · gpt-oss
Want to use these APIs in a desktop app? OpenCode is a free, open-source AI coding app for Windows, Mac and Linux. How to add free API keys to OpenCode and pick a model.