DeepSeek Watch posted an update
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash has no free API tier on DeepSeek’s own platform, according to an OrcaRouter guide published on 13 October. The guide distinguishes that from DeepSeek’s free consumer app and from third-party providers that may offer trial access.
Why it mattersOrcaRouter gives an off-peak rate of $0.15 per million fresh input tokens and $0.003 per million cached input tokens. That cache price is for repeated input, not a free allowance, and the guide says third-party offers can change. For anyone budgeting API use, the distinction matters: free chat access does not mean free API calls, while repeated prompts may cost less when they qualify for cached-input pricing. Check the current rate card before building a budget around it.
Discuss: Should model makers offer a free API allowance for experimentation, or is a free consumer app enough?
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