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DeepSeek

Verified SourceOpen Source

Developed by DeepSeek AI • Category: Open Source AI Models

Last Verified: 2026-03-08

DeepSeek is an artificial intelligence research laboratory that disrupted the global AI landscape with DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1. DeepSeek-R1 utilizes large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning to demonstrate emergent chain-of-thought reasoning capabilities on par with OpenAI o1, while releasing model weights openly and providing API access at unprecedented cost efficiency.

In Plain English

What Is DeepSeek & How Can You Use It?

What is it?

DeepSeek is a powerful open-weights AI model that reasons through difficult math, science, and computer programming challenges step-by-step before answering. It proved that cutting-edge reasoning AI can be made open and dramatically cheaper for everyone.

What can I create with it?

You can solve university-level math equations, solve complex algorithmic code puzzles, write software, and run local AI models on your own computer.

What makes it different?

Open weights and transparent chain-of-thought thinking tokens that show the model’s internal reasoning.

Who Can Benefit from DeepSeek?

For Students

Read the AI’s step-by-step thinking process to understand how to solve complex calculus and physics proofs.

For Teachers

Generate challenging logic puzzles and verify step-by-step grading rubrics for advanced STEM courses.

For Businesses

Run high-volume automated data classification and coding tasks at a fraction of standard API prices.

For Developers

Self-host distilled models locally with Ollama or vLLM without being locked into proprietary cloud APIs.

Actionable Capabilities

What Can You Do With DeepSeek?

Practical real-world tasks you can execute today
CodingFor: Developer

Solve Complex Algorithmic Code Challenges

Provide difficult LeetCode Hard problems and inspect the deep reasoning process before receiving the optimal solution.

Recommended Prompt:
Solve this algorithm problem with optimal O(N) time complexity. Show step-by-step reasoning first.

Main Capabilities

  • Emergent step-by-step chain-of-thought reasoning (DeepSeek-R1)
  • Mixture-of-Experts architecture with high token throughput and low memory footprint
  • Distilled open-weights models available in 1.5B, 7B, 14B, 32B, and 70B parameter sizes
  • Exceptional benchmark performance in competitive programming (Codeforces) and Olympiad math

Important Features & Modes

Visible Thinking Process

Click to expand the reasoning trace to inspect how the model worked through problems.

Open Weights License

Freely download, fine-tune, and self-host the model architecture locally.

Ultra-Low API Cost

Priced at less than $0.55 per million input tokens, up to 90% cheaper than closed alternatives.

Distilled Models

Run lightweight versions on consumer laptops and MacBooks using tools like Ollama.

Key Strengths

  • Reasoning capabilities comparable to OpenAI o1 on math and coding benchmarks
  • Radically lower API costs compared to proprietary competitors
  • Open weights enable local privacy-preserving self-hosting

Limitations & Considerations

  • Public web servers can experience heavy traffic spikes
  • No native image generation
Transparent Pricing

DeepSeek Plans & Pricing Information

Free Tier: Yes
Free Plan Details:Free web chat access at deepseek.com.
Web Chat
$0
  • Free access to DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1
  • Visible thinking process
  • Web search grounding
API (Pay-as-you-go)Popular
$0.55 / 1M tokens
  • OpenAI-compatible endpoints
  • High concurrency
  • No subscription required
Developer API Access: Industry-disrupting pricing under $0.60 per million tokens.API Documentation

Technical Specifications & Environment

Supported PlatformsWeb, REST API, Hugging Face, Ollama, vLLM
Input ModalitiesText, Code
Output TypesThinking Tokens, Text Answers, Code
Latest Model VersionN/A

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Frequently Asked Questions About DeepSeek

Can I download DeepSeek to my own computer?

Yes, DeepSeek has released open model weights on Hugging Face that can be run locally using Ollama or LM Studio.

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