DeepSeek: API pricing restructured to peak/off-peak billing, prices roughly double
What happened
Between the Aug 10, 2026 and Aug 17, 2026 captures of DeepSeek's pricing page, Pulse recorded one change: token pricing moved from flat rates to peak (01:00-04:00 & 06:00-10:00 UTC) / off-peak billing with an overall increase — v4-flash cache-hit $0.0028→$0.007/$0.014, cache-miss $0.14→$0.22/$0.44, output $0.28→$0.66/$1.32; v4-pro cache-hit $0.003625→$0.022/$0.044, cache-miss $0.435→$0.66/$1.32, output $0.87→$1.98/$3.96 (per 1M tokens). In detail: DeepSeek API token pricing restructured from flat rates to peak/off-peak billing (peak 01:00-04:00 & 06:00-10:00 UTC) with a significant increase across both models: v4-flash cache-hit $0.0028→$0.007/$0.014, cache-miss $0.14→$0.22/$0.44, output $0.28→$0.66/$1.32; v4-pro cache-hit 0.003625→$0.022/$0.044, cache-miss $0.435→$0.66/$1.32, output $0.87→$1.98/$3.96 (off-peak/peak per 1M tokens). Pulse files it as a pricing change (price increase) with an upward direction. Pulse's latest capture (Oct 19, 2026) lists DeepSeek Flash at $0.15 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) + $0.3 per 100M input tokens (cache hit) and DeepSeek V4 Pro at $0.66 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) + $2.2 per 100M input tokens (cache hit).
It lands 6 days after DeepSeek's previous change, "DeepSeek: dropped peak/off-peak pricing plan, warns of broader increase" (Aug 11, 2026). Before that Pulse recorded "DeepSeek: announced peak/off-peak surge pricing (2x during peak hours)" (Aug 3, 2026). DeepSeek has been tracked since 2026-05-16.
In the same window Mistral AI, X, Metabase, OpenAI and Anthropic also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- — · Price+150%$0.0028$0.007
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Price | $0.0028 | $0.007 | +150% |
Values as written on DeepSeek's public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of DeepSeek's pricing page (deepseek.com) from Aug 10, 2026 and Aug 17, 2026; the change is marked around the middle of the page, where price reads $0.0028 and then $0.007.
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The two full-page captures with this change marked up are free with an account.
DeepSeek, the last 90 days
Full history- Sep 12, 2026packagingDeepSeek reverses V4 Pro retirement, keeps API billing unchanged past Sept 14
- Sep 11, 2026packagingDeepSeek slashes Flash pricing up to 57%, retires V4 Pro Sept 14
- Aug 24, 2026packagingDeepSeek adds vision model, exempts weekends from peak pricing
- Aug 17, 2026increaseDeepSeek: API pricing restructured to peak/off-peak billing, prices roughly double · this change
- Aug 11, 2026packagingDeepSeek: dropped peak/off-peak pricing plan, warns of broader increase
- Aug 3, 2026packagingDeepSeek: announced peak/off-peak surge pricing (2x during peak hours)
Across AI & Machine Learning in the same window
All AI & Machine Learning changes- Mistral AIAug 17Mistral AI folds Education into Pro, adds bundled API credits to entry plans
- XAug 5x.ai: Speech-to-Speech Voice API pricing changed from flat rate to starting-at
- MetabaseAug 3Metabase: Storage add-on price cut ($40/500k rows → $2/1M rows)
- OpenAIJul 25OpenAI: ChatGPT plan taglines reframed to 'Best for X' audience framing
- AnthropicJul 23Anthropic: Fable model + context window disclosed in comparison table
Questions about this change
Did DeepSeek raise prices in August 2026?
Yes. Pulse captured DeepSeek's pricing page on Aug 10, 2026 and again on Aug 17, 2026 and recorded 1 price increase: $0.0028 → $0.007 (+150%).
What changed on DeepSeek's pricing page between Aug 10, 2026 and Aug 17, 2026?
Price: $0.0028 → $0.007 (+150%). Pulse compared the captures it took on Aug 10, 2026 and Aug 17, 2026; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does DeepSeek change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 2 other pricing-page changes for DeepSeek in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "DeepSeek: dropped peak/off-peak pricing plan, warns of broader increase" on Aug 11, 2026; DeepSeek has been tracked since 2026-05-16.