DeepSeek merges v4-flash and vision-exp into cheaper Flash V4.1
What happened
Between the Sep 7, 2026 and Sep 14, 2026 captures of DeepSeek's pricing page, Pulse recorded one change: DeepSeek merged v4-flash and vision-exp into one deepseek-flash (V4.1) model at lower cache-hit/miss and output prices; new footnote confirms V4 Pro pricing stays unchanged past Sept 14, 2026. Pulse files it as a packaging change (packaging change). Pulse's latest capture (Nov 15, 2026) lists DeepSeek Flash at $0.15 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) + $0.30 per 100M input tokens (cache hit) and DeepSeek V4 Pro at $0.66 per 1M input tokens (cache miss) + $2.20 per 100M input tokens (cache hit).
This weekly roll-up includes 2 changes Pulse first recorded in a shorter period: "DeepSeek reverses V4 Pro retirement, keeps API billing unchanged past Sept 14" (Day 255, 2026, saved Sep 12, 2026) and "DeepSeek slashes Flash pricing up to 57%, retires V4 Pro Sept 14" (Day 254, 2026, saved Sep 11, 2026). They are the same changes, not new ones. Before that, DeepSeek's previous recorded change was "DeepSeek adds vision model, exempts weekends from peak pricing" (Aug 23, 2026). DeepSeek has been tracked since 2026-05-16.
In the same window OpenAI, Google, X, Metabase and Mistral AI also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- Packaging changeV4 ProPackaging
DeepSeek merged v4-flash and vision-exp into one deepseek-flash (V4.1) model at lower cache-hit/miss and output prices; new footnote confirms V4 Pro pricing stays unchanged past Sept 14, 2026.
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V4 Pro | Packaging | DeepSeek merged v4-flash and vision-exp into one deepseek-flash (V4.1) model at lower cache-hit/miss and output prices; new footnote confirms V4 Pro pricing stays unchanged past Sept 14, 2026. | Packaging change | |
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 Sep 7, 2026 and Sep 14, 2026; the change is marked near the top of the page.
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DeepSeek, the last 90 days
Full historyDates are the day each change was detected, Eastern time.
- Oct 17, 2026PackagingDeepSeek launches Search and Fetch APIs at $0.75 per 1,000 requests
- Sep 20, 2026PackagingDeepSeek: peak-hour billing now excludes Chinese public holidays
- Sep 20, 2026PackagingDeepSeek extends 50% off-peak API discount to Chinese public holidays all day
- Sep 13, 2026PackagingDeepSeek merges v4-flash and vision-exp into cheaper Flash V4.1 This change
- Sep 12, 2026PackagingDeepSeek reverses V4 Pro retirement, keeps API billing unchanged past Sept 14
- Sep 11, 2026Price decreaseDeepSeek slashes Flash pricing up to 57%, retires V4 Pro Sept 14
- Aug 23, 2026PackagingDeepSeek adds vision model, exempts weekends from peak pricing
- Aug 17, 2026Price increaseDeepSeek: API pricing restructured to peak/off-peak billing, prices roughly double
- Aug 10, 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- OpenAISep 11OpenAI quietly drops 20x usage option from Pro, rewrites plan taglines
- GoogleSep 7Google Workspace: promo discount cut from 50% to 30%/20% off
- XAug 24X drops grok-4.5, adds Imagine image/video models and free Playground perk
- MetabaseAug 24Metabase quietly reveals Enterprise-only paid air-gapped deployment option
- Mistral AIAug 17Mistral AI folds Education into Pro, adds bundled API credits to entry plans
Questions about this change
Did DeepSeek raise prices in September 2026?
No list-price increase was recorded between Sep 7, 2026 and Sep 14, 2026 UTC. The change Pulse detected was a packaging change: packaging change.
What changed on DeepSeek's pricing page between Sep 7, 2026 and Sep 14, 2026 UTC?
DeepSeek merged v4-flash and vision-exp into one deepseek-flash (V4.1) model at lower cache-hit/miss and output prices; new footnote confirms V4 Pro pricing stays unchanged past Sept 14, 2026. Pulse compared the captures it took on Sep 7, 2026 and Sep 14, 2026 UTC; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does DeepSeek change its pricing?
This weekly roll-up includes 2 changes Pulse first recorded in shorter periods, not new ones; Pulse recorded 4 other pricing-page changes for DeepSeek in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "DeepSeek adds vision model, exempts weekends from peak pricing" on Aug 23, 2026; DeepSeek has been tracked since 2026-05-16.