TECH

DeepSeek Launches V4-Pro and Raises API Prices by as Much as 1,100%

Published: Aug. 14, 2026 2:36 a.m. GMT+8

00:00

00:00/00:00

Listen to this article 1x

DeepSeek released the official version of its flagship V4-Pro model while sharply increasing API charges. Photo: VCG

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek on Thursday released the official version of its flagship DeepSeek-V4-Pro model and sharply raised prices for its application programming interface, with some rates increasing by as much as 1,100%.

The move signals a break from the prolonged price war among China’s AI developers, as DeepSeek faces intensifying competition from domestic rivals and global players such as OpenAI, which recently cut prices to put pressure on Chinese challengers.

You've accessed an article available only to subscribers

Subscribe today for just $.99.

VIEW OPTIONS

Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.

Subscribe to both Caixin Global and Bloomberg - for the price of one.

Share this article

Open WeChat and scan the QR code

DIGEST HUB

Digest Hub

Back

Explore the story in 30 seconds

DeepSeek released V4-Pro with API price hikes up to 1100% and introduced peak/off-peak pricing.
V4-Pro scores 53 on Artificial Analysis, tying GLM-5.2; agent benchmarks best some rivals but not others.
DeepSeek raised 50 billion yuan in first external funding round, valuing it over 350 billion yuan; Tencent, JD.com invested.
DeepSeek raised 50 billion yuan in first external funding round, valuing it over 350 billion yuan; Tencent, JD.com invested.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

...: {"chinese":"深度求索","english":"DeepSeek"}

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

2025：: DeepSeek priced its DeepSeek-V4-Pro model at flat rates of 0.025 yuan per million tokens for cached input, 3 yuan for uncached input, and 6 yuan for output.

Early 2026：: DeepSeek completed its first external funding round, raising about 50 billion yuan and valuing the company at more than 350 billion yuan.

April 2026：: DeepSeek previewed the DeepSeek-V4 series with a one-million-token context window.

Mid-May 2026：: A JPMorgan research report noted that Zhipu AI's GLM-5.2 enjoyed pricing power due to its capabilities.

Planned mid-July 2026：: The official launch of DeepSeek-V4-Pro was scheduled but delayed.

Late July 2026：: OpenAI cut prices for its GPT-5.6 Luna model, charging $0.2 for input and $1.2 for output.

July 31, 2026：: DeepSeek released the official Flash version of DeepSeek-V4-Flash, reporting improved agent performance.

August 12, 2026：: An update to DeepSeek's API documentation briefly suggested the new Pro version had gone live, but the description was quickly removed, prompting rumors of a rollback.

August 13, 2026：: DeepSeek released the official version of DeepSeek-V4-Pro and sharply raised API prices, with some rates increasing by up to 1,100%. It also opened global testing for a developer preview of DeepSeek Harness.

AI generated, for reference only