DeepSeek Pricing for 2025: Costs, Features and How Australian Businesses Can Save

For Australian businesses, choosing an AI platform is about results, control and cost. DeepSeek pricing is usage-based, so you can start small and scale as you grow. It’s worth looking closely at how the charges add up and how you’ll handle transfers in different currencies.

This guide explains DeepSeek’s pricing by model, features and usage. We cover billing currency and conversion, include a quick comparison with the top alternative and share simple ways to lower next month’s bill, such as checking feature usage and removing unused seats.

Since DeepSeek bills in USD, paying with a Wise Business Card keeps things simple. You can pay in USD at the mid-market exchange rate with a low, upfront conversion fee — so more of your budget goes to tokens.

Table of contents
DeepSeek pricing overview What is the pricing currency for DeepSeek in Australia? DeepSeek Chat features DeepSeek Reasoner features How much do DeepSeek add-ons cost? How to optimise your DeepSeek expenses DeepSeek vs OpenAI Scale faster with DeepSeek and Wise Business DeepSeek Pricing FAQs

DeepSeek pricing overview

DeepSeek pricing is pay-as-you-go — no monthly plan. You pay per token for inputs and outputs. Cache hits make repeated or similar prompts cheaper. The table shows current pricing for DeepSeek Chat (V3.2-Exp) and DeepSeek Reasoner (R1), based on DeepSeek’s published rates¹.

Attribute	DeepSeek Chat	DeepSeek Reasoner
Context window	128k tokens	128k tokens (Chain-of-Thought up to 64k internal tokens)
Function calling	Supported	Not supported. DeepSeek routes requests that use the tools parameter to DeepSeek Chat
Fill-in-the-middle (FIM)	Supported (beta)	Not supported
Input (cache hit)	0.028 USD per 1m tokens	0.028 USD per 1m tokens
Input (cache miss)	0.28 USD per 1m tokens	0.28 USD per 1m tokens
Output	0.42 USD per 1m tokens	0.42 USD per 1m tokens
Pricing currency	USD	USD

Details accurate as of 9 October 2025

DeepSeek pricing is friendly to startups and teams at scale. When inputs are cached, your cost per million tokens drops a lot.

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What is the pricing currency for DeepSeek in Australia?

DeepSeek bills in USD. For Australian businesses, that means any payment will involve a conversion from AUD to USD. This introduces 2 common costs:

• Exchange rate changes: Your AUD cost can move month-to-month with the USD/AUD rate
• Bank and card fees: Many providers add markups or foreign transaction fees

To reduce both of those costs, pay in USD directly with a Wise Business account. You can hold AUD, keep USD for subscriptions, convert at the mid-market rate when it suits you and pay in USD using the Wise Business card — so more of your budget goes to tokens, not fees.

DeepSeek Chat features

DeepSeek Chat is an AI assistant you can use in your product or daily work. It follows clear instructions and returns answers in the format you ask for. You can connect it to your internal tools to fetch data or trigger tasks, with controls on what it can do. It suits support, content drafts, data entry, QA checks and other repeatable tasks where structure matters.

The model’s key features are listed below:

• Function calling and JSON: Build tool-using workflows and integrate with your systems²
• Caching for cost efficiency: DeepSeek offers significantly lower token rates when a prompt segment hits cache — 0.028 USD vs 0.28 USD per 1m tokens for a miss
• Scalable usage model: No tiers — just per-token pricing
• Supported capabilities: Context up to 128k tokens — supports function calling

Is DeepSeek Chat right for your business?

Use DeepSeek Chat when you need reliable structured output and tool use. The best use cases are the following:

• Automating customer support or chatbot integrations
• Generating marketing copy, FAQs or internal documentation
• Summarising, tagging or structured data extraction
• Automating workflows using function-calling output

Cache your prompts to cut cost per million tokens and scale efficiently.

DeepSeek Reasoner features

DeepSeek Reasoner is the “thinking” mode. Use it when a task needs careful steps, logic or analysis. It takes time to plan, checks its own work and explains how it reached the answer. That makes it a good fit for multi-step math, research summaries with citations, policy checks and tricky data questions. It’s not built to run tools directly: if an action is needed, it passes the job to DeepSeek Chat.

The following features are available in DeepSeek Reasoner:

• Chain-of-Thought reasoning: Generates and can expose its internal reasoning steps before the final answer³
• Structured JSON output: Produces JSON, but tool calls are routed to DeepSeek Chat
• No fill-in-the-middle (FIM): FIM (beta) is supported only in DeepSeek Chat; reasoner mode lacks it
• Context and output limits: Up to 128k token context, with maximum output lengths between 32k and 64k (varies by mode)

Is DeepSeek Reasoner right for your business?

Use Reasoner for deep logic and multi-step answers, as long as you don’t need function calling support. It’s well suited to the following tasks:

• Financial modelling, quantitative analysis, technical research
• Complex data interpretation or predictive analytics
• Debugging, algorithm design or multi-step reasoning tasks

Here are the best practices:

• If you need tools or external APIs, use DeepSeek Chat.
• Use Reasoner for heavy reasoning and Chat for tool-driven or interactive tasks.

How much do DeepSeek add-ons cost?

DeepSeek pricing is based solely on token usage. There aren’t any required add-ons, subscription tiers or access fees. Each model includes all key features in the standard price. The key highlights are below:

• Transparent billing: Pay only for tokens — no onboarding, setup or implementation fees
• Inclusive model features: Caching and other core features are included — no paid unlocks
• Free consumer access: The DeepSeek Chat app remains free for end users, while developers may self-host open-source versions if they have the infrastructure
• Occasional discounts: DeepSeek sometimes offers off-peak pricing for example lower token rates during specific periods, which apply automatically when active
• Third-party fees: If you buy via an intermediary, they may add their own margin — outside DeepSeek’s pricing

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How to optimise your DeepSeek expenses

Even though DeepSeek pricing is already competitive, you can still lower spending at scale.

Reuse cached inputs

DeepSeek applies reduced billing for repeated prompts and cached tokens. When you use consistent instruction formats, for example, standard templates for FAQs or reports, repeated sections are charged at a lower rate. This can reduce ongoing costs for repetitive workflows.

Use the right model for the task

Assign DeepSeek Reasoner to technical or multi-step analytical work and Chat to general writing, support or summarisation. Splitting workloads like this balances precision with cost control, ensuring that you only use the higher-cost reasoning power when it adds real value.

Schedule heavy workloads during off-peak hours

DeepSeek occasionally offers off-peak token discounts — for example, lower rates on weekends or late-night hours and those discounts apply automatically when available. If you schedule batch processes during these off-peak times, you can lead to immediate savings when the discounts are in effect.

Monitor token usage

Track token usage within your DeepSeek dashboard or API metrics. Small inefficiencies — such as overly long prompts or unused system instructions — can add up quickly. Regular checks help make sure you’re only paying for useful processing.

Optimise payment methods

For international customers (including Australian businesses), check the exchange rates and any processing fees when you add money to your account. Paying in USD with a low-fee method — using your Wise Business account can help you avoid excessive currency conversion fees and hidden exchange rate markups.

Take advantage of self-hosting

Because DeepSeek’s models are open-source, advanced users can choose to self-host them on their own servers. While this requires technical setup, it makes costs predictable at scale and eliminates any third-party API markups.

Efficient usage patterns — like caching, workload balancing and precise task assignment — can cut DeepSeek expenses significantly. Combining these approaches with periodic usage reviews ensures your team gets the most out of every dollar spent.

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DeepSeek vs OpenAI

Comparing DeepSeek vs OpenAI provides a clearer view of how each platform approaches AI model billing. Both operate on usage-based token pricing, but the structure and rates differ significantly.

OpenAI official pricing (2025)

According to OpenAI’s API pricing page, all model rates are denominated in US dollars (USD) and charged per 1 million tokens⁴.

Model	Input	Cached input	Output	Highlights
GPT-5	1.25 USD per 1m tokens	0.125 USD per 1m tokens	10.00 USD per 1m tokens	Standard GPT-5 model for complex agentic tasks
GPT-5 Mini	0.25 USD per 1m tokens	0.025 USD per 1m tokens	2.00 USD per 1m tokens	Optimised for well-defined, faster tasks
GPT-5 Nano	0.05 USD per 1m tokens	0.005 USD per 1m tokens	0.40 USD per 1m tokens	Cheapest tier, for summarisation/classification
GPT-5 Pro	15.00 USD per 1m tokens	N/A	120.00 USD per 1m tokens	High-precision, enterprise-grade model

Details accurate as of 9 October 2025

OpenAI applies these prices globally, including in Australia, where payments are made in USD — meaning that foreign currency conversion costs and bank fees may affect total spend for Australian users.

Value dynamics in practice

For workloads with heavy prompt reuse or cache hits, DeepSeek pricing rewards efficiency — lower input rates can cut your cost per unit of work. On the other hand, OpenAI offers a wider range of models, integrations and developer tools, such as Agents, a real-time API and fine-tuning. These can justify OpenAI’s higher costs for larger companies or advanced AI use cases where things like productivity, speed or a more mature ecosystem are more important than just having the lowest per-token price.

➡️Check out our guide to Azure OpenAI Pricing

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Scale faster with DeepSeek and Wise Business

DeepSeek pricing is based on usage, so savings start with how you work. Default routine jobs to DeepSeek Chat, reserve Reasoner for steps that truly need it, reuse prompt templates to trigger cache hits and cap output tokens.

Bills settle in USD, so how you pay matters. With Wise Business you can hold AUD and USD, convert at the mid-market exchange rate with a low, upfront fee and pay DeepSeek in USD with the business debit card — keeping spend predictable and leaving more of your budget for tokens. When you’re ready to scale, explore integrations and check Wise Business pricing to plan your rollout.

Simplify how your team manages international expenses. Wise Business debit cards offer a straightforward and efficient solution for spending and withdrawing funds across the globe.

• Provide your team with contactless international business debit cards for spending in 150+ countries
• Get the first Wise debit card for free with a Wise Business account
• Enjoy zero foreign transaction fees, no subscription fees, and free standard delivery
• Make 2 free monthly withdrawals of up to 350 AUD per account
• Experience currency conversion at the mid-market rate with transparent fees from 0.63%

Want a simpler way to handle your team's international expenses?

Sign up for the Wise Business account! 🚀

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DeepSeek Pricing FAQs

Do you pay in AUD or USD in Australia?

DeepSeek pricing is in USD. You’ll see the final AUD amount after your card or payment provider converts the charge.

Does DeepSeek offer a free plan or trial for its API?

DeepSeek’s chat and mobile apps are free for everyday users. However, its API runs on a pay-as-you-go basis — there is no permanent free tier. Occasionally, DeepSeek provides promotional credits or short-term trials, but these are not guaranteed or recurring.

Does DeepSeek have an official app?

Yes. DeepSeek offers official apps for both iOS and Android, which connect to the same model backend as the API. These apps let users explore DeepSeek’s capabilities without needing a developer account or integration.

Does DeepSeek have an API for business use?

Yes. DeepSeek provides an official API that supports both chat and reasoning models, allowing developers to integrate the service into custom tools or workflows. The API documentation outlines token-based pricing, model performance and caching details for efficient large-scale use.

Does DeepSeek charge for onboarding or implementation?

No. DeepSeek pricing is simple: you pay for tokens. If you buy through a third party, check their terms before you integrate.

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Resources

1. DeepSeek API Docs - Models and Pricing
2. DeepSeek API Docs - Function Calling
3. DeepSeek API Docs - Reasoning Model
4. OpenAI - Pricing

Sources checked on 9th October 2025