# DeepSeek: what's new, verdict & setup Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/deepseek · First covered by us (no vendor release date published): 2026-10-25 · Last verified: 2026-10-25 · Evidence: Reported (not run by us) · Vendor: DeepSeek · Official site: https://api-docs.deepseek.com/ > Model API that works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDK formats and can back agent tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode. ## Verdict **Model API that works with the OpenAI and Anthropic SDK formats and can back agent tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode.** Good for: - Developers who want an OpenAI-compatible endpoint - People wiring a cheaper backend into agent tools Skip if: - You need published prices in this page (not captured) - You need a first-party consumer app review (not covered here) Status: Reported. Written from official release notes and docs; we have not run this release ourselves. Pricing: Not verified. The docs page we read did not include the pricing table. (checked 2026-10-25) ## Best for - [Best AI tool for local LLM tools and model platforms](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/llm-platforms) (#-): Model API compatible with the OpenAI and Anthropic formats. ## Key facts DeepSeek's API docs say the API format is compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic, with base URLs api.deepseek.com and api.deepseek.com/anthropic, and list the models deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. They say Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode can use DeepSeek as the backend model, and that DeepSeek Harness is in developer preview. The pricing table did not render in the page text we could read. - License: Not read (check each model's license) - Platforms: API - Pricing model: Pay as you go (API) - Free tier: Not stated on the page we read - Paid plans: Per-token API pricing exists but did not render in our capture; check the official pricing page - How to start: Request an API key from DeepSeek, then point an OpenAI-compatible SDK at https://api.deepseek.com with model deepseek-flash. - Catalog entry: facts read from the vendor's pages on 2026-10-25. We do not track release notes for this entry. ## How to set it up: Get started with DeepSeek These steps come from the vendor's own pages as read on 2026-10-25. We have not run DeepSeek. 1. **Get access.** Request an API key from DeepSeek, then point an OpenAI-compatible SDK at https://api.deepseek.com with model deepseek-flash. 2. **Check the limits and costs first.** Not stated on the page we read. Paid: Per-token API pricing exists but did not render in our capture; check the official pricing page. The docs page we read did not include the pricing table. ## Pros and cons Pros: - Works through OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs - Documented agent-tool integrations Cons: - Pricing not captured - License terms not read ## Alternatives - [OpenRouter](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/openrouter): Unified API to many models with fallbacks; a Free tier with 25+ free models and 4 free providers. - [Together AI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/together-ai): AI cloud for open models: serverless inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters, priced per token. - [Ollama](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/ollama): The common way to run open models locally on macOS, Windows and Linux, with a cloud option and an MIT-licensed open-source core. - [Cohere](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/cohere): Enterprise AI company: Command models, Rerank and the North platform. - [Hugging Face](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/hugging-face): The hub where the ML community shares models, datasets and apps, with PRO, Team and Enterprise tiers. - [LiteLLM](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/litellm): Python SDK and proxy that gives one OpenAI-style interface to many model providers. - [llama.cpp](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/llama-cpp): LLM inference in C/C++: the open-source engine many local-model tools build on; MIT-licensed with near-daily build tags. - [LM Studio](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/lm-studio): Desktop app for running open models locally; the homepage now leads with Bionic, an agent for work and code. - [Open WebUI](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/open-webui): Self-hosted AI platform: a web interface that connects to Ollama and OpenAI-compatible models, under its own Open WebUI License. - [Replicate](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/replicate): Cloud API for running and fine-tuning open models, with per-use pricing. - [Jan](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/jan): Open-source alternative to ChatGPT that runs open models locally or connects to cloud models like GPT and Claude. - [GPT4All](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/gpt4all): Local chatbot from Nomic that runs open-source models on your device; the latest GitHub release we saw is v3.10.0 from Feb 2025. ## FAQ ### What is DeepSeek? DeepSeek's API docs say the API format is compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic, with base URLs api.deepseek.com and api.deepseek.com/anthropic, and list the models deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. They say Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode can use DeepSeek as the backend model, and that DeepSeek Harness is in developer preview. The pricing table did not render in the page text we could read. ### Is DeepSeek free? Not stated on the page we read. Paid: Per-token API pricing exists but did not render in our capture; check the official pricing page. The docs page we read did not include the pricing table. Checked 2026-10-25; prices change, so confirm on the vendor's page. ### What license is DeepSeek under? Its license: Not read (check each model's license). Read from the project's own pages on 2026-10-25. ## What we have not verified - Release date (none published on the pages we read; the date shown is the day we first covered this entry) - Prices - Model licenses - Model quality (not tested) ## Sources - [DeepSeek API docs](https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing-details-usd) (fetched 2026-10-25) ## How to cite Agentic Weekly, "DeepSeek: what's new, verdict & setup", last updated 2026-10-25, https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/deepseek Keep the Reported or Tested label when you quote the verdict.