Build with the latest DeepSeek models
DeepSeek currently offers two LLM access points via its API: deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner. According to the official documentation, both currently correspond to DeepSeek-V3.2 with a 128K context window; deepseek-chat stands for Non-Thinking mode, deepseek-reasoner for Thinking mode. The API is OpenAI-compatible and supports, among other things, JSON Output, Tool Calls, Chat Prefix Completion, and, in the case of deepseek-chat, additionally FIM Completion.
DeepSeek API
LLM "Build with the latest DeepSeek models"
Origin: China ⓘ No verified official full address data available on the DeepSeek website/policy
deepseek-v4-flash Faster, more efficient model with Thinking and Non-Thinking mode, 1M context, JSON output, tool calls, and chat prefix completion.
deepseek-v4-pro More powerful model for more complex reasoning, coding, agents, and long contexts; also supports 1M context, JSON output, and tool calls.
OpenAI-/Anthropic-compatible API Usage via an OpenAI-compatible base URL or an Anthropic-compatible endpoint; suitable for existing SDKs and agent tools.
Open Weights / Self-hosting path DeepSeek-V4 was released as an open-weights family; self-hosting requires your own infrastructure and should be considered separately from the official API.
Target audience
DeepSeek is aimed primarily at developers, technically savvy individual users, start-ups, freelancers, and teams that want to combine very low LLM costs with API flexibility. DeepSeek is especially attractive for users who already use OpenAI-compatible SDKs or tools, because according to the official docs, the API is built to be compatible. For heavily regulated enterprise environments, however, DeepSeek is significantly more challenging from a data protection assessment perspective.
Outstanding features
The biggest distinguishing feature is that DeepSeek essentially reduces the current API to two modes: chat for standard/non-thinking workloads and reasoner for thinking/reasoning workloads, both based on DeepSeek-V3.2. In addition, there are Tool Calls, JSON Output, Chat Prefix Completion, OpenAI-compatible access, and support for Anthropic format. Another notable point from the Open Platform Terms is that DeepSeek assigns users any rights to outputs and also permits the use of outputs for distillation/training of other models.
Key application areas
DeepSeek is particularly strong for software development, coding-related automation, reasoning tasks, tool-use workflows, complex search/research paths, and document-centric text processing. The official releases repeatedly emphasize improvements in SWE-bench, Terminal-Bench, front-end development skills, tool usage, and complex search tasks. This makes DeepSeek especially interesting for technical and agentic API workflows, less so for classic non-technical enterprise SaaS.
Usage & notes
Usage starts via https://api.deepseek.com and, according to the official docs, is possible with OpenAI-compatible clients. If you want to handle normal, low-cost chat/coding/workflow tasks, you typically start with deepseek-chat; for more demanding reasoning paths, math, code analysis, or multi-step reasoning, you use deepseek-reasoner or Thinking Mode. From a compliance perspective, it is important that, according to the Privacy Policy, DeepSeek processes personal data in China and also uses it by default to improve/optimize the technology unless you make use of the opt-out options.
| Target audience | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Developers / technical teams | Very suitable – for cost-efficient chat, coding, reasoning, and agent workflows. |
| SaaS startups / product teams | Suitable – especially if OpenAI-/Anthropic-compatible API formats and low model costs are important. |
| Coding and agent teams | Very suitable – because of Thinking/Non-Thinking modes, Tool Calls, JSON Output, FIM, and a very large context. |
| SMEs with a cost focus | Suitable – if technical integration is in place and no sensitive personal data is processed. |
| EU companies with strict compliance requirements | Rather critical – due to data processing and storage in China as well as the unclear situation regarding DPA/SCC/EU data residency. |
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deepseek-chat
Best suited for:
Low-cost productive standard workflows, coding, tool use, automations, JSON output, FIM completion, text-based extraction, and general app logic.
This is the practical default. Officially, it is the Non-Thinking mode of DeepSeek-V3.2. For most everyday API use cases, this is the most sensible and economical choice.
deepseek-reasoner
Best suited for:
Hard reasoning tasks, math, code analysis, complex search, deeper agentic logic, and tasks where Chain-of-Thought is intended to increase accuracy.
This is the Thinking/Reasoning mode of DeepSeek-V3.2. Official docs describe it as a model that first generates a CoT before the final answer in order to increase accuracy.
Hosting & Data
1) On-prem / local hosting
Meaning: The company operates the solution on its own hardware or within its own infrastructure. In the strictest sense, not only the application runs locally, but ideally the model as well.
2) Private cloud / data center
Meaning: The solution runs in a dedicated or more clearly separated cloud environment, often with a hosting provider or hyperscaler, but in a German data center or in a particularly controlled environment.
3) EU SaaS / managed
Meaning: The provider operates the solution itself as a service. The company uses the tool as a ready-made cloud service, ideally with EU data residency.
4) Hybrid
Meaning: One part of the processing remains internal / local / in a private cloud, while another part runs in an external cloud or EU SaaS.
5) AVV / DPA
Meaning: This is the data processing agreement or Data Processing Addendum. It governs that the provider processes personal data on behalf of the customer and is bound by the customer's instructions.
6) No training
Meaning: The provider does not use your prompts, uploads, attachments, chat histories, or outputs for training or improving the general model — ideally excluded by contract.
7) Open-source / transparency path
Meaning: There is a path toward greater technical transparency and sovereignty, for example through:
- open models
- documented components
- self-hostable parts
- traceable architecture
- export / switching options
| On-prem / local hosting | ✅ |
| Private cloud / data center | ❓ |
| EU SaaS / Managed | ❓ |
| Hybrid | ⚠️ |
| DPA / AVV | ❓ |
| No training on customer data | ❓ |
| Open source / transparency path | ✅ |
Overall assessment of hosting & data:
The DeepSeek API is a managed API service with OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible API formats. Technically, DeepSeek offers strong price-performance options, 1M context, Thinking/Non-Thinking modes, JSON output, tool calls, context caching, FIM completion, and integration with agent/coding tools. Another positive aspect is that DeepSeek-V4 was released as an open-weights model family, which means a transparency or self-hosting path for the model weights fundamentally exists; however, this is not identical to the official DeepSeek API. Critical concerns remain regarding data processing in China, possible use for training/improvement, unclear GDPR contractual status, and the lack of assured EU data residency.
Conclusion:
DeepSeek is very attractive for cost-sensitive technical applications, coding, agents, and large contexts; for personal, confidential, or regulated EU data, the official API is only advisable with additional legal and technical review.
| On-prem / local hosting | ✅ |
| Private cloud / data center | ❓ |
| EU SaaS / Managed | ❓ |
| Hybrid | ⚠️ |
| DPA / AVV | ❓ |
| No training on customer data | ❓ |
| Open source / transparency path | ✅ |
Overall assessment of hosting & data:
The DeepSeek API is a managed API service with OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible API formats. Technically, DeepSeek offers strong price-performance options, 1M context, Thinking/Non-Thinking modes, JSON output, tool calls, context caching, FIM completion, and integration with agent/coding tools. Another positive aspect is that DeepSeek-V4 was released as an open-weights model family, which means a transparency or self-hosting path for the model weights fundamentally exists; however, this is not identical to the official DeepSeek API. Critical concerns remain regarding data processing in China, possible use for training/improvement, unclear GDPR contractual status, and the lack of assured EU data residency.
Conclusion:
DeepSeek is very attractive for cost-sensitive technical applications, coding, agents, and large contexts; for personal, confidential, or regulated EU data, the official API is only advisable with additional legal and technical review.
Strengths & Weaknesses at a Glance
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| - Very affordable API prices in the official pricing. | - The current API portfolio is narrow: officially only two model IDs. |
| - Well suited for coding, reasoning, tool use, and agentic workflows. | - Critical for EU/GDPR-sensitive use, because according to its Privacy Policy, DeepSeek processes and stores personal data directly in the People's Republic of China. |
| - OpenAI-compatible API, which makes integrations easier. | - According to its Privacy Policy, DeepSeek generally also uses personal data to improve the services and to train/optimize the technology; an opt-out is provided, but it is not the default. |
| - Open-source/MIT license strategy for the model weights. | - No clearly publicly documented classic enterprise tiers; according to the FAQ, there are no tiered plans and rate limits are dynamic. |
| - According to the terms, relatively extensive usage rights for outputs. | - DeepSeek itself points out that outputs may be erroneous and should not be considered professional advice. |
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GDPR-compliant use possible?
GDPR assessment: From a GDPR perspective, the DeepSeek API is critical for EU companies or only suitable after careful review.
Positive is that DeepSeek lists rights for EEA, Swiss, and UK users in its Privacy Policy, describes technical and organizational security measures, and states that it does not engage in targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, or automated decision-making that creates profiles with legally significant effects.
Negative is that, according to its Privacy Policy, DeepSeek collects, processes, and stores personal data directly in the People’s Republic of China. In addition, DeepSeek states that its purposes include, among other things, improving and developing the services as well as training and improving ML models and algorithms, including User Input. I was unable to reliably verify a publicly available GDPR DPA/AVV, SCC setup, or EU data residency offering in the official API documentation.
Server location: People’s Republic of China. Further link: DeepSeek Privacy Policy and API Docs.