DeepSeek AI: Independent Guide to the Official Chat, App, API, and Models
DeepSeek is an AI company and product ecosystem built around generative AI models, an official chat assistant, mobile apps, developer APIs, and open model resources. This page is an independent guide that helps you understand DeepSeek AI, find the official DeepSeek resources, and choose the right next step without confusing the chat, app, API, models, and third-party tools.
This page is not the official DeepSeek website and does not provide an on-site DeepSeek chat. Use the links below to reach DeepSeek’s official services directly.
Documentation checked: October 3, 2026.
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek can refer to several related things: the company, the official AI assistant, the mobile app, the API platform, the underlying AI models, and the open model resources published under the DeepSeek name. Search results often mix these together, so it helps to separate them from the start.
| DeepSeek term | What it means | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek chat | The official web assistant for asking questions, writing, coding help, and general AI tasks. | Official chat |
| DeepSeek app | The official mobile assistant app for iOS and Android. | Official download page |
| DeepSeek API | The developer platform for building applications with DeepSeek models. | API platform and API docs |
| DeepSeek models | The AI models that power chat, API, reasoning, coding, vision, and agent workflows depending on the interface. | API documentation |
| Open model resources | Model cards, code, and repositories published by DeepSeek. Each release may have its own license and scope. | GitHub and Hugging Face |
DeepSeek’s official website currently highlights DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and links to the web chat, API platform, API docs, downloads, DeepSeek Harness, research pages, and service status. Use the official site when you need the most direct route to DeepSeek products and documentation.
What can DeepSeek AI help with?
DeepSeek AI can help with everyday AI-assistant tasks, but the exact capabilities depend on whether you use the official chat, the mobile app, the API, an open-weight model, or a third-party service using a DeepSeek model.
- Answer questions and explain topics: ask for summaries, explanations, examples, or step-by-step help.
- Write and edit text: draft emails, rewrite paragraphs, organize notes, or create structured outlines.
- Help with code: explain errors, review snippets, suggest changes, or reason through implementation choices.
- Reason through complex tasks: use DeepSeek’s reasoning or Thinking Mode where supported for planning, debugging, and multi-step analysis.
- Work with images through the API: the current DeepSeek Vision documentation says
deepseek-flashaccepts images alongside text for image understanding tasks. - Build applications: developers can connect applications to DeepSeek through the official API, including OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible formats.
Do not assume every capability is available everywhere. A feature documented for the API may not be exposed in the same way inside the consumer chat or app, and a third-party service using a DeepSeek model may have its own limits, pricing, privacy policy, and interface.
Start here: choose your DeepSeek path
Use the option that matches what you want to do now.
| Your goal | Best starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I want to chat with DeepSeek | Official DeepSeek chat | The fastest route for general questions, writing, learning, and coding help. |
| I want the mobile app | Official download page | Links to the official iOS and Android options. |
| I want to build with the API | DeepSeek Platform and API docs | Create an API key, choose a model, and follow current implementation docs. |
| I want to study DeepSeek models | Official updates, GitHub, and Hugging Face | Check current releases, repositories, model cards, and licenses. |
| I want a local or developer agent workflow | DeepSeek Harness and API docs | Use official desktop and developer tooling information instead of random mirrors. |
Official DeepSeek chat and app
The official DeepSeek web chat is available at chat.deepseek.com. The official download page describes the DeepSeek app as the official AI assistant from DeepSeek and links to iOS and Android downloads.
The download page currently says the app lets users chat with DeepSeek models for free. API usage is separate: developer API calls are billed according to the official API platform and pricing rules, not the consumer app description.
When you search for DeepSeek downloads, use the official download page rather than third-party mirrors. That reduces the chance of installing an outdated, modified, or unofficial application.
DeepSeek models and API for developers
Developers can use DeepSeek through the official API platform. The current API documentation says the API supports formats compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic by changing the base URL and configuration. The current model names shown in the quickstart include deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro.
DeepSeek’s API documentation also says the legacy names deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-flash-vision-exp are still accepted but are served by the current DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 model and billed at the Flash price. For new work, use the current model names documented by DeepSeek instead of copying old snippets.
- OpenAI-compatible base URL:
https://api.deepseek.com - Anthropic-compatible base URL:
https://api.deepseek.com/anthropic - API keys: create and manage them through the DeepSeek Platform.
- Documentation: use the official API docs for current endpoints, models, pricing, rate limits, errors, vision, tool calls, context caching, and agent integrations.
API pricing is usage-based and changes by model, token type, and current rate-card rules. Check the official models and pricing page before budgeting an application.
DeepSeek open weights and repositories
DeepSeek publishes model and developer resources through official organization pages such as DeepSeek on GitHub and DeepSeek on Hugging Face. These resources can be useful for researchers, developers, and teams evaluating model releases beyond the hosted chat service.
Use the term open weights carefully. Downloadable weights do not automatically mean that training data, full training infrastructure, all implementation details, or every derivative license condition is open. Check the license and model card for the specific release you plan to use.
Is DeepSeek free?
DeepSeek’s consumer chat and app experience may offer free access, as described on the official app download page. Developer API usage is a different product: API calls are tied to the DeepSeek Platform and its current pricing rules.
In practice, the answer depends on how you use DeepSeek:
- Consumer chat or app: check the official chat and app pages for the current access conditions.
- API usage: check the official model pricing page and account balance in the DeepSeek Platform.
- Open weights: even if a model’s weights are available, running it yourself can still involve hardware, hosting, engineering, and compliance costs.
- Third-party services: a tool using a DeepSeek model may charge its own prices and apply its own limits.
DeepSeek privacy and safety considerations
DeepSeek’s Privacy Policy, last updated February 10, 2026, says the hosted services can collect account information, prompts, uploaded files, photos, feedback, chat history, device and network information, log data, and approximate location based on IP address. It also says the services are provided and controlled by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.
The same policy says personal data is directly collected, processed, and stored in the People’s Republic of China. It also says users may have rights depending on where they live, including the ability to opt out of using personal data for training or optimizing technologies, subject to applicable rules and exceptions.
For everyday use, follow a simple rule: do not enter confidential work documents, private customer data, secrets, passwords, identity documents, or sensitive personal information unless you are allowed to do so and you understand the applicable terms. For work use, follow your organization’s approved-tool policy.
DeepSeek’s terms and privacy policy also remind users that generative AI outputs may be inaccurate. Verify important facts, code, numbers, legal claims, medical advice, financial conclusions, and high-stakes decisions before relying on them.
Is DeepSeek the same as ChatGPT?
No. DeepSeek and ChatGPT are separate AI products from different organizations. They can overlap in common tasks such as writing, explaining, coding help, summarization, and question answering, but they use different models, account systems, policies, pricing structures, and feature sets.
If you are deciding which tool to use, compare the specific task rather than the brand name alone: availability in your region, model behavior, file or image support, privacy policy, API pricing, coding performance, and your organization’s approval rules can all matter.
Official DeepSeek resources
Use these official resources when you need current information or access to DeepSeek services.
| Resource | Official link | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek website | deepseek.com | Official product and research links. |
| DeepSeek chat | chat.deepseek.com | Official web chat. |
| DeepSeek downloads | Download page | Official app and desktop download routes. |
| API platform | platform.deepseek.com | Developer account, API keys, and platform access. |
| API documentation | api-docs.deepseek.com | Models, endpoints, pricing, errors, guides, and integrations. |
| GitHub | DeepSeek on GitHub | Official repositories and developer resources. |
| Hugging Face | DeepSeek on Hugging Face | Model cards, collections, and model resources. |
| Privacy Policy | Privacy Policy | Data collection, use, rights, and storage information. |
| Terms of Use | Terms of Use | Rules for hosted DeepSeek services. |
| Open Platform Terms | Open Platform Terms | Rules for developers using DeepSeek open platform services. |
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official DeepSeek website?
No. This is an independent informational homepage about DeepSeek AI. Use DeepSeek’s official website and official chat for the official service.
Where can I chat with DeepSeek?
Use chat.deepseek.com for the official web chat. Mobile users should start from the official DeepSeek download page.
Does DeepSeek have an API?
Yes. Developers can use the DeepSeek Platform and the official API documentation to create keys and integrate DeepSeek models into applications.
Which DeepSeek model should developers start with?
DeepSeek’s current API quickstart lists deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. For a general first integration, start with the current official documentation and choose the model that matches your task, features, and cost requirements.
Can DeepSeek read images?
The current Vision guide says deepseek-flash accepts images alongside text for image understanding tasks. This is image input for text output; it is not the same as image generation.
Is DeepSeek open source?
DeepSeek publishes official repositories and model resources, including through GitHub and Hugging Face. Do not assume every release has the same license or that open weights include training data. Check the license for the specific model or repository.
What should I avoid sharing with DeepSeek?
Avoid passwords, secrets, confidential work files, private customer data, identity documents, and sensitive personal information unless you are authorized to submit them and understand the applicable privacy and platform terms.