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#deepseek#plan#pricing#price#prices#flash#cost#models#more#api
Discussion (56 Comments)Read Original on HackerNews
Any suggestions for a better configuration? I mostly need Opus 4.6 + Claude Code alternative. I don't need Fable level capabilities, I add one new feature at a time and approve the code before shipping it. Then test and open a PR.
Usually both Fable and Opus suggest dumb ideas but are good implementers once I tweak the idea, approve the code, and add unit and production tests.
I'm OK spending max $100/month on APIs, ideally with Zero data retention. I only need a few hours a day of coding. I don't want agents running all the time; I figure I can stay on top to each feature and wrap my head around the product and new suggestions as long as I don't build too much at once.
I'm still on a Claude Max $100 plan, but it's barely usable anymore—one call and I hit 20–30% of the 5h window on Opus 4.8. Opus 5 seems tuned to make messes, and Fable burns tokens for a level of capability I don't actually need.
It's similar to the situation where you ask whether you should walk or take the car to go refill the car with gas. I feel LLMs have a linearity embedded in them that prevents them from finding non-linear, smart solutions, especially when data is scarce. They can probably get it done, but with far more complex solutions, which increases the risk of ending up with a crazy complex codebase when it could have been much simpler and more elegant.
The other situation is when I spot a problem or a feature change that's needed after experiencing the product, and I ask how to change the codebase, it suggests something, I say "why not this other thing," and then we do the other thing.
Not sure about the OAi Pro plan, doesn’t look like the 80% Luna price slash made its way into the quota system.
You could also try tuning down the effort level on Opus. It makes a huge difference in token consumption and you might be able to get away with lower than you’ve set
MiniMax's "token plan" ($20/mo for 1.7b tokens) is cost competitive. MiniMax M3 is equally good, if not better than DeepSeek v4, at coding: https://platform.minimax.io/subscribe/token-plan?tab=individ...
If you prefer pay-as-you-go, then Xiaomi MiMo is the only other provider with comparable models (MiMo v2.5 & Pro) that matches DeepSeek's current API rates for input/output/cache: https://mimo.mi.com/docs/price/pay-as-you-go
Meanwhile, Meta is running a 10x discount on Muse Spark 1.2 (Grok 4.5 / Sonnet 5 level model), if you opt-in to data sharing: https://dev.meta.ai/docs/getting-started/pricing-rate-limits
> I'm OK spending max $100/month on APIs, ideally with Zero data retention.
In that case, probably you'll get more out of OpenAI's coding plan, as (from what I hear routinely) the GPT 5.6 series is thrifty with token use but as smart as the Claude 5 series: https://x.com/ArtificialAnlys/status/2085083490056589784 / https://archive.vn/3VDlN
> We plan to raise the overall pricing for DeepSeek API services in the near future, with a significant increase expected. Please plan your usage accordingly. The specific pricing plan will be subject to official notice.
While it won’t cover everything DeepSeek does, it handles sophisticated tasks quite well. I found it after spotting it on a chart of different models and it was listed as being near Deepseek v4 Flash’s price/performance levels.
I have noticed by the way that DeepSeek’s API has been pretty slow the past couple of days. This feels like a demand-driven move more than anything. Good thing I invested in an eGPU!
We plan to raise the overall pricing for DeepSeek API services in the near future, with a significant increase expected. Please plan your usage accordingly. The specific pricing plan will be subject to official notice.
I guess this means that this powerful model for very cheap concept does not work?
Their v4 flash is brilliant, and I expect they have had a huge, and expensive to handle at short notice, surge in customers as a result.
Remember how cheap Uber rides were? That being said, current models are absolutely incredible. And I’ll think they’re going to get cheaper when the next generation is released.
The good times never last.
but compared to the $500k+ racks running the current frontier, it does give perspective.
It would be nice to have this notice on the public documentation as well.
If not, the cost outweighs whatever value I might have gotten from it.
I put 10 bucks on DeepSeek almost 3 months ago.
I still have 2 bucks there. I think I used so far something in the vicinity of 300M tokens total.
Even if they double their price it is still cheaper than US models on their flat rate plans, and I don't get locked out for expiring the quota.
> For us, a reasonable profit means roughly this: we buy a batch of servers, and we recover the cost in about ten months. Given the risks and the upfront investment, even if we depreciate a server financially over three or five years, commercially we think a ten-month payback is enough. That is the logic behind our current API pricing. For V3.2 Flash and other models, the standard is the same: recover the cost of the equipment in ten months.
[0]: https://thechatr.ai/blog/deepseek-liang-wenfeng-investor-mee...
Please don't tell me I'm holding it wrong.
You haven't even provided enough information for us to know if you are using the right tool. Saying "the model" in relation to an LLM provider that offers several is like asking for help with using a Dewalt or Milwaukee to help assemble an cabinet. Are you cutting, drilling, hammering, screwing?
We plan to raise the overall pricing for DeepSeek API services in the near future, with a significant increase expected. Please plan your usage accordingly. The specific pricing plan will be subject to official notice.
Now, the question remains, what does that "significant" mean? Would it still be cheaper than the competition, or did they realize they are too cheap for what they offer?
Given that many inference providers offer DS4 flash for more or less the same input and output token price as DeepSeek, they have good profits even with todays low prices.
- The Big Promise: Announces a major price cut for Summer 2026, powered by cost savings from a shift to Huawei chips
- The Hype Train: Launches a flash promotion cutting prices in half, follows up by announcing the 50% discount is now permanent
- The Reality Check: Summer arrives, and Huawei's chips flops
- The Retreat: Forced to quietly reorder Nvidia chips
- The Damage Control: Introduces "off peak hours" pricing to shift demand
- The Aftermath: Announces a significant price hike
Ready to IPO :^)