Claude vs DeepSeek API: what each really costs
Team size
Billing
Claude
No plan for this billing option
No paid plan to compare for this billing option.
DeepSeek API
No plan for this billing option
No paid plan to compare for this billing option.
| 10 people | Claude | DeepSeek API |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | No plan for this billing option | No plan for this billing option |
| Vendor price | ||
| Monthly cost | ||
| Annual cost | ||
| Per user / year | ||
| Billing commitment | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Minimum seats | None stated | None stated |
| Free plan | Yes | No free plan listed |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
Calculated by SpecEntry from official vendor prices. Taxes and optional add-ons are not included. Open each product page for every plan and the official source.
Claude vs DeepSeek API: features
Key features as each vendor lists them. A feature missing from a list does not mean the product lacks it.
Claude
- Tasks, not just answersMine data, pull information together or make a first draft.
- Ideas to deliverablesTurn a rough idea into a deck, prototype, model or draft.
- Hand off on the goHand off tasks on the go or on a schedule.
- Meeting follow-upPulls action items and owners from transcripts into one list.
- Feedback digestGroups customer feedback by theme into a weekly digest.
Source:claude.com/product/overview ·
DeepSeek API
- OpenAI/Anthropic-compatible formatThe API uses a request format compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic.
- Search / Fetch APIWeb search and fetch API powered by DeepSeek's own search engine.
- Flash modelThe deepseek-flash model name is served by DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash.
- Streaming responsesSetting the stream parameter returns streamed responses.
- Agent tool integrationsSupported by many popular AI agent and coding assistant tools.
Source:api-docs.deepseek.com ·
Claude vs DeepSeek API pricing questions
How much do Claude and DeepSeek API cost?
Claude paid plans start at $17 per month, billed annually (Pro (annual)). DeepSeek API paid plans start at CN¥2 per million input tokens, peak hours (deepseek-flash input (cache miss, peak)).
Do Claude and DeepSeek API have a free plan?
Claude lists a free plan; DeepSeek API does not list one on its official pricing.