DeepSeek API vs Perplexity: what each really costs
Team size
Billing
DeepSeek API
No plan for this billing option
No paid plan to compare for this billing option.
Perplexity
No plan for this billing option
No paid plan to compare for this billing option.
| 10 people | DeepSeek API | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No free plan listed | Yes |
| 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.
DeepSeek API vs Perplexity: features
Key features as each vendor lists them. A feature missing from a list does not mean the product lacks it.
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 ·
Perplexity
- Cited answersEvery answer links to numbered citations you can preview or open.
- Source trust labelsLabels like Government, Academic and Trusted help judge credibility.
- Deep ResearchExpands the number of sources used for an answer.
- Multi-step workflowsResearch, analyze, create and code as a multi-step workflow.
- Slack and TeamsBrings Computer into Slack or Microsoft Teams channels.
- Cross-device syncStarts tasks on iOS and Android and continues them on desktop.
- Comet browserAsk, navigate and act without leaving the browser.
- ConnectorsConnects once so Computer works across your systems.
Source:perplexity.ai/hub/getting-started ·
DeepSeek API vs Perplexity pricing questions
How much do DeepSeek API and Perplexity cost?
DeepSeek API paid plans start at CN¥2 per million input tokens, peak hours (deepseek-flash input (cache miss, peak)). Perplexity paid plans start at $17 per month, billed annually (Pro (annual)).
Do DeepSeek API and Perplexity have a free plan?
Perplexity lists a free plan; DeepSeek API does not list one on its official pricing.