Author｜Sangbi District Shi Editorial Team
Release |2026/11/10
Update｜2026/11/10

DeepSeek is an AI brand that develops artificial intelligence models and provides dialogue and development tools. General users can perform Q&A, writing, and programming-related work from the official website or app; developers can connect to the service through the API, or obtain model weights and deploy by themselves if they meet the authorization conditions.

These usage methods have different fees, data processing methods and operation thresholds. If you want to know "Is DeepSeek free" or "Is DeepSeek safe", you should first confirm whether you are using the official dialogue service, API, or the DeepSeek model provided by other operators.

What is DeepSeek? First distinguish the brand, model and user interface

DeepSeek's official terms of service lists the service provider as Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. DeepSeek also appears in the company brand, model name and application service. For example, seeing an article introducing the DeepSeek model does not mean that the capabilities mentioned in the article have been opened to all account apps, nor can services provided by third-party websites be regarded as official DeepSeek products.

You can first distinguish them in the following ways:

Main considerations for suitable users Official web pages and apps User accounts, visible functions, usage restrictions and data settings who want to directly ask questions, write or organize content Official API Developers who want to connect models to websites, applications or workflows Model name, usage billing, key protection and error handling Download model weights and deploy a team with development and computing resources Model authorization, hardware, deployment costs and security maintenance DeepSeek services provided by third parties People who use other platforms to integrate models Whether the platform is trustworthy, actual models, costs and data destination

As of the update date of this article, DeepSeek's official homepage and API documents have provided information related to the V4.1 series. The official model name will change with product updates. When searching for old versions of tutorials such as R1 and V3, you should first compare them with the official versions currently provided to avoid applying historical prices, button names or capability restrictions to new services.

General readers do not need to understand all model codes first. It will be easier to start by choosing the official portal first and then confirming the functions currently supported by the portal than just chasing the model name.

What can DeepSeek do? Common usage scenarios

Q&A, Writing and Traditional Chinese Revision

DeepSeek can be used to explain concepts, structure articles, rewrite text, and assist with translations. When using, clearly state the reader, purpose, length and language. For example, it is required to "use traditional Chinese common in Taiwan, retain the original numbers and conditions, and do not add sources by yourself."

The generated content may still contain typos, inconsistencies in language, or factual errors. If preparing for external release, the names, dates, product specifications, and citation sources should be additionally confirmed, and the content should be clearly marked as AI-generated as required by DeepSeek's official terms of use.

Summary information and teardown issues

You can provide access to text and ask to sort out key points, compare differences, or break down complex issues. For long-form content, it’s best to specify the scope, such as comparing only the price, duration, and applicability of two descriptions, rather than asking the model to generalize “which one is better.”

If the interface provides attachment, search, or inference-related functions, first confirm the tools actually available for the account before arranging work. Simply getting a fluent answer does not mean that the model has searched the Internet, nor does it guarantee that it has completely read all the materials.

Program understanding and development assistance

DeepSeek can also help explain programs, analyze error messages, propose test cases and suggest modifications. Developers can use the official API or study the official development tools; the official website currently has a DeepSeek Harness entrance, and you should check its current documentation for specific support scope.

The generated program still needs to be actually executed in the test environment. Do not directly post API keys, passwords, private keys, or unpublished company source code into conversations, and do not treat AI security analysis as a professional audit has been completed.

Is DeepSeek free? How are apps, APIs and self-deployment billed?

The official app offers free chat, but the API is a different service

The official DeepSeek download page states that the app can talk to AI models for free. General users can first learn about the free experience from the official portal, and then use it according to the functions and restrictions displayed in the account.

Free chat does not mean that the official API is free, nor can it be inferred that all functions have no usage restrictions. When you see an advertisement claiming "DeepSeek Lifetime Unlimited Edition" or asking to purchase an account from an unknown person, you should first go back to the official website to check.

Model API is calculated based on Token usage, not based on how many questions you ask.

Token is the unit of measurement used by the model to process text and cannot be fixed as a Chinese character or an English character. An API request often includes input and output, and conversation history or long files provided repeatedly may also affect input usage.

The above is the billing method of the model API; Search and Fetch are independent APIs and are billed based on successful requests. It is not appropriate to confuse their fees with the model Token price.

The official price list will list input, output, cache hit and miss prices respectively; some prices also have peak and off-peak differences. When making actual estimates, you should use the price and billing conditions of the selected model. Don't just take the cheapest column and multiply it by the entire usage.

As of 2026/11/10, the V4.1-Flash price per million Tokens listed in the official price list is as follows, in US dollars:

Billing item peak price off-peak price input: cache hit US$0.006US$0.003 input: cache miss US$0.30US$0.15 output US$1.20US$0.60

Officials currently list UTC 01:00~04:00 and 06:00~10:00 from Monday to Friday as peak peaks, that is, 09:00~12:00 and 14:00~18:00 Taiwan time; excluding Chinese public holidays. Off-peak prices apply during other periods, weekends and Chinese public holidays.

The above is a snapshot of the official price list on the data update date, not a fixed quotation. Applicable peak and off-peak periods, model selection and billing details should be DeepSeek official API pricing page The current instructions shall prevail. Before development, you can do a small amount of testing to confirm the actual Token consumption, and then estimate the cost of the complete service.

Self-deployment also has hardware and maintenance costs

Obtaining model weight does not mean that you can maintain an online service for free. For self-deployment, you also need to consider GPU memory, servers, storage, power, concurrent usage, and maintenance manpower. Large models also don't necessarily fit the average PC.

If you plan to rent a GPU to execute the model, you can learn more about the specifications and billing methods of different cloud services.

Further reading:What is Neocloud? GPU cloud, AI computing power and representative company introduction

How to start using DeepSeek? Official entrance and basic steps

Step 1: Select the entrance from the official website

Turn on first DeepSeek official website, and then enter the web chat or official download page. Don't rely solely on search ads, similar URLs, or community-provided install files to determine authenticity.

When using a mobile phone, you should go to the App Store from the official download page and then check the developer information. When using a third-party integration service, you must read the platform's privacy policy and fees separately, and do not treat it as the same account or plan as the official App.

Step 2: Create an account or log in based on the current page

Taiwanese users can register and log in to DeepSeek for free using email or Google accounts. They can also bind a Taiwanese mobile phone number during registration and verification. First operate from the official entrance, read the terms of service and privacy policy, and then complete the necessary verification according to the screen. Creating an account for free does not mean that the API or all functions are free. You still need to check the billing and usage restrictions of each service.

Step 3: First test with small tasks that do not contain confidentiality

You can start with an open text and ask for a summary, rephrasing or organization of the question. By giving a clear goal at a time and specifying the output format, it is easier to judge whether the answer meets the needs.

例如：

"Please use Taiwanese Traditional Chinese to organize the following public articles into 5 key points. Keep the dates and numbers in the article; do not add content that is not mentioned in the original article."

Step 4: Confirm whether the functions, sources and content are correct

If the work requires the latest news, confirm whether the search is actually used and provide the source; if you want to organize documents, check whether the original text supports abstracts. Do not rely on the thought process, tone of confidence, or citation format of the model output as a guarantee of correctness.

Step 5: Check the data settings before deciding whether to use it for work

Check your account's privacy and model improvement settings and confirm whether your company or school allows use of the service. Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Development has announced that public agencies are not allowed to use DeepSeek AI services. Relevant restrictions also involve other specific organizations. Please see the scope of application below for details.Being able to register or log in does not mean that you are allowed to use it for official or organizational work.Don’t skip checking data classification and access permissions just because the tool is free.

Is DeepSeek open source? What is the difference between open weight and free use?

Some models from DeepSeek provide downloadable weights. Take the official DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash model page as an example. The authorization description lists the library and model weights under the MIT License. Before using a specific version, you should still read the authorization document of that version and the statement that should be retained.

"Model weight opening" and "free online services" are different issues: the former involves whether the model can be obtained, modified or deployed and its authorization; the latter is the use condition of the website, App or API provider.

Similarly, being able to download model weights does not mean that all training data are made public, nor does it mean that every DeepSeek-derived model has the same authorization. If you use third-party quantitative versions, fine-tuned models or integration services, you should double-check their sources and additional conditions.

Self-deployment allows you to adjust data flow and access control, but you still need to confirm whether the deployed software is connected to other services, whether there are logs or telemetry, and who has permission to read the server data. Just because "running on your own computer" doesn't mean there are no external leaks or security risks.

Is DeepSeek safe? Taiwan Public Sector Restrictions and Data Risks

Before using DeepSeek, you should also evaluate cross-border data transmission, information storage, and organizational usage regulations. Registration is free, Taiwan phone number can be used, or model weights adopt open authorization, which cannot be used as a guarantee of data security.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Development: Public agencies are not allowed to use DeepSeek AI services

Digital Development Department at January 31, 2025publish"Public agencies are not allowed to use Deepseek AI services to prevent information security risks"The announcement pointed out that the DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese product, and its operation involves cross-border transmission and information leakage and other information security concerns, and it is a product that endangers national information security. The announcement cited the "Principles for Restricting the Use of Products Endangering National Information Security" promulgated by the Executive Yuan in 2019, with the purpose of preventing the leakage of internal public information without effective supervision.

The scope of restrictions listed in the announcement includes central and local agencies (institutions), public schools, public enterprises, administrative legal persons, and venues operated by themselves or outsourced for public activities or use. The central authority in charge of the relevant industries should also supervise the critical infrastructure providers and government donation consortiums stipulated in the "Information Security Management Law" for reference. The specification of these objects is a different issue than whether the general public can register an account;This announcement cannot be interpreted as a blanket ban on the use of DeepSeek by all people in Taiwan.

The Ministry of Digital Development also reminded that in accordance with the reference guidelines for the use of generative AI by the Executive Yuan and affiliated agencies (institutions), business operators are not allowed to provide confidential information related to official business, personal or disclosed without the consent of the agency, nor are they allowed to ask questions that may involve confidential business or personal information. Public sector and regulated organizations should follow the latest regulations from their competent authorities and themselves, and should not use personal accounts, private devices or self-deployment as a way to circumvent restrictions.

Follow-upExecutive Yuan Statement on February 3, 2025It is pointed out that in principle, public institutions are completely banned; if public universities and research institutions have research needs, they must apply for approval in accordance with relevant regulations before they can use it. It is also recommended to use computers that do not contain personal information or other data, download them on a stand-alone basis, and disconnect from the Internet for research.Standalone or disconnected does not mean that it is automatically allowed to be used.

Information Security Agency Notes February 20, 2025To further distinguish, the cloud services, apps and local downloads and uses of public agencies are all prohibited, and general private downloads and uses are not restricted. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the fact that people can register accounts and that public agencies are not allowed to use them. Relevant personnel should still follow the regulations of their respective agencies and competent authorities.

Official privacy policy mentions processing and storage of data in China

DeepSeek's privacy policy states that it collects, processes and stores personal data directly in China. The information that may be involved includes user-submitted text, files and chat content, as well as account, device and network-related information. Please read the specific scope and purpose of Official Privacy Policy。

The official policy also lists data categories such as the account's email or phone number, user prompts, uploaded content, chat history, IP address and device information, and explains that the data may be used to improve services and model training. Using Google to log in or bind your mobile phone is only an account and verification method, and will not change the data processing policy of the conversation service itself.Do not post official confidential information, personal customer information, non-public financial information, trade secrets, or restricted documents into conversations or uploads.

Turning off model improvement does not mean that no data is saved.

Official Terms of ServiceNote that users can exit model training through corresponding settings such as "Improve the model for everyone". The actual setting location and applicable scope should be subject to the account number and the latest official documents.

Exiting model training, deleting chats and stopping saving data are different processing matters. Don't assume that just because you turn off an option, all data is immediately deleted or no longer retained for security and operational purposes.

Reducing data exposure: Pre-use checks for individuals and businesses

  • Use only necessary information:Prioritize testing with public information or fictitious examples; remove names, contact information, account information and personally identifiable content.
  • Protect login and development credentials:Passwords, verification codes, API keys, wallet private keys, and mnemonic phrases cannot be posted in chats, nor can they be included in uploaded screenshots or logs.
  • Obtain organizational permission first:Internal company information may be confidential even if it does not involve personal information. Work purposes should be evaluated by the person in charge of information security or data management first, and uploading is not allowed without discretion.
  • Pay attention to sharing and third-party functions:Public conversation links may be forwarded or crawled by others; third-party integration and search functions may also involve other service providers, so you should check the data flow separately.
  • Think of turning off training settings as limited control:This setting does not replace data minimization, nor does it invalidate restrictions on cross-border processing, storage, or organization.

The above are risk management suggestions, which do not mean that all users have been exposed to data leakage, nor do they provide an absolute security guarantee for any AI service.

The answer may still be wrong, and we must guard against fake websites and leaks.

AI may produce numbers, legal interpretations, programs or quotes that appear reasonable but are incorrect. High-risk decisions such as trading, investing, medical, and legal should not rely solely on one paragraph of model answer.

Additionally, no matter which AI tool you choose, you should never post mnemonics, private keys, passwords, or full API keys in general conversations. Even if you just want the model to help troubleshoot errors, you should remove sensitive information first.

If you are interested in DeepSeek's data and usage restrictions, you can also read the relevant news on this site; restrictions in different countries and organizations have their own scope of application, and it cannot be directly inferred that all personal use is prohibited.

Further reading:The U.S. government’s ban on China’s AI has escalated: DeepSeek’s open source model has been included in a procurement blacklist, affecting U.S. technology supply chain integration services

How to choose between DeepSeek, ChatGPT and Claude?

When choosing an AI tool, first list the work you really need to complete, and then compare free access, model capabilities, data settings, tool integration, and total cost. A single test score or an answer on the Internet cannot represent all usage scenarios.

You can use the same non-confidential information to test the following items:

  1. Whether it understands your instructions and maintains Traditional Chinese and the specified format.
  2. Can the cited sources be turned on and do they really support the conclusion?
  3. Whether the document or program is available and whether the original correct content is retained after modification.
  4. Whether the usage and cost are consistent with the working frequency.
  5. Whether the data processing methods and permissions meet your requirements.

If you value open weight, self-deployment, or API concatenation, you can include DeepSeek in your evaluation; if you care more about ready-made tools and workflows, you should compare the actual available functions of each service.

Further reading:What is ChatGPT? 2026 Functions, Price Plans and Registration and Use Tutorials

If your main work is document, writing, and program collaboration, you can also compare Claude's products and solutions and then test with the same tasks.

延伸閱讀：Claude 是什麼？2026 免費使用、價格方案與註冊教學

DeepSeek 常見問題 FAQ

DeepSeek 可以免費使用嗎？

官方下載頁提供免費 App 聊天入口，但官方 API 另有用量計費。各功能與使用限制以當前帳號及官方說明為準，不能將 App 免費直接套用到 API。

DeepSeek 可以用繁體中文嗎？

可以用繁體中文提出需求，並明確要求使用台灣常見用詞。產出內容仍應檢查繁簡混用、專有名詞與翻譯是否符合用途。

台灣可以註冊 DeepSeek 嗎？

可以，台灣使用者可使用電子郵件（Email）或 Google 帳號免費註冊與登入，註冊與驗證時可綁定台灣手機號碼。實際驗證要求以官方介面為準；一般註冊可行性不代表公務或組織使用獲准。

台灣公務機關可以使用 DeepSeek 嗎？

數位發展部 2025 年 1 月 31 日公告公務機關不得使用 DeepSeek AI 服務，以防範跨境傳輸及資訊外洩風險，並說明相關限制原則及適用對象。公立學校、公營事業等亦在公告列出的範圍內；關鍵基礎設施提供者及政府捐助財團法人由主管機關督導參考辦理。依行政院 2025 年 2 月 3 日說明，公立大學及研究機構的研究需求須依規定報准核可，不能自行認定斷網部署即可豁免。請依官方公告及所屬組織最新規範辦理，不能將個人帳號可登入視為工作使用許可。

用 Google 登入或綁定台灣手機，資料就不會傳到中國嗎？

不能這樣推論。登入和手機驗證不會改變服務的資料處理政策；DeepSeek 官方隱私政策說明其直接在中國收集、處理與儲存個人資料。不要把登入方式當成資料保存地點或安全性的保證。

使用 DeepSeek 一定需要 API Key 嗎？

一般使用者從官方網頁或 App 進行對話，不需要先取得開發者 API Key。API Key 是程式串接時使用的憑證，應妥善保管，不要放在公開原始碼或一般對話中。

DeepSeek 開源就代表完全免費嗎？

不是。模型授權、線上服務計費與硬體成本是不同事項。即使模型權重允許使用，自行部署仍可能需要 GPU、伺服器和維護費用。

DeepSeek 每次回答都有搜尋網路嗎？

不能這樣假設。是否使用搜尋取決於介面、功能與實際操作；需要近期資訊時，應要求來源並自行核對日期與內容。

關閉模型訓練設定就不會留下資料嗎？

不能直接這樣推論。退出訓練用途不等於所有儲存、日誌與必要資料保留都停止，仍應閱讀隱私政策與設定說明。

DeepSeek 一定比 ChatGPT 或 Claude 好嗎？

不同版本、任務、成本與工具條件會影響結果。用自己的資料和驗收標準做小規模測試，比只看品牌或單一排行榜更有參考價值。

官方資料來源

*本文由桑幣區識編輯團隊依據官方資料及公開資訊整理，內容僅供資訊與教育用途，不構成投資建議。

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