DeepSeek R1
DeepSeek R1 was an open-weight reasoning-focused large language model from DeepSeek, notable for strong step-by-step reasoning performance at a fraction of the cost of many proprietary reasoning models. DeepSeek has since moved to its V4 model family, with the legacy API model name deepseek-reasoner retired in July 2026.
Facts checked on against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Newer version available. DeepSeek retired the legacy deepseek-reasoner API model name on July 24, 2026, routing traffic to the newer V4 family, which now handles reasoning-focused workloads. See DeepSeek V4.
- Pricing
- Open sourcePaid from Superseded by DeepSeek V4 API pricing
- Open source
- YesMIT (weights and code)
- GitHub stars
- 91,922
- Latest release
- v1.0.01 year ago
A good fit for
- Researching the history of open-weight reasoning models and DeepSeek's impact on the field
- Self-hosting the R1 open weights for projects that specifically require that version
Not a good fit for
- New API integrations, since the legacy deepseek-reasoner API model name has been retired in favor of the V4 family
- Anyone wanting DeepSeek's current best-performing reasoning model, where V4 is the active generation
DeepSeek R1 pricing
DeepSeek R1's weights are free to download and self-host under the MIT license. Its legacy API model name (deepseek-reasoner) has been retired in favor of the DeepSeek V4 family; see DeepSeek V4 for current API pricing.
Prices in USD, checked on 27 September 2026. Current prices on deepseek.ai.
Main features
- Open weights
- Released under the MIT license, allowing self-hosting and modification.
- Visible reasoning chains
- Generates step-by-step reasoning before producing a final answer.
- Cost-efficient reasoning
- Notable for reasoning performance at a much lower cost than many proprietary alternatives.
About DeepSeek R1
DeepSeek R1 was built specifically for step-by-step reasoning tasks, generating visible chains of reasoning before producing a final answer, and drew significant attention for matching proprietary reasoning models at a much lower training and inference cost.
As an open-weight model, it could be downloaded and self-hosted in addition to being accessed through DeepSeek's own API (as the deepseek-reasoner model) and various third-party inference providers.
DeepSeek has since released its V4 model family, which now handles reasoning-focused workloads, and retired the legacy deepseek-reasoner API model name as of July 24, 2026.
- Made by
- DeepSeek
- Free plan
- Yes, open-weight model free to download and self-host; API access is pay-as-you-go
- Available on
- API, Self-hosted (open weights), Various inference providers
Usage and activity
Recent releases
- v1.0.01 year ago
DeepSeek R1 alternatives
Questions about DeepSeek R1
Is DeepSeek R1 still available?
The open-weight model files remain downloadable, but DeepSeek retired the legacy deepseek-reasoner API model name on July 24, 2026 in favor of the V4 family.
What replaced DeepSeek R1?
The DeepSeek V4 family, which now handles reasoning-focused workloads.
Sources and links
Work on DeepSeek R1? Claim this listing. Something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction. Stats come from the public GitHub and npm APIs and update every day.