Signal DeepSeek Launches V4-Pro and Raises API Prices by as Much as 1,100%

Summary

Chinese AI company DeepSeek officially launched its V4-Pro-0813 model, raising API prices by as much as 1,100% compared to its V4 Flash model, according to Caixin Global. Independent benchmarking firm Artificial Analysis reported pricing of $1.32 per million input tokens and $3.96 per million output tokens for V4 Pro, roughly 9 and 14 times higher than V4 Flash's $0.14 and $0.28 rates respectively. DeepSeek also introduced peak and off-peak pricing tiers, ending a 75% promotional discount that had applied through May 5. On Artificial Analysis's Intelligence Index, the reasoning version of V4 Pro scored 53 compared to 40 for V4 Flash, indicating a meaningful capability improvement over the earlier preview version. According to Reuters, DeepSeek is separately pursuing a new funding round at a valuation of about $74 billion, following a roughly $7.4 billion first external financing round in June. The pricing shift comes as Chinese AI developers continue to operate under US semiconductor export restrictions.