| Gateway | Input/1M | Output/1M | Monthly (100M tokens) | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 NovAI | $0.28 | $0.40 | $34 | $408 |
| DeepSeek Direct (discount) | $0.435 | $0.87 | $65 | $783 |
| OpenRouter (est.) | ~$0.46 | ~$0.92 | $69 | $828 |
| DeepSeek Direct (June 1) | $1.74 | $3.48 | $261 | $3,132 |
| Together AI | $2.10 | $4.40 | $325 | $3,900 |
Monthly cost assumes 50M input + 50M output tokens. DeepSeek Direct's 75% discount expires May 31, 2026.
Price: $0.435/$0.87 (75% off until May 31), then $1.74/$3.48
Pros: Official API, latest models first, cache hit at $0.0145/1M
Cons: Requires Chinese phone number. No PayPal. Discount ending. 1M token context only on V4 Pro.
Verdict: Best price directly — if you're in China. For international developers, the phone verification is a hard blocker.
$5 credit for new users · No card required · OpenAI-compatible API
Price: Provider pass-through + 5.5% credit purchase fee
Pros: 200+ models, fallback routing, MCP server, BYOK support
Cons: 5.5% fee adds up. No China-native model relationships. Credit purchase fee is hidden.
Verdict: Great if you use many different models. Overkill if you just want cheap DeepSeek access.
Price: $2.10/$4.40 for DeepSeek V4 Pro
Pros: Fast inference (FlashAttention-4), GPU clusters, fine-tuning
Cons: 11x more expensive than NovAI for the same DeepSeek model. Infrastructure markup, not a pure gateway.
Verdict: Excellent infrastructure platform. Terrible value for DeepSeek API access.
Price: $0.28/$0.40 (lower than DeepSeek's own discount)
Pros: Zero platform fee. USDT (TRC20). No Chinese phone needed. OpenAI-compatible API. Free GLM-4.6V-Flash forever. $5.00 welcome credit.
Cons: HK-based (500-700ms latency to US/EU). Smaller model selection (~20 models).
Verdict: Cheapest DeepSeek access available. Ideal for batch processing, content generation, cost-sensitive apps.
Price: Varies by model, generally competitive with DeepSeek Direct
Pros: Good for Chinese developers, Alibaba Cloud integration
Cons: Chinese interface, Alipay/WeChat only, limited English docs
Verdict: Solid option if you're in China's ecosystem. Not designed for international developers.
| Use Case | Best Gateway | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest DeepSeek access | NovAI | $0.28/1M, below DeepSeek's own pricing |
| Access to 200+ models | OpenRouter | Unmatched model selection |
| Fastest inference speed | Together AI | FlashAttention-4 on Blackwell GPUs |
| No payment friction (West) | NovAI | USDT (TRC20), instant on-chain confirmation |
| Enterprise fine-tuning | Together AI | GPU clusters + dedicated endpoints |
| China-based developer | DeepSeek Direct | Lowest latency, native payment |
For most international developers, the choice is between NovAI (cheapest) and OpenRouter (most flexible).
If your priority is cost — and you're using DeepSeek for coding, translation, or batch processing — NovAI is the clear winner. At $0.28/1M, you're paying less than DeepSeek's own discounted API, with zero platform markup.
After May 31 when DeepSeek's 75% discount expires, the gap widens further: NovAI's price stays locked, while DeepSeek Direct jumps to $1.74/1M (6.2x more expensive).
DeepSeek V4 Pro at $0.28/1M. Cheaper than DeepSeek's own API. USDT (TRC20).
→ Get API Key FreeSources: DeepSeek API docs, Together AI pricing, OpenRouter FAQ, SiliconFlow website. Prices as of May 19, 2026. DeepSeek 75% discount expires May 31, 2026.
OpenAI-compatible API — just change base_url and your API key