DeepSeek opens search API at $0.75 per 1,000

Corrected 19 Oct: we fixed details of this story after checking the source again.

DeepSeek has opened two web tools to any developer: a Search API and a Fetch API. Each costs $0.75 for every 1,000 successful calls. Some uses are free for now, and billing starts on 1 November 2026, Beijing time. This gives AI apps a cheap way to look things up on the web.

What happened

DeepSeek says its Search and Fetch APIs are now open to everyone. They run on the company's own search engine. The announcement came on 17 October 2026, along with a model update.

The DeepSeek docs explain the two tools. The Search API takes a question and returns a list of web pages. The Fetch API takes one web address and returns the page text in a plain format called Markdown. Developers call them by sending a request with an API key.

DeepSeek says it only charges when a call works. Failed calls, empty search results and timeouts are not billed, per the docs.

Key facts

• Price: $0.75 per 1,000 successful requests for Search, and the same for Fetch, according to the DeepSeek docs.
• What counts: a call is billable only when it returns a result. The number of results you ask for does not change the price.
• Free for now: server-side calls made through DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code or Codex. Those are free until billing begins at 00:00 Beijing time on 1 November 2026, say the docs.
• Search limits: 100 requests per second per account. Fetch is lower at 25 per second.
• Search results hold a title, a link, a short summary and a quality score from 0 to 3, per the docs.
• Fetch can fail on some sites because of their own access rules, the docs warn.

Background

AI models often need fresh facts from the web. DeepSeek is now offering search and page-reading tools next to its models, on its own search engine.

The release note says the free period covers use inside DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code and Codex. So the "free" label only holds for those tools, and only until the billing date.

The docs also list tools for finer searches. You can limit results to one site, skip a site, or filter by date or language.

What it means for you

If you build AI apps, this could cut your search costs. $0.75 for 1,000 calls works out to less than a tenth of a cent per call. That math is ours, based on the listed price.

If you only use chatbots, you may never see this directly. But tools you use may start to rely on it.

Our take: cheap does not mean good. Check the quality of the results on your own questions before you rely on them. The docs say some results come back with an unknown source rating or an empty page text.

What happens next

The docs state one date. Billing for the agent-tool calls that are free now begins at 00:00 Beijing time on 1 November 2026, per the DeepSeek docs.

Our take: if you plan to use these tools, budget for the price after that date.

FAQ

How much do DeepSeek's Search and Fetch APIs cost?

$0.75 per 1,000 successful requests for each one, per the DeepSeek docs.

Is it free right now?

Partly, for now. Server-side calls made through DeepSeek Harness, Claude Code or Codex are free until 1 November 2026, Beijing time. The docs say per-request billing starts on that date.

What is the difference between Search and Fetch?

Search finds web pages for a question. Fetch pulls the text of one page you already have the link for.

Sources

• DeepSeek
• api-docs.deepseek.com