LLM APIs · Comparison
DeepSeek API vs Mistral AI API
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | DeepSeek API | Mistral AI API |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Worth the priceA 1M-token-context model billed per token, with automatic cache hits at 98% off and half-price off-peak hours. | Worth the priceLow per-token prices on small open-weight models, with EU or US processing you can choose yourself and spending caps per workspace. |
| Overall score | 3.2 | 7.4Best |
| Free option | Paid only | Free plan |
| Card to start | –Not measured | No card needed |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0.30/1M input tokens | $0.10/1M input tokens |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| How you pay | Prepaid balance (PayPal, card, Alipay, WeChat Pay); top-ups do not expire | Prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, optional auto recharge |
| Free option | None stated; a "granted balance" is mentioned with no amount | Free mode, no card; allowance not stated publicly |
| Reference scenario (100M in + 20M out tokens/mo) | $54 on deepseek-flash at peak ($27 off-peak), computed | $12 on ministral-3b-2512, computed |
| Batch, cache and other discounts | No batch API; cache hits 98% off (automatic); off-peak 50% off | Batch 50% off; cached input 90% off |
| Trained on API data | May be used, de-identified, unless you opt out | Unless you opt out (Free mode and paid) |
| Default retention | No number of days ("as long as you have an account") | 30 rolling days for abuse monitoring |
| Zero data retention | Not stated | By approval, pay-as-you-go, stateless endpoints only |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | Not stated | Both, stated in the help center |
| HIPAA BAA | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data regions | No choice; processed and stored in the PRC | EU and US endpoints at +10% |
| Official SDKs | None of its own; docs use the OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs | Python, TypeScript |
| Console SSO | Not stated | SAML on the Enterprise plan |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, DeepSeek API has short, clear token prices, automatic 98%-off cache hits and half-price off-peak hours. Data is processed in China, training use is opt-out, and no compliance documents are stated. | From its public pages, the Mistral AI API has the lowest reference price in this comparison, EU or US endpoints you can pick yourself and spending caps. Training use is an opt-out, rate limits sit behind sign-in, and ZDR and SSO need approval or the Enterprise plan. |
Evidence: DeepSeek API: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Mistral AI API: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our DeepSeek API review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick DeepSeek API when
- You want a 1M-token context, cache hits at 98% off and both OpenAI- and Anthropic-format endpoints.
- Pick Mistral AI API when
- You want a lower scenario price ($12 on Ministral 3 3B), a 50% batch discount, EU or US regional endpoints and stated SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
From our Mistral AI API review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Mistral AI API when
- You need a batch discount, spending limits, a DPA with the terms and EU or US processing; DeepSeek says data is stored in the PRC.
- Pick DeepSeek API when
- You want a 1M-token context on the low-cost model and off-peak rates at half price.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- DeepSeek APIdeepseek-flash$0.30/1M input tokens$1.20 per 1M output tokens at the peak rate; cache hits $0.006; off-peak rates are half
- DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash
- 1M context, up to 384K output
- Tool calls, JSON output, vision
- Concurrency limit 2,500
- Mistral AI APIPro$14.99/moExcluding taxes; one plan across Vibe, Studio and API usage
- $25.5 /mo in API credits
- Chat and email support
- Usage beyond the plan at API rates
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: DeepSeek API 2026-10-15, Mistral AI API 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- Mistral AI APISelf-serve sign-up, no card needed; the highest score of the 2 self-serve products here (7.4/10).
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- Mistral AI APIFree plan, no card needed; scored 7.4/10.
- Lowest starter price
- Mistral AI API$0.10/1M input tokens for the Ministral 3 3B plan. DeepSeek API lists no comparable paid price.
- Highest overall score
- Mistral AI API7.4/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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