AI Recommendation
Should you use DeepSeek-R1?
DeepSeek-R1 is listed for chat workloads and supports a 128K context window.
Use it when OpenRouter's free tier is enough for evaluation, demos, or light production traffic.
DeepSeek-R1 Free API on OpenRouter
Free API Verified Catalog metadata matched Reasoning models.dev metadata
Classic open reasoning model for transparent math, coding, and deliberate problem solving
Free APIOpenRouter nativeReasoningTool callingReasoning
Context window 128K
Max output 33K
API format OpenRouter native
Status Online
Best for
- Chat
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Long context window
- Reasoning mode listed
- Tool calling support
- Open weights available
Watch outs
- Free-tier rate limits apply
- Vision support is not listed
Pricing
DeepSeek-R1 pricing per 1M tokens
Input $0.7 per 1M tokens
Output $2.5 per 1M tokens
Free access Available OpenRouter
Rate limit 200 req/day (free tier) provider policy
Availability
DeepSeek-R1 availability by provider
We only found this DeepSeek-R1 listing on OpenRouter in the current catalog. Use the related models section for nearby alternatives.
| Provider | Model listing | Access | Context | API | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | DeepSeek-R1 | Free tier | 128K | Native | 200 req/day (free tier) |
Compare
DeepSeek-R1 alternatives to consider
| Model | Provider | Context | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poolside: Laguna XS 2.1 (free) | OpenRouter | 262K | Free tier |
| Cohere: North Mini Code (free) | OpenRouter | 256K | Free tier |
| NVIDIA: Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety (free) | OpenRouter | 128K | Free tier |
| NVIDIA: Nemotron 3 Ultra (free) | OpenRouter | 1.0M | Free tier |
| NVIDIA: Nemotron 3 Nano Omni (free) | OpenRouter | 256K | Free tier |
Typical Use Cases
DeepSeek-R1 use cases
Chat
DeepSeek-R1 is tagged for chat in this catalog.
FAQ
DeepSeek-R1 free API FAQ
Is DeepSeek-R1 free to use?
DeepSeek-R1 is listed with free API access on OpenRouter, subject to the provider's quota and account policy.
What is the DeepSeek-R1 model ID?
The model ID shown in this catalog is deepseek/deepseek-r1.
What are the DeepSeek-R1 free tier rate limits on OpenRouter?
The listed free tier limit is 200 req/day (free tier). Limits can change per account tier, so confirm against the provider dashboard.
What context window does DeepSeek-R1 support?
The listed context window is 128K tokens with up to 33K output tokens.
More about DeepSeek-R1
Free DeepSeek-R1 API.
For API keys, setup steps, and provider-level limits, see the OpenRouter provider page.