DeepSeek-R1 — Free AI Model & API

github-models/deepseek-r1

chat reasoning

Get API key →

Context Window 64K

Max Output 8K

Rate Limit 15 RPM, 150 RPD

Cost $0.00 FREE

Free Period Since May 10, 2026

Credit Card Not required

Status Online

Overview

DeepSeek-R1 is a reasoning-specialized model that uses chain-of-thought deliberation before producing final answers, making it particularly strong at math, logic puzzles, and multi-step coding problems. Available free on GitHub Models with 64K context and 8K output, it is fully OpenAI SDK-compatible — swap in the GitHub Models base URL and your GitHub token to use it with any OpenAI-compatible tool. The free tier allows up to 15 RPM and 150 requests per day, somewhat more generous than the GPT-4 family on GitHub Models. If your task benefits from explicit step-by-step reasoning rather than fast single-pass generation, R1 is one of the strongest free reasoning models available.

Model ID

deepseek-r1

Base URL

https://models.inference.ai.azure.com

Specifications

Context: 64K · Output: 8K · Modality: text · OpenAI Compat: Yes

Quick Start

Integrate DeepSeek-R1 with 3 lines of code. See the config generator for Claude Code, Cursor, and more.

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
 base_url="https://models.inference.ai.azure.com",
 api_key="YOUR_API_KEY"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
 model="deepseek-r1",
 messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

import OpenAI from "openai";

const openai = new OpenAI({
 baseURL: "https://models.inference.ai.azure.com",
 apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
});

const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
 model: "deepseek-r1",
 messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
});

console.log(completion.choices[0].message.content);

curl https://models.inference.ai.azure.com/chat/completions \
 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
 -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
 -d '{
 "model": "deepseek-r1",
 "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
 }'

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Rate Limits & Constraints

Rate Limit 15 RPM, 150 RPD

Context Window 64K

Max Output Tokens 8K

Cost Free — since May 10, 2026

Credit Card Not required

OpenAI Compatible Yes — drop-in replacement

GitHub Models Platform Limitations

Low per-request token limits (8K input / 4K output)
Rate limits tied to GitHub Copilot subscription tier
Not suitable for large-context or long-generation tasks

Features & Use Cases

Best For

ChatReasoning

Modality Support

text

GitHub Models Highlights

45+ models including GPT-4.1 and o3
Free for all GitHub accounts
Includes Llama 4, DeepSeek-R1, Mistral
Base URL: models.inference.ai.azure.com

Playground — Test DeepSeek-R1

Test DeepSeek-R1 directly in your browser. Your API key is sent directly to GitHub Models — never stored.

Model: DeepSeek-R1 Get Key

🔒 Your key is never stored — sent directly to the model provider via our server proxy.

Ready to chat with DeepSeek-R1.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get an API key for DeepSeek-R1?

Sign up at GitHub Models to get your API key. No credit card is required — just an email sign-up. Once you have the key, use the code snippets in the Quick Start section above.

Is DeepSeek-R1 really free?

Yes. DeepSeek-R1 is available on GitHub Models's free tier and has been free since May 10, 2026. Rate limits apply: 15 RPM, 150 RPD. Always check the provider's terms for any changes to the free tier.

What are DeepSeek-R1's rate limits?

15 RPM, 150 RPD Context window: 64K. Max output: 8K. No credit card required.

What are the best free alternatives to DeepSeek-R1?

Popular free alternatives include inclusionAI: Ring-2.6-1T, Baidu Qianfan: CoBuddy (free), Owl Alpha. You can also browse all 147+ free models on our site.