Table of contents
- Cloud & API ProvidersGPU Rental & Infrastructure ProvidersLocal & Open-Source DeploymentPricing Comparison TablePerformance ConsiderationsDeepSeek-R1-0528 Key ImprovementsChoosing the Right Provider
- For Startups & Small ProjectsFor Production ApplicationsFor Enterprise & Regulated IndustriesFor Local Development
DeepSeek-R1-0528 has emerged as a groundbreaking open-source reasoning model that rivals proprietary alternatives like OpenAI’s o1 and Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro. With its impressive 87.5% accuracy on AIME 2025 tests and significantly lower costs, it’s become the go-to choice for developers and enterprises seeking powerful AI reasoning capabilities.
This comprehensive guide covers all the major providers where you can access DeepSeek-R1-0528, from cloud APIs to local deployment options, with current pricing and performance comparisons. (Updated August 11, 2025)
Cloud & API Providers
DeepSeek Official API
The most cost-effective option
- Pricing: $0.55/M input tokens, $2.19/M output tokensFeatures: 64K context length, native reasoning capabilitiesBest for: Cost-sensitive applications, high-volume usageNote: Includes off-peak pricing discounts (16:30-00:30 UTC daily)
Amazon Bedrock (AWS)
Enterprise-grade managed solution
- Availability: Fully managed serverless deploymentRegions: US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), US West (Oregon)Features: Enterprise security, Amazon Bedrock Guardrails integrationBest for: Enterprise deployments, regulated industriesNote: AWS is the first cloud provider to offer DeepSeek-R1 as fully managed
Together AI
Performance-optimized options
- DeepSeek-R1: $3.00 input / $7.00 output per 1M tokensDeepSeek-R1 Throughput: $0.55 input / $2.19 output per 1M tokensFeatures: Serverless endpoints, dedicated reasoning clustersBest for: Production applications requiring consistent performance
Novita AI
Competitive cloud option
- Pricing: $0.70/M input tokens, $2.50/M output tokensFeatures: OpenAI-compatible API, multi-language SDKsGPU Rental: Available with hourly pricing for A100/H100/H200 instancesBest for: Developers wanting flexible deployment options
Fireworks AI
Premium performance provider
- Pricing: Higher tier pricing (contact for current rates)Features: Fast inference, enterprise supportBest for: Applications where speed is critical
Other Notable Providers
- Nebius AI Studio: Competitive API pricingParasail: Listed as API providerMicrosoft Azure: Available (some sources indicate preview pricing)Hyperbolic: Fast performance with FP8 quantizationDeepInfra: API access available
GPU Rental & Infrastructure Providers
Novita AI GPU Instances
- Hardware: A100, H100, H200 GPU instancesPricing: Hourly rental available (contact for current rates)Features: Step-by-step setup guides, flexible scaling
Amazon SageMaker
- Requirements: ml.p5e.48xlarge instances minimumFeatures: Custom model import, enterprise integrationBest for: AWS-native deployments with customization needs
Local & Open-Source Deployment
Hugging Face Hub
- Access: Free model weights downloadLicense: MIT License (commercial use allowed)Formats: Safetensors format, ready for deploymentTools: Transformers library, pipeline support
Local Deployment Options
- Ollama: Popular framework for local LLM deploymentvLLM: High-performance inference serverUnsloth: Optimized for lower-resource deploymentsOpen Web UI: User-friendly local interface
Hardware Requirements
- Full Model: Requires significant GPU memory (671B parameters, 37B active)Distilled Version (Qwen3-8B): Can run on consumer hardware
- RTX 4090 or RTX 3090 (24GB VRAM) recommendedMinimum 20GB RAM for quantized versions
Pricing Comparison Table
Provider | Input Price/1M | Output Price/1M | Key Features | Best For |
---|---|---|---|---|
DeepSeek Official | $0.55 | $2.19 | Lowest cost, off-peak discounts | High-volume, cost-sensitive |
Together AI (Throughput) | $0.55 | $2.19 | Production-optimized | Balanced cost/performance |
Novita AI | $0.70 | $2.50 | GPU rental options | Flexible deployment |
Together AI (Standard) | $3.00 | $7.00 | Premium performance | Speed-critical applications |
Amazon Bedrock | Contact AWS | Contact AWS | Enterprise features | Regulated industries |
Hugging Face | Free | Free | Open source | Local deployment |
Prices are subject to change. Always verify current pricing with providers.
Performance Considerations
Speed vs. Cost Trade-offs
- DeepSeek Official: Cheapest but may have higher latencyPremium Providers: 2-4x cost but sub-5 second response timesLocal Deployment: No per-token costs but requires hardware investment
Regional Availability
- Some providers have limited regional availabilityAWS Bedrock: Currently US regions onlyCheck provider documentation for latest regional support
DeepSeek-R1-0528 Key Improvements
Enhanced Reasoning Capabilities
- AIME 2025: 87.5% accuracy (up from 70%)Deeper thinking: 23K average tokens per question (vs 12K previously)HMMT 2025: 79.4% accuracy improvement
New Features
- System prompt supportJSON output formatFunction calling capabilitiesReduced hallucination ratesNo manual thinking activation required
Distilled Model Option
DeepSeek-R1-0528-Qwen3-8B
- 8B parameter efficient versionRuns on consumer hardwareMatches performance of much larger modelsPerfect for resource-constrained deployments
Choosing the Right Provider
For Startups & Small Projects
Recommendation: DeepSeek Official API
- Lowest cost at $0.55/$2.19 per 1M tokensSufficient performance for most use casesOff-peak discounts available
For Production Applications
Recommendation: Together AI or Novita AI
- Better performance guaranteesEnterprise supportScalable infrastructure
For Enterprise & Regulated Industries
Recommendation: Amazon Bedrock
- Enterprise-grade securityCompliance featuresIntegration with AWS ecosystem
For Local Development
Recommendation: Hugging Face + Ollama
- Free to useFull control over dataNo API rate limits
Conclusion
DeepSeek-R1-0528 offers unprecedented access to advanced AI reasoning capabilities at a fraction of the cost of proprietary alternatives. Whether you’re a startup experimenting with AI or an enterprise deploying at scale, there’s a deployment option that fits your needs and budget.
The key is choosing the right provider based on your specific requirements for cost, performance, security, and scale. Start with the DeepSeek official API for testing, then scale to enterprise providers as your needs grow.
Disclaimer: Always verify current pricing and availability directly with providers, as the AI landscape evolves rapidly.
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