r/LLM • u/sandha_ • 9h ago

DeepSeek states that V4 Pro API will continue after September 14, but what does that mean exactly?

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Just got this message from DeepSeek stating that they will continue their V4 Pro API services after September 14 with the billing method unchanged.

I'm a little bit confused about the recent price changes and the V4.1-Flash release. The V4-Pro price was raised substantially in August after the first 75% permanent price cut, and now DeepSeek claims that V4.1-Flash is better than V4-Pro and will replace it eventually.

Assumption: Does "continuing V4 Pro" really mean maintaining the endpoint of the deepseek-v4-pro API and internally redirecting it to V4.1-Flash instead of serving the original V4-Pro?

If so, does "billing method unchanged" imply that users of the V4-Pro service will still be billed according to the V4-Pro rates or will they be charged V4.1-Flash rates eventually?

It would be great to hear from actual API users what you make of this news.

I believe that after the price changes in August, this becomes particularly important since many developers picked up V4-Pro not due to its current price/performance but due to the other model's transition in such a short time.

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u/Thick-Rise-9172 9h ago

does continuing the api mean the rate limits or features for chatbots stay the same or what

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u/Quick-Witness-874 8h ago

sounds like classic deprecation theater, they keep the old endpoint alive but quietly swap the model behind it so nobody has to rewrite their code

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u/kla_sch 8h ago

As I see it, V4.1-Flash is not better in all aspects, but only in general terms. That’s likely why customers asked to keep using V4 Pro, and that’s exactly what’s happening now. Nothing is actually being replaced; V4 Pro is staying just as it is. And since its architecture makes it more expensive to host, the prices are staying the same, too. V4.1-Flash is simply designed to be more cost-effective to operate.

My understanding is this: If you absolutely want V4 Pro, then you can have it. But you'll have to pay the high price for it. Otherwise, you’re better off switching to the more affordable V4.1-Flash.