How to Get Free Access to DeepSeek R1 Across Major Cloud Platforms

Introduction

The DeepSeek R1 large model is now supported by many cloud providers, each offering free token allowances for new users. This article explains how to obtain and use these free resources, compares platforms, and shows how to configure AI clients for conversation.

Access Options

There are two main ways to use DeepSeek for chat:

Directly via the DeepSeek website or app.

Through third‑party platforms that integrate the model.

Direct access can be unstable due to high traffic, while third‑party services are more reliable but may charge after the free tier.

Third‑Party Platform Summary

SiliconFlow – URL: https://cloud.siliconflow.cn/models – Free: 14R (≈20 million tokens) per invitation, no web search, Chatbox integration.

Volcano Engine – URL: https://console.volcengine.com/ – Free: 500 k tokens, supports web search, Chatbox integration.

Tencent Cloud – URL: https://console.cloud.tencent.com/lkeap – Free until 2025‑02‑25, supports Chatbox, no web search.

Tencent Yuanbao – URL: https://yuanbao.tencent.com/ – Free, mobile app similar to DeepSeek official app, supports web search.

Baidu Qianfan – URL: https://console.bce.baidu.com/qianfan/modelcenter/model/buildIn/list – Free until 2025‑02‑18, no web search, web‑only access.

Metaso (秘塔) – URL: https://metaso.cn/ – Free, supports web search and workflow creation.

Juchats – URL: https://www.juchats.com/ – Free basic tier, supports web search.

If you do not need web search, SiliconFlow is recommended for its invitation incentives and stable Chatbox support. For web‑search capability, Volcano Engine is the top choice, and for mobile usage, Tencent Yuanbao works well.

Token Accounting

Tokens are the billing unit for language models. Rough conversion:

1 English character ≈ 0.3 token.

1 Chinese character ≈ 0.6 token.

Exact token counts are returned in the API response’s usage field.

DeepSeek Official API

New users previously received ¥10 credit, but the promotion has ended and the service is now paid. The model deepseek‑reasoner (full‑size DeepSeek R1) does not support web search via API; the knowledge cutoff is October 2023.

SiliconFlow Integration

SiliconFlow provides the full‑size 671B DeepSeek R1 model with stable Chatbox access but no web search. New users get 14R (≈20 million tokens) and can earn more by inviting friends.

Volcano Engine Integration

Volcano Engine offers 500 k free tokens and configurable web‑search mode. The setup steps are:

Step 1 – Enable Service : Open the DeepSeek inference service in the Volcano console (see screenshots).

Step 2 – Configure Client : Add a custom provider in Chatbox and input the provided base URL and API key.

Step 3 – Enable Web Search : Create an application, turn on the “Web Search” plugin (2 × 10⁴ calls per month), purchase if needed, and bind the inference endpoint.

After these steps, the model can be used via Chatbox with web‑search capability.

Tencent Cloud Options

Tencent Cloud offers a limited‑time free quota (until 2025‑02‑25) for DeepSeek R1. Create an API key, select the OpenAI SDK integration mode, and configure Chatbox. Web search is not supported directly; you must use the “Knowledge Engine” with HTTP SSE calls.

Alibaba Cloud (Bailei)

Alibaba Cloud’s Bailei platform provides 1 million free tokens for 180 days after activation. The model can be accessed via the standard API (base_url, model, API‑KEY) and configured in Chatbox, but web search is unavailable.

Baidu Qianfan

Baidu offers 1000 RPM and 10 000 TPM limits with unlimited token usage for a two‑week free period (until 2025‑02‑18). Web search is available, but the configuration may produce API errors such as rate‑limit responses:

API Error: Status Code 429, {"error":{"code":"tpm_rate_limit_exceeded","message":"Rate limit reached for TPM","type":"rate_limit_exceeded"},"id":"as-qifht14b2i"}

Metaso (秘塔) and Juchats

Both platforms support DeepSeek R1 with native web‑search. Metaso is free and offers workflow features. Juchats provides multiple model options with a free basic tier; registration can use an invitation code.

AI Clients for Interaction

Three client applications are highlighted:

Cherry Studio – Clean UI, supports many LLMs, includes agents, mini‑programs, and translation features.

Chatbox – Lightweight, widely used in cloud provider demos, easy to configure with API keys.

Dify – Open‑source LLM application platform; requires Git and Docker to deploy, suitable for building custom AI workflows.

For simple chat, Cherry Studio or Chatbox are sufficient; Dify is recommended for developers building more complex pipelines.