跪拜 Guibai
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How to Tap DeepSeek V4 Pro for Free via ZenMux — No Credit Card Required

Free DeepSeek V4 Pro! Unlimited Free Usage, and Can Connect to Claude-Code

Author: 神奇小汤圆

Tags: Backend

Let's start with the conclusion: After following Brother Xing's steps, you can directly call the free quota of DeepSeek V4 Pro in your local tools. No need to recharge, no complex operations — just 5 steps and you're done!

Free models:

1. Preparation

To take advantage of this freebie, prepare these two tools/accounts in advance — both are easy to obtain:

  1. ZenMux account: Go directly to the official website (zenmux.ai) to register. This is the key platform for connecting to the DeepSeek V4 Pro free version.
  2. cc switch (optional): A local API forwarding/switching tool. Its core function is to connect third-party APIs to your local usage environment. It also supports model mapping and forwarding. Those who play with APIs should be familiar with it.

If you haven't installed CC, you can refer to Brother Xing's previous article: Installing Claude Code and cc-switch

cc switch is optional. If you have other large model software like Cherry Studio, you can also use that to connect and use DeepSeek V4 Pro.

2. Process

The entire operation logic is very clear: "Register → Create Key → Restrict Models → Configure Tools → Test". No detours. Brother Xing breaks it down clearly:

Step 1: Download and install cc switch

First, download cc switch (you can search through your usual channels or find a reliable resource site). After installation, don't rush to configure it yet — wait until you get the API Key later.

Step 2: Register a ZenMux account

Open the ZenMux official website, click the register button. Brother Xing suggests logging in directly with Google — it takes just a few seconds, no need to fill in tedious information, saving time.

Step 3: Create a dedicated API Key

After logging into ZenMux, click on the avatar in the top right corner, find the "PAYG API" page and enter. Then click "Create new API Key". After generating, copy and save it — you'll need it later.

As shown: Click to create API key

Step 4: Restrict model scope (Critical!)

Don't skip this step, otherwise you might not be able to call the free models. When creating the API Key, you'll see the "Model Restriction" option. Enter the two free models here:

deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash-freedeepseek
deepseek-v4-pro-free
GLM4.6V Flash
GLM4.7 Flash

Brother Xing reminds: The flash-free version is faster, suitable for lightweight tasks like information retrieval and simple Q&A; the pro-free version has stronger capabilities — choose it for complex reasoning, coding, and long-form writing. After filling, click confirm.

Copy the key

3. Configure Cherry Studio

Brother Xing likes to use Cherry Studio to test if the key works properly.

1. Add provider

2. Fill in the key and API address

Key: The key you just obtained

API address: See screenshot

3. Add model

Click "Get model list", search for "free"

4. Test conversation

Its response: "I am the latest version of the DeepSeek model, but not DeepSeek-v4."

4. Configure cc switch

Open the installed cc switch, create a new custom configuration, and fill in the following information:

API Key: Paste the Key you created in ZenMux.

Model Mapping: Also enter "deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash-free" or "deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro-free", corresponding to the models you restricted earlier.

1. Add configuration

Enter CC-Switch, click the plus sign

2. Edit provider

As shown, these are required:

api key: the one you obtained
request address: zenmux dot ai/api/anthropic [replace "dot" with ".", prepend https://]
model name: fill in all as deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro-free

3. Verify configuration success

After configuration, don't rush to use it. First, initiate a simple request in your local tool. If it returns a normal result, it means you have successfully connected to the DeepSeek V4 Pro free version!

Brother Xing has personally tested it — as long as you don't make mistakes in the steps, it works on the first try.

5. Summary

Although it's a freebie, pay attention to these points to avoid pitfalls:

  1. About stability: Since it's a free model, response may slow down, queue, or even be temporarily unavailable during peak hours — this is normal. Brother Xing suggests switching to the flash-free model or waiting about 10 minutes and trying again.
  2. About model capability: Although the pro-free version is sufficient, compared to the paid version, it has some limitations in context length and reasoning depth. For long text processing or intensive development, remember to segment the content for better results.
  3. About security: Never upload your API Key in plain text to public repositories, and don't share it casually with others, to avoid abuse and account issues.
  4. There is a token limit for the free version!

Overall, this DeepSeek V4 Pro free version is extremely cost-effective. Whether for personal daily use or for developers testing interfaces, it can save a lot of money.