DeepSeek-V4-Flash Is Back in the Top Tier, but Watch for These Three Traps
Foreword
The official version of DeepSeek-V4-Flash API went live for public testing on July 31st, roughly three months after the previous DeepSeek-V4-Flash preview version (released April 24th).
DeepSeek-V4-Flash has become a globally recognized "price killer" and a hot commodity due to its extremely low price and decent experience. It has always been a must-have option on Wanshao's computer.
In the months leading up to this official release, other top domestic models have also been updating:
- GLM-5.2 (Zhipu, released June, 753B parameters, 1M context)
- Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI, 2.8 trillion parameters)
- Qwen3.8-Max-Preview (Alibaba, released July, 2.4 trillion parameters)
Now that the official DeepSeek-V4-Flash is out, Wanshao's experience is that it has returned to the top tier of domestic models.
Key Points to Note
Many friends might only see in the news that the official DeepSeek-V4-Flash is very powerful, but some small details might be overlooked. Here, Wanshao shares a few pitfalls he has personally encountered.
1. Some AI IDEs and model aggregators might still be using the preview version
Although the name is deepseek-v4-flash, only the latest one is the official version! Some model aggregators and AI IDE integrations might still be using the preview version, so your own experience might feel mediocre.
Therefore, if you want to use the official version, direct connection to the official website is recommended to ensure no mistakes.
2. DeepSeek-V4-Flash is not multimodal
Some friends might be used to multimodal models or AI tools, accustomed to sending images, videos, and other materials directly to the AI, which can recognize and parse them—as if it had eyes and ears—and converse with you easily.
However, the official DeepSeek-V4-Flash is not multimodal. It currently only accepts text-based input. So, friends who need multimodal capabilities (image recognition, video understanding, etc.) need to pay special attention to this.
3. DeepSeek-V4-Flash has no official monthly subscription plan
Price-sensitive friends might be used to monthly/annual subscription plans, which at least remove the mental burden—pay once, use freely.
But the official DeepSeek-V4-Flash does not offer a monthly subscription plan; it's basically pay-as-you-go. So, friends using the official website's direct connection to DeepSeek-V4-Flash need to pay special attention to their costs to avoid significant losses.
About Me
The above suggestions are some insights Wanshao has gathered from usage, hoping they can help everyone. Wanshao has also been using AI tools for various experiments.
If you want to engage in technical exchanges about AI, feel free to contact me.