ChatGPTFree plan
Paid from
$8 a month
View plans and limitsUpdated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison
ChatGPT vs DeepSeek:
which should you use?
ChatGPT and DeepSeek, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.
Find your best fitThe 30-second answer
ChatGPT is built for general-purpose ai assistants.
DeepSeek capable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself.
Pricing, simplified
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
DeepSeekFree plan
Pricing
No verified ladder yet
View plans and limitsThe 30-second comparison
If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.
| Category | ChatGPT | DeepSeek | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem. Usually the easiest starting point. | Capable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself. | ChatGPT |
| Fit for general-purpose ai assistants | Built for this | Strong fit | ChatGPT |
| Free plan | Yes. Free tier, ad supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice | Yes. Free to use, weights downloadable | Tie |
| Cheapest way to pay | $8 a month. | No paid tier — it is free. | DeepSeek |
| What the paid tiers cost |
| No paid tier — it is free. | Tie |
| What to watch out for | Check your data settings. On consumer tiers conversations may be used to improve models unless you turn that off. | The consumer app is hosted in China, which many employers and universities prohibit for work material. Self-hosting avoids this. | Tie |
| Who it is usually for | students, working professionals, people exploring, developers | developers, people exploring | Tie |
| Runs on your own machine | Hosted service only — your material goes to their servers. | Can be run on your own machine, so the material never leaves it. | DeepSeek |
| What it asks of you | No setup — it works in a browser. | Expects some technical comfort to get going. | Tie |
| Made by | OpenAI — San Francisco, US. | DeepSeek — Hangzhou, CN. | Tie |
Neither leads on the 10 rows above: 2 each. The job decides it, not the table.
ChatGPT or DeepSeek
Neither leads on the rows above — the job decides it.
✓ The job is mainly general-purpose ai assistants
✓ The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem.
✓ You would rather not configure anything first
✓ You are among students or working professionals
Capable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself.
DeepSeek is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.
✓ The job is mainly general-purpose ai assistants
✓ The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem.
✓ You would rather not configure anything first
✓ You are among students or working professionals
How we know
Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.
| Row | Favours | Weight | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | ChatGPT | How well it does the job | From this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed |
| Fit for general-purpose ai assistants | ChatGPT | How well it does the job | Both products are listed under general-purpose ai assistants in the catalogue, and this is the fit recorded against each listing. Everything listed under general-purpose ai assistants |
| Cheapest way to pay | DeepSeek | Everything else | From each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below. |
| Runs on your own machine | DeepSeek | How well it does the job | From this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed |
The prices
ChatGPT. Read by hand on 4 September 2026, because ChatGPT cannot be read automatically: chatgpt.com refuses automation (403); openai.com/chatgpt/pricing carried no readable prices. Verify by hand. chatgpt.com/pricing
DeepSeek. Read by hand off chat.deepseek.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. chat.deepseek.com/pricing
The ratings
The category these two share. General-Purpose AI Assistants — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.
The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.
What this is not
Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.
To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.
Choose based on what you’re doing
All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.
01
General-Purpose AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
02
Search, Research & Academics
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.
ChatGPT
Limited fitDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: Tie
03
Writing, Communication & Language
Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: ChatGPT
04
Coding, Data & Technical Work
Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: ChatGPT
05
Business, Finance & Professional Work
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: ChatGPT
06
Image & Design
Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.
ChatGPT
Not a good fitDeepSeek
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
07
Video
Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.
ChatGPT
Not a good fitDeepSeek
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
08
Audio, Voice & Music
Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.
ChatGPT
Bad fitDeepSeek
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
09
Marketing & Content Creation
Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: ChatGPT
10
Productivity, Automation & Personal Life
AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.
ChatGPT
Built for thisDeepSeek
Limited fitBest choice: ChatGPT
The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem.
by OpenAIThe job is mainly general-purpose ai assistants
The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem.
You would rather not configure anything first
You are among students or working professionals
Capable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself.
Hangzhou, CNCapable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself.
You would rather not take on a subscription at all
The material cannot leave your own machine
Free to use, weights downloadable
Pricing, simplified
The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.
PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Free version
ChatGPT
Yes — Free plan availableAd supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice
DeepSeek
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use, weights downloadable
Individual plans
ChatGPT
Go
$8 / month
Plus
$20 / month
Pro
$100 / monthor $200 / month
DeepSeekFree plan only
Business plans
ChatGPT
From $25 / user / monthFrom $20 / user / month (annual)Business standard seat, Business premium seat
DeepSeekNot sold to teams
Enterprise
ChatGPTNot published
DeepSeekNot published
Tell us what you use AI for
Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.
The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
ChatGPT. It is built for general-purpose ai assistants; DeepSeek does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on.
10 rows compared
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT or DeepSeek better?
Neither leads on the 10 rows above: 2 each. The job decides it, not the table. ChatGPT is built for general-purpose ai assistants; DeepSeek does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on. ChatGPT: The broadest feature set — voice, images, files, a large app ecosystem. Usually the easiest starting point. DeepSeek: Capable reasoning at no cost, with open weights you can download and run yourself.
Is ChatGPT or DeepSeek cheaper?
Only one of the two publishes a ladder we have verified, so a like-for-like comparison is not possible yet.
Do ChatGPT and DeepSeek both have free plans?
Yes. ChatGPT: Free tier, ad supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice. DeepSeek: Free to use, weights downloadable.
What should I watch out for?
ChatGPT: Check your data settings. On consumer tiers conversations may be used to improve models unless you turn that off. DeepSeek: The consumer app is hosted in China, which many employers and universities prohibit for work material. Self-hosting avoids this.
Read more
ChatGPT
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
DeepSeek
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Best AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.