DeepSeek
DeepSeek is a family of models from a China-based AI lab, known particularly for cost efficiency and for releasing some of its models as open-weight — meaning developers can run them on their own infrastructure.
Use cases
It's used for general chat, coding, and reasoning-heavy tasks, and it's particularly popular among cost-conscious users and developers who want to self-host a model.
Good to know
Running an open-weight model yourself takes some technical know-how; for a casual user, a hosted chat assistant is usually a simpler starting point.
Key features
DeepSeek is a model family from a China-based lab, available through a web chat, a mobile app and an API for developers. Because it has published the weights of some models under open licenses, developers can run them on their own hardware. Its models that show their reasoning steps drew attention on math, logic and code tasks. Lower API prices than many rivals are another reason people choose it.
Getting better results
For math or logic questions, asking for the steps of the solution makes errors easier to spot. When you ask for code, state the language, the library version and the expected output. If you want to run a model on your own computer, check the hardware needs of the model size first; large models want a strong graphics card or a server, while smaller distilled versions can run on more modest machines.
Privacy and alternatives
DeepSeek's privacy policy states that data collected through the service may be stored on servers in China. For that reason, avoid typing personal, corporate or confidential information into the hosted service; running the model on your own infrastructure reduces that concern. If your organization has a data policy, check it before use. If you want a more widely used hosted option, look at ChatGPT or Claude.
Who is it for?
DeepSeek is an interesting option for developers who value cost efficiency and want to experiment with open-weight models. Organizations sensitive to data privacy should consider running it on their own infrastructure rather than using the hosted service.
Plans and access (checked October 2026)
- Developer: DeepSeek, a China-based company. Its chatbot launched on iOS and Android in January 2025 and is also on the web.
- The chatbot is free to use. DeepSeek also sells API access.
- Its R1, V3 and V4 models are released as open weights under the MIT License; the apps themselves are proprietary. V4 Pro and V4 Flash were released in April 2026.
- Regulators have acted on it: Italy's data protection authority ordered the chatbot blocked in January 2025, and several governments (including the US Navy, Australia, South Korea and Canada) restricted its use on official devices in 2025.
- Reporting has found that the chatbot limits answers on topics sensitive to the Chinese government.
These details were checked against the sources below on 17 October 2026. Plans and features change often, so confirm them on the official page before you decide.
Sources
Keep exploring
Comparisons and more: DeepSeek vs ChatGPT · All AI tools · Ready-made prompts. The information on this page is general; features, plans and prices change often, so check the current details on the official DeepSeek page.