Evaluation
Round by round
PriceDeepSeek
Free chat app and one of the cheapest APIs available.
Open weightsDeepSeek
DeepSeek publishes MIT-licensed weights you can self-host.
Features: voice, images, agents, pluginsChatGPT
ChatGPT's product is far broader.
Data residency for business useChatGPT
DeepSeek's hosted service stores data in China; ChatGPT offers business plans with admin controls.
Pick DeepSeek if
You want a free chatbot or a very cheap API, or need open weights.
Pick ChatGPT if
You need a full-featured assistant you can use at work.