DeepSeek vs ChatGPT comes down to three things: what you need the AI to do, what you want to pay, and how much it matters where your data goes. Answer five quick questions below and you get a pick with reasons, a sourced side-by-side that includes data location and training, and practical tips for using either one more safely.
Free 1-minute picker
DeepSeek or ChatGPT: which one fits you?
Answer five quick questions about your tasks, your budget and how much privacy and data location matter to you. You get a pick with plain reasons, a sourced side-by-side that includes where your data goes, and safer-use tips. Your answers never leave your browser.
What do you mostly use AI for?
Pick up to 3.How much do privacy and data location matter to you?
Will you use it with work or customer data?
What do you want to spend?
How will you use it?
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DeepSeek vs ChatGPT, side by side
API cost: DeepSeek vs OpenAI
Building something? Enter your volume to compare what the same job costs on each API. DeepSeek charges half price off-peak; OpenAI prices shown are standard prices for prompts up to 272K tokens.
How we calculate: cost per request = input tokens / 1,000,000 x input price + output tokens / 1,000,000 x output price. Monthly cost = cost per request x requests a day x 30. DeepSeek input prices are cache-miss prices; DeepSeek peak hours are 01:00 to 04:00 and 06:00 to 10:00 UTC, Monday to Friday. Prompt caching and batch discounts would lower both. Prices from DeepSeek's and OpenAI's API pricing pages, checked October 18, 2026.
Full scorecard: every plan from both
Who should pick which
Safer ways to use either one
If you use DeepSeek
- Keep sensitive personal data out. DeepSeek's policy says its services aren't designed to process it and asks you not to provide it. Source
- Delete chats you don't need. The policy says you can copy or delete your chat history in settings. Source
- Don't want your chats used for training? The policy lists a right to opt out, through the privacy contact it gives. Source
- Want DeepSeek's models without sending prompts to DeepSeek? The weights are released under the MIT License, so you can run them on hardware you control. Source
If you use ChatGPT
- In Data Controls you can choose whether your chats are used to train OpenAI's models. For one-off private questions, use Temporary Chat. Source
- Temporary Chats are deleted within 30 days unless OpenAI must keep them for safety or legal reasons. Source
- For work, ChatGPT Business doesn't train on your business data by default. Source
- Whichever you pick, check your employer's AI policy before pasting in client or company data.
Sources: DeepSeek privacy policy (updated February 10, 2026), DeepSeek model mechanism and training methods, DeepSeek API pricing, DeepSeek on the App Store, DeepSeek home page, OpenAI US privacy policy (updated September 10, 2026), ChatGPT pricing, OpenAI API pricing. Plan prices and features come from our AI Plan Watch data, checked October 18, 2026; other facts checked October 18, 2026. US prices before tax. The pick is a fit guide based on your answers, not a ranking of which AI is smarter.
How to use the picker
- Pick up to three things you use AI for. The result updates as you click.
- Answer the other questions: they take about a minute, and nothing you pick leaves your browser.
- Read the reasons, then use the side-by-side to compare free, entry, main paid, power-user and team plans.
- Not sure? Tap an example, or copy a link to your result to share it.
What each privacy policy says
These are facts from each company’s own privacy policy, not opinions:
| Question | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., registered in China | OpenAI OpCo, LLC in the US (OpenAI Ireland Limited for the EEA and Switzerland) |
| Where your data is processed | Collected, processed and stored in the People’s Republic of China | The United States, and countries where OpenAI’s affiliates, partners and vendors are located |
| Are your chats used for training? | Yes, to train and improve its models; the policy lists a right to opt out | Yes on consumer plans unless you opt out; not by default on Business and Enterprise |
| A chat that isn’t kept | Not described; you can delete chat history in settings | Temporary Chat: not used to improve models, deleted within 30 days |
| Sensitive personal data | The policy asks you not to provide it | The policy says to take special care in deciding what you share |
What this means in practice: if your employer or clients restrict where data can be processed, check those rules against each policy before you paste anything in. And whichever you use, keep passwords, health details and client data out of the chat.
Where DeepSeek and ChatGPT differ on features
- Price. The DeepSeek app is free, per its App Store listing. ChatGPT has a free plan, Go at $8 a month and Plus at $20.
- Images, voice and deep research. ChatGPT has all three, with limits on Free. They aren’t listed for DeepSeek’s app.
- Reasoning and search. Both have them: DeepThink and Search modes in DeepSeek, reasoning models and deep research in ChatGPT.
- Open weights. DeepSeek releases its model weights under the MIT License, so you can run its models on hardware you control, and your prompts never reach DeepSeek’s servers.
DeepSeek vs OpenAI API prices
| API model | Input per 1M tokens | Output per 1M tokens |
|---|---|---|
| deepseek-flash, peak / off-peak | $0.30 / $0.15 | $1.20 / $0.60 |
| deepseek-v4-pro, peak / off-peak | $1.32 / $0.66 | $3.96 / $1.98 |
| OpenAI gpt-6-luna | $0.10 | $0.50 |
| OpenAI gpt-6.1-sol | $2.00 | $10.00 |
DeepSeek charges half price off-peak; peak hours are 01:00 to 04:00 and 06:00 to 10:00 UTC on weekdays. DeepSeek input prices are cache-miss prices, and OpenAI prices are for prompts up to 272K tokens. The picker’s API table works out the monthly cost for your own volume.
Is DeepSeek safe to use?
It depends on what you share. DeepSeek’s privacy policy says it stores personal data in China, uses what you type to train its models, and asks you not to provide sensitive personal data. For general questions with nothing personal or confidential in them, that may be fine for you. For anything involving work, check your company’s AI acceptable use policy first.
Related on HOW TO // AI
- ChatGPT pricing and ChatGPT Go: every plan, with limits.
- What does AI actually know about you?: a 10-minute privacy audit.
- The shadow AI policy your IT team needs: for teams deciding which chatbots to allow.
Checked against DeepSeek’s privacy policy (updated February 10, 2026), model training disclosure, API pricing page and App Store listing, and OpenAI’s US privacy policy (updated September 10, 2026), ChatGPT pricing and OpenAI API pricing, on October 18, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepSeek better than ChatGPT?
It depends on fit. DeepSeek is free, has open model weights and a cheap off-peak API. ChatGPT adds images, voice and deep research, plus a no-history Temporary Chat and business plans that don't train on your data by default.
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes. The DeepSeek app is listed as free on the App Store, and DeepSeek describes it as free. Its API is paid per token.
Where does DeepSeek store my data?
DeepSeek's privacy policy says it collects, processes and stores personal data in the People's Republic of China.
Does DeepSeek train on my chats?
Its privacy policy says it uses what you provide to train and improve its models, and lists a right to opt out of that use.
Can I use DeepSeek without sending data to China?
Yes, by running its open model weights yourself. DeepSeek releases them under the MIT License, so prompts stay on the hardware you run them on.