DeepSeek vs ChatGPT
A free open model and the best-known assistant, compared plainly. Both are in Chatly.
Where each one wins
DeepSeek wins
Price to start
DeepSeek's app is free, with no paid plan. ChatGPT is free too, with paid plans from $8.
- DeepSeek wins
Open weights
DeepSeek V4's weights are published under the MIT licence, so anyone can run it. OpenAI's flagship models are not open.
- Tie
Longest input
Both handle very long inputs, about a million tokens.
ChatGPT wins
Where your data is kept
DeepSeek's privacy policy says it stores personal data in China, and several governments have restricted its app.
- ChatGPT wins
Images
ChatGPT makes and edits images. DeepSeek's app does not make images.
DeepSeek and ChatGPT at a glance
| Feature | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | DeepSeek | OpenAI |
| Newest models | DeepSeek V4 and V4.1 Flash | GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol |
| In Chatly | Yes: DeepSeek V4 | Yes, every model above |
| Free plan | Yes. The app is free | Yes, with GPT 5.6 Luna, and ads |
| Paid plans | No paid plan for the app; the API is paid by use | Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100 a month |
| Makes images | No image generation in the app | Yes, in the chat |
| Web search | Yes, web search | Yes |
Or use both, in one place
DeepSeek's own app is free, and ChatGPT Plus is $20 a month. In Chatly both sit in one model picker, with Claude, Gemini and more. Ask in the box above, then switch models in the same chat.
- DeepSeek V4Sharp reasoning, deep analysis.
- GPT-6 AstraNEWOpenAI's GPT-6 flagship.
- GPT 5.6NEWOpenAI's newest frontier flagship.
Pricing
| Plan | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, the app is free | $0, GPT 5.6 Luna, with ads |
| Cheapest paid | No paid plan | Go, $8 a month |
| Main paid plan | No paid plan | Plus, $20 a month |
| Heavy use | API, paid by the token | Pro, $100, $200 or $500 a month |
| Teams | None for the app | Business, $25 a user a month ($20 billed yearly) |
Prices in US dollars. Taxes and local prices vary.
Then put the answer to work
The same plan runs the agent behind the chat. It makes the files, not just the text, and works with Gmail, Slack and 40+ other apps.
Turn an answer into slides
A deck with real charts and speaker notes, ready to present or edit.
Write the document
Reports, proposals, contracts and invoices, formatted and ready to send.
Build the spreadsheet
Budgets, trackers and models that arrive built, filled in and charted.
Publish a website
A landing page or a full site, live on its own link from one request.
Make the images
Product shots, headshots and social posts from the top image models.
Research with sources
Deep research that reads the web for you and cites every claim.
Chatly plans
Three plans, and Teams on top: pick how long you pay for, and how many credits.
Standard
$18/ month, billed quarterly
Perfect for getting started with AI
Subscribe7K credits / month
- Flash and Pro modes
- 3 concurrent agent tasks
- 2 scheduled tasks
- Connect up to 2 apps, like Gmail and Slack
- 2 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
Professional
$36/ month, billed quarterly
More credits, more room to create
Subscribe- Flash, Pro and Ultra modes
- 5 concurrent agent tasks
- 5 scheduled tasks
- Connect up to 5 apps, like Gmail and Slack
- 5 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
- AI ad creator
- AI video editor
Ultra
$183/ month, billed quarterly
Built for power users who never hit limits
Subscribe- Flash, Pro and Ultra modes
- Unlimited concurrent agent tasks
- 25 scheduled tasks
- Connect all 40+ apps
- 25 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
- AI ad creator
- AI video editor
- Early access to new models
Chatly for Teams: pooled credits and shared seats, from three seats. Talk to us
Which should you choose?
Choose DeepSeek if
- You want a strong model at no cost
- You want open weights you can run yourself
- You mostly need text, maths and code
Choose ChatGPT if
- You want images in the same chat
- You prefer a provider that does not store data in China
- You want Codex and the Work agent
Common questions
Is DeepSeek better than ChatGPT?
DeepSeek V4 is free, open and strong at maths and code. ChatGPT makes images, has agents and paid plans, and keeps data with a US company. For many everyday questions the answers are close, so ask both and compare.
Is DeepSeek safe to use?
DeepSeek's privacy policy says it stores personal data in the People's Republic of China, and Italy, Taiwan, Australia and several US states have restricted its app on official devices or in app stores. In Chatly, DeepSeek V4 runs through DeepSeek's own API, so be just as careful about what you send it.
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes. DeepSeek's chat app is free and has no paid plan. Developers pay for the API by use.
Can DeepSeek make images?
No. DeepSeek's app works with text and code. ChatGPT, and other models in Chatly, can make images.
Can I use DeepSeek and ChatGPT in one place?
Yes. Chatly puts DeepSeek V4 and GPT models in one model picker with Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and others, under one plan. Ask on one model, then switch and ask again in the same chat.
How current is this comparison?
Facts come from each company's own site. DeepSeek's newest release is V4.1 Flash (September 2026); Chatly runs DeepSeek V4.
Product names belong to their owners and are used here only to compare. No endorsement is implied.
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