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ChatGPT vs DeepSeek: Is free DeepSeek good enough, or should you pay for ChatGPT?

Facts checked Oct 22, 2026. Every number links to its source.

Summary

Derived from sourced facts, not from builder opinions

The DeepSeek app is free, with no paid plan. ChatGPT has a free plan and paid plans from $8 a month.
As models run through the API by Vals AI, GPT-6 Astra (ChatGPT Plus and up) scored 59.60% on Terminal-Bench 4.0. DeepSeek V4.1-Flash-1017, the model in the DeepSeek app, scored 31.82%.
On the Vals Index of work tasks the gap between the models is smaller: GPT-6 Astra 65.02% and DeepSeek V4.1-Flash-1017 61.26%.
DeepSeek collects, processes and stores personal data in the People's Republic of China.

Choose ChatGPT if

You want GPT-6 Astra, which ChatGPT Plus includes and which scored higher than DeepSeek's app model on coding and work tests.
You want a coding agent, Codex, in the same plan.
You do not want your chats stored in China.

Choose DeepSeek if

You want a capable model at no cost, with no plan to buy.
You want a model whose weights are public, so you can also run it yourself.
You want 1M tokens of context for free.

ChatGPT

DeepSeek

Follow both to get an email when either one changes its price, limits or behavior.

Plans

ChatGPT plans

Free: Free
Go: $8/month
Plus: $20/month
Pro: $100/month
Business: $25/month

DeepSeek plans

Free: Free

Subscription agents are priced per seat with usage limits, so this compares plans rather than dividing a subscription by a guessed number of tasks.

Side by side

	ChatGPT	DeepSeek
Maker	OpenAI	Not published
Plans	Free $0 · Go $8 · Plus $20 · Pro $100, $200 or $500 · Business $25/user monthly ($20 annual, 2+ users) · Enterprise and Edu by sales	Not published
Models in the app	GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna replaced GPT-5.6 in ChatGPT on 2026-10-07 for free and paid plans · Codex and ChatGPT Work still run the September versions of GPT-6 Sol and Luna	Not published
GPT-6 Astra access	Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans	Not published
Agent and coding	ChatGPT Work and Codex are included in every plan, on Free and Go with GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, subject to rollout	Not published
Work and Codex usage limits	Published only for ChatGPT Work and Codex, which share one allowance, not for regular chat: on Plus about 15-160 local messages per 5 hours with GPT-6.1 Sol and 5-45 with GPT-6 Astra · Pro has no five-hour limit · weekly limits may apply	Not published
Price	Not published	Free, with no paid plan
Model in the app	Not published	DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 since 2026-10-17 · V4 Pro through Expert Mode
Expert Mode	Not published	DeepSeek-V4-Pro, in the app and on the web since 2026-08-13
Context window	Not published	1M tokens across DeepSeek's official services
Open weights	Not published	The app's model, V4.1-Flash-1017, is published on Hugging Face and ModelScope
Where data is stored	Not published	Personal data is collected, processed and stored in the People's Republic of China

Scores appear side by side only when both were published for the same test. Settings differ between sources, so small gaps can reverse under another harness.

Updates

ChatGPT

19 recorded incidents in the last 90 days.

Default changeOct 28, 2026

GPT-6 Luna in ChatGPT updated on October 28 with more concise replies

OpenAI updated GPT-6 Luna in ChatGPT, which launched there on October 7. The updated model gives more concise responses and reduces overly agreeable language.

After

GPT-6 Luna (October 28)

Plan changeOct 28, 2026

ChatGPT Pro and Business add up to $500 a month in free API credits

Eligible ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim up to $500 per month in free API credits as a subscription benefit. The benefit is activated from ChatGPT or the API Platform by linking an API organization you own.

After

Up to $500 per month in free API credits

Who is affected:: ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers who also use the API.
What to do:: Link an API organization you own in ChatGPT or the API Platform to claim the credits.

SuccessorOct 15, 2026

GPT-Live-1.1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip replace GPT-Live-1 as ChatGPT voice models

GPT-Live-1.1 succeeds GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip succeeds GPT-Live-1 mini. GPT-Live-1.1 is the default voice model for Plus and higher plans, including in Codex and dots, and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip is the default for everyone else.

Before

GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini

After

GPT-Live-1.1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip

DeepSeek

Default changeAug 13, 2026

DeepSeek-V4-Pro powers Expert Mode in the DeepSeek app

With its general release, DeepSeek-V4-Pro became available in the DeepSeek app and on the web through Expert Mode.

After

DeepSeek-V4-Pro

FAQ

Is DeepSeek better than ChatGPT?

No published test compares the two apps. As models, GPT-6 Astra scored 59.60% on Vals AI's Terminal-Bench 4.0 and DeepSeek V4.1-Flash-1017 31.82%. On the Vals Index the gap is about 4 points, and the DeepSeek app is free.

Is DeepSeek free?

Yes. The DeepSeek app and website are free, with no paid plan.

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.

Which model does the DeepSeek app use?

DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017, live on the website, app and API since October 17, 2026.

Can I use DeepSeek for free?

Yes. The app and website are free in full, with no paid plan.

Is DeepSeek open source?

Its app model, V4.1-Flash-1017, is published as open weights on Hugging Face and ModelScope.

What is DeepSeek Expert Mode?

It runs DeepSeek-V4-Pro in the app and on the web, since August 13, 2026.

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Sources and method

Prices, specs and limits come from each maker's own pages. Benchmark scores come from independent benchmark publishers and the makers' announcements, with the setting each was measured in. Changes come from changelogs, deprecation pages and status pages. The summary is written from these facts only.