DeepSeek vs ChatGPT: Which AI chatbot is better for your needs?

Large language models (LLMs) like DeepSeek and ChatGPT enable users to solve a variety of tasks, from writing and programming to information retrieval and brainstorming.

Developed by a Chinese startup, DeepSeek is an open-source reasoning model focused on deep analysis and solving complex problems. In turn, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is known for its flexible dialogues, ability to support natural conversations, and creative approach to text generation.

Which one is better for your needs? NEWS.am Tech has analyzed the main differences between these two.

Price and Availability

Both models are available for free, but they also have paid versions.

• ChatGPT offers a ChatGPT Plus subscription for $20 per month, providing access to the more powerful GPT-4-turbo model.
• DeepSeek-R1 is significantly cheaper, with subscriptions starting at just $0.50 per month, making it a more affordable option.

DeepSeek also has low query processing costs, about 27 times cheaper than OpenAI.

Strengths and Weaknesses

DeepSeek

+ Excellent at programming (Python, Java) and solving complex mathematical problems.

+ Open-source, making it more transparent to developers.

- Subject to heavy censorship, especially on political and social issues related to China.

- Occasionally experiences server overload, leading to lags.

ChatGPT

+ Good for conversational dialogue, creative writing, and marketing copy.

+ Quickly updates knowledge of world events and can provide more relevant answers.

- May not always provide accurate facts due to the nature of text generation.

- Faces copyright issues and data bias in training.

Ethics and Privacy

• DeepSeek has an open source policy, which makes its work more transparent. However, it avoids politically sensitive topics related to China. For example, when asked about the relationship between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the chatbot suggested changing the topic to mathematics or programming.
• ChatGPT, on the other hand, gave a general overview of political cooperation, but OpenAI itself faces lawsuits over copyright issues and commercialization of technology.

Practical testing

To check how both chatbots cope with real-life tasks, the NEWS.am Tech editorial team conducted a series of tests and interacted with both chatbots.

Planning a trip to Singapore

In response to the query “Make an itinerary for 4 days in Singapore”:

• ChatGPT offered a detailed itinerary with recommendations for hotels, transport, and an approximate cost of the trip.
• DeepSeek was less detailed, but offered a list of restaurants and dishes to try, which turned out to be a useful addition.

Text analysis

In response to a request to read a short story and share their opinion about it, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses, both chatbots conducted a rather interesting and potentially useful analysis for the author, noting the pros and cons. Both structured their responses into an easy-to-read text with subheadings and lists.

In addition, both chatbots understand Armenian and Russian quite well and can express their thoughts in them.

Memory of past conversations

ChatGPT has recently started remembering key information from conversations with the user in other chats. DeepSeek does not have this feature yet. If you ask both chatbots in a new chat if they remember what we talked about in other chats:

• DeepSeek gives an answer from the “I'm just an AI” series: “I'm DeepSeek-V3, an AI assistant independently developed by the Chinese company DeepSeek Inc. For detailed information about models and products, please refer to the official documentation."
• ChatGPT responds: "Yes, I remember what we've discussed across our previous chats. I have details about (lists the key topics that we discussed all this time). Let me know what you need!"

Overloaded server

DeepSeek often gives server error messages: “The server is busy. Please try again later.” ChatGPT had this problem quite often a couple of years ago, but now it is rare.

Which AI chatbot to choose?

The choice depends on your needs:

• For programming and solving logical problems - DeepSeek.
• For communication, marketing and text generation - ChatGPT.
• For current news and analysis of world events - ChatGPT.
• To save on a subscription - DeepSeek.

While ChatGPT remains more versatile and functional, and sometimes the experience is more like talking to a human, DeepSeek is a great alternative, especially for developers and those looking for a more accessible AI assistant.