Have you ever ever found yourself talking to an AI prefer it’s your therapist? Just me?
I’ll admit, I’ve used ChatGPT for greater than just answering questions. Sometimes, it’s my go-to for venting about life’s little frustrations (but let’s keep that between us).
When I want research-backed answers, I turn to Perplexity. It has a knack for pulling together solid information from across the net.
So after I heard about DeepSeek, I used to be naturally intrigued. Could this be the following big thing in AI?
In the event you haven’t heard of DeepSeek yet, here’s a fun fact: On January 27, 2025, its app skyrocketed to develop into essentially the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store within the U.S. That type of meteoric rise doesn’t occur on daily basis. DeepSeek is making waves, and I desired to see if it lived as much as the hype.
DeepSeek is an AI company that develops open-source large language models (LLMs), positioning itself as a cheap and high-performance alternative to more established competitors like ChatGPT. Its models, including DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, are designed for tasks like technical query answering, code generation, and problem-solving.
Nonetheless, as with all AI, it’s not without its drawbacks: occasional technical hiccups, stricter content filters, and potential data privacy concerns.
On this DeepSeek review, I’ll discuss the professionals and cons, what it’s, who it is best for, and its key features. Then, I’ll show you ways I used DeepSeek’s core functionalities (DeepThink-R1, web search, and document evaluation). I’ll finish the article by comparing DeepSeek with my top three alternatives (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Chatsonic).
So, is DeepSeek the AI assistant you’ve been waiting for? Or does it fall in need of the competition? Let’s dive in and explore every part it has to supply.
Verdict
DeepSeek stands out with its lower API pricing, strong performance in technical tasks, and open-source flexibility. This makes it a compelling selection for developers in search of customizable AI solutions. Nonetheless, its vulnerability to prompt attacks and privacy concerns regarding user data usage poses significant risks it’s best to rigorously consider.
Pros and Cons
- DeepSeek offers lower API pricing than competitors
- Models like R1 and V3 perform well in tasks like answering technical questions, generating code, and solving problems
- Many DeepSeek models are open-source or partially open-source, allowing developers to customize them
- DeepSeek uses techniques like Mixture of Experts (MoE) and multi-token prediction for faster processing and reduced resources
- DeepSeek provides tailored solutions, similar to DeepSeek Coder for programming and models for math problem-solving
- The models fail to dam prompt attacks promoting fraud, misinformation, and security risks
- Privacy concerns involve using user data to enhance models, raising privacy concerns
What’s DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence company founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng in Hangzhou, China. It develops open-source large language models (LLMs) and has gained significant attention for its AI chatbot that rivals established competitors like ChatGPT.
The corporate emerged from Liang Wenfeng’s hedge fund, High-Flyer. It was founded with a transparent mission: to develop powerful language models that compete with paid alternatives while staying accessible to the broader AI community.
Its AI models (particularly DeepSeek-V3) can perform tasks similar to answering questions, solving logic problems, and writing computer programs at a level comparable to leading AI systems. DeepSeek’s founder acquired a big stockpile of Nvidia A100 chips before U.S. export restrictions, giving the corporate a competitive edge.
On January 27, 2025, DeepSeek’s app became the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the US, causing significant disruption within the tech stock market. DeepSeek has also made its AI chatbot open-source, allowing free access to its code to be used, modification, and viewing.
Overview of Available Models
DeepSeek has developed several essential models, including DeepSeek V3 and DeepSeek R1.
DeepSeek V3 is their large-scale model with 671 billion parameters, able to handling a big selection of tasks including complex coding and general reasoning.
Meanwhile, DeepSeek R1 is built on top of V3 and is specifically designed for advanced reasoning. It shows significantly higher performance in areas like mathematical reasoning and code generation.
Moreover, DeepSeek has introduced smaller models just like the DeepSeek Janus-Pro-7B (a multimodal model with 7 billion parameters), that’s able to understanding and generating images. The DeepSeek Coder and DeepSeek-Coder-V2 are specialized models for coding tasks, with the V2 version having 236 billion parameters.
Technological Features & Architectural Innovations
DeepSeek V3 (the corporate’s latest model) incorporates several advanced architectural innovations:
- Mixture of Experts (MoE) Architecture: DeepSeek V3 uses an MoE framework that prompts specific parameters based on input, boosting efficiency without losing performance.
- Multi-Head Latent Attention (MLA): This improves speed, reduces memory use, and handles longer sequences higher.
- DeepSeekMoE: This system balances workload across experts, improving performance.
- Load Balancing Strategy: DeepSeek V3 uses a brand new load balancing strategy, improving performance without trade-offs in expert activation.
- Multi-Token Prediction (MTP): DeepSeek V3 predicts multiple tokens directly to spice up efficiency.
- Memory Optimization: The model trains without tensor parallelism, making GPU training more efficient and cost-effective.
- Prolonged Context Length: DeepSeek V3 can handle as much as 128,000 tokens, making it higher at processing long documents.
These innovations have allowed DeepSeek to realize competitive performance with significantly lower computational resources and costs in comparison with other leading AI models.
Who’s DeepSeek Best For?
DeepSeek is essentially the most useful for the next forms of people:
- Marketing agencies can use DeepSeek to investigate consumer behavior in area of interest markets, craft targeted campaigns, and personalize messaging while staying ahead of industry trends.
- Small businesses can use DeepSeek to access skilled insights at a lower cost. This effectively replaces expensive consultancy services for a competitive edge.
- Industry professionals can use DeepSeek to get tailored insights in specialized fields like healthcare, finance, legal services, and scientific research.
- Developers and researchers can use DeepSeek as an open-source model to switch and customize AI for his or her projects.
- Cost-conscious users can use DeepSeek’s lower API pricing to avoid wasting on AI development and business operations.
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Firms needing targeted AI can use DeepSeek to construct precise, industry-specific applications.
DeepSeek Key Features
Listed here are DeepSeek’s key features you ought to be aware of.
Model Diversity
DeepSeek has developed a comprehensive suite of enormous language models that showcase remarkable versatility. Their flagship model (DeepSeek-V3) boasts a powerful 671 billion parameters and might handle context windows as much as 128,000 tokens, making it exceptionally powerful for complex reasoning and communication tasks.
Listed here are DeepSeek’s models:
- DeepSeek Coder (November 2023)
- DeepSeek LLM (December 2023)
- DeepSeek-V2 (May 2024)
- DeepSeek-Coder-V2 (July 2024)
- DeepSeek-V3 (December 2024)
- DeepSeek-R1 (January 2025)
- Janus-Pro-7B (January 2025)
These models are designed for various tasks, including coding, general-purpose use, and advanced reasoning.
Architectural Innovation
DeepSeek has pioneered a complicated Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture that dramatically improves computational efficiency. They use precise expert segmentation and shared isolation to enhance specialization and reduce redundancy.
Complementing this, DeepSeek developed DualPipe, a complicated communication accelerator for efficient pipeline parallelism. DualPipe overlaps forward and backward computation, reduces latency, and optimizes data movement across GPUs by making a virtual Data Processing Unit to efficiently exchange data between all GPUs.
This mix of MoE architecture and DualPipe allows DeepSeek to optimize data flow between GPUs for faster and more cost-effective model training. For instance, their DeepSeek V3 model (with 671 billion parameters) was trained on 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs in about two months for 10X higher efficiency than some industry leaders.
Training Excellence
DeepSeek’s training excels with advanced reinforcement learning techniques. They developed a rule-based reward system with two key components: accuracy rewards and format rewards, which outperform traditional neural reward models. This approach allows their AI to learn more nuanced and precise reasoning capabilities.
For instance, their R1 model demonstrated remarkable improvements in mathematical reasoning, increasing pass@1 scores on AIME 2024 from 15.6% to 71.0%. The corporate used a training process with reinforcement learning. This method enabled the model to employ a self-verification technique as a part of its reasoning process.
The result’s a training approach that not only enhances computational learning but additionally creates AI models able to more sophisticated and reliable reasoning across complex tasks.
Economic Efficiency
DeepSeek has achieved competitive AI performance with notable cost efficiency in comparison with some Western models.
While initial reports of developing DeepSeek-V3 for just $6 million were misleading, the corporate has demonstrated significant economic benefits. The $6 million figure represents only the ultimate training costs, with total development expenses estimated between $100 million to $1 billion annually.
Despite higher overall costs, DeepSeek’s approach stays economically efficient. Their API pricing is substantially lower than competitors like OpenAI, offering potential cost savings for developers and businesses.
This pricing strategy, combined with its open-source approach and competitive model performance, positions DeepSeek as a potentially disruptive force in the worldwide AI technology landscape.
Specialized Capabilities
The corporate has not only created generalist models but additionally developed specialized solutions like DeepSeek Coder and Janus-Pro-7B.
DeepSeek Coder is a series of programming-focused language models trained on 2 trillion tokens, with 87% code and 13% natural language in English and Chinese. Available in sizes starting from 1B to 33B parameters, these models deliver state-of-the-art performance on programming benchmarks and support project-level code completion.
Janus-Pro-7B represents DeepSeek’s breakthrough in understanding and generating images. Released in January 2025, this model achieves 80% accuracy on the GenEval benchmark, surpassing competitors like DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion. Built on DeepSeek-LLM-7B, Janus-Pro-7B uses a 72-million-image dataset.
These targeted models excel in specific domains similar to programming and image generation, showcasing DeepSeek’s revolutionary approach to specialized AI solutions.
Accessibility Philosophy
Committed to democratizing AI technology, DeepSeek releases lots of its models with open-source or partially open-source licenses. This permits researchers, developers, and corporations worldwide to access cutting-edge AI capabilities at significantly reduced costs.
DeepSeek has embraced open-source methods that foster collaborative innovation, offering models like DeepSeek Coder, DeepSeek-V3, and DeepSeek-R1 with accessible licensing. Their pricing strategy dramatically lowers entry barriers, with DeepSeek-R1 priced at just $0.55 per million input tokens, in comparison with OpenAI’s o1 model at $15 per million tokens.
DeepSeek brings experts together and offers inexpensive AI tools, speeding up innovation and expanding global access. This represents a major step toward democratizing artificial intelligence, breaking down traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and computing power.
The best way to Use DeepSeek
Here’s how I used all of DeepSeek’s functionalities to reply my queries and solve my problems:
- Select Start Now
- Create an Account
- Ask DeepSeek a Query
- Use the DeepThink-R1 Model
- Use DeepSeek to Search the Web
- Give DeepSeek a Document to Analyze
Step 1: Select Start Now
I began by going to deepseek.com and hitting “Start Now” totally free access to DeepSeek-V3.
Step 2: Create an Account
After creating an account, I used to be impressed by how clean the interface was. It looked lots like ChatGPT!
Taking a better take a look at the message field itself, there have been a few things I noticed that I could do:
- Activate DeepSeek-R1 to unravel reasoning problems
- Search the net
- Upload documents and pictures
Step 3: Ask DeepSeek a Query
I desired to try these different functionalities and compare them to one another, starting by asking DeepSeek an interesting query: “What are some unconventional ways to measure time without using clocks or calendars?”
I typed this into the message field (without turning DeepThink or Search on) and hit send.
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek generated a response that adequately answered my query!
Step 4: Use the DeepThink-R1 Model
Next, I desired to try the DeepThink-R1 model. This model is designed for advanced reasoning and problem-solving. It’s great for completing more complex tasks, like logic puzzles and mathematical challenges.
I made a decision to check its capabilities by asking it a reasoning problem and seeing how well it could break down and solve it: “In the event you had an infinite supply of 3-liter and 5-liter jugs, how would you measure exactly 4 liters of water?”
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek shared the pondering process behind the way it approached solving the issue in every conversational tone of voice, which I discovered very insightful.
It also provided two methods for solving the issue! I used to be impressed.
Step 5: Use DeepSeek to Search the Web
Next, I wanted to make use of DeepSeek’s web search functionality. I tested this by asking it the next query: “What are the newest breakthroughs in AI-driven medical diagnostics this 12 months?”
Just a few seconds later generated a response to my query.
I sent the query a few times and, unfortunately, DeepSeek failed on account of technical issues. Nonetheless, this might just be on account of high demand overwhelming the servers.
Regardless, I appreciated that DeepSeek still answered the query to the most effective of its ability. Nonetheless, the knowledge it provided was outdated by two years.
Step 6: Give DeepSeek a Document to Analyze
Last but not least, I wanted to present DeepSeek a picture to investigate.
I did this by uploading a PDF document of Zhuangzi’s “Butterfly Dream” and providing the query: “Analyze this excerpt from Zhuangzi’s ‘Butterfly Dream’ and discuss its implications on the character of reality and self-identity.”
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek provided me with an in-depth take a look at the important thing themes and philosophical implications of Zhuangzi’s “Butterfly Dream,” which I discovered very insightful!
Overall, my experience with DeepSeek was mostly positive. Its functionality felt smooth and intuitive, especially when using the DeepThink-R1 model and analyzing documents.
While I did encounter just a few technical hiccups, I used to be impressed by how deeply it analyzed problems and provided thoughtful responses.
Top 3 DeepSeek Alternatives
Listed here are the most effective DeepSeek alternatives you will need to try.
ChatGPT
The primary DeepSeek alternative I’d recommend is ChatGPT. I take advantage of ChatGPT quite religiously for a wide range of things. But what I really like most about it’s its conversational ability and the way well it handles a big selection of queries, from casual chit-chat to more complex subjects like coding or history.
DeepSeek and ChatGPT have lots in common, like their ability to process and generate text in a conversational format. Nonetheless, DeepSeek excels in high-level benchmarks for specialised tasks like coding and math. It’s geared more toward those requiring speed and precision in fields like math, cryptography, or advanced AI model capabilities. DeepSeek has a 90% accuracy rate in math in comparison with ChatGPT’s 83%. Alternatively, ChatGPT is understood for its friendly nature and skill to have interaction deeply in additional general, on a regular basis conversations.
In the event you need assistance with more specialized, technical tasks, select DeepSeek. For more of an interactive, engaging experience with the pliability to tackle a wide range of topics, select ChatGPT!
Perplexity
The following DeepSeek alternative I’d recommend is Perplexity. Besides ChatGPT, it’s one other LLM I’m a giant fan of for doing research. It seems like having a research assistant who not only finds information but organizes and refines it based on what I want.
While DeepSeek focuses on AI reasoning, coding, and problem-solving, Perplexity excels at AI-powered search, summarization, and research. Each platforms are strong in numerous areas: DeepSeek is great for logic-heavy tasks and technical challenges, while Perplexity is best for locating and organizing information.
Perplexity excels at AI-driven search, pulling information from live web sources to supply up-to-date results. Meanwhile, DeepSeek focuses on advanced reasoning and specialized tasks using its sophisticated model. These models are repeatedly updated but don’t perform real-time web searches.
DeepSeek stands out with its open-source models, like DeepSeek-R1 which allows developers to customize AI for specific needs. Meanwhile, Perplexity offers a user-friendly research tool that feels more like a complicated search engine.
For an AI that helps you solve complex problems, generate code, and work on logic-based tasks, select DeepSeek. For an AI that enhances research, summarizes content, and provides up-to-date answers, Perplexity is an excellent selection!
Chatsonic
The ultimate DeepSeek alternative I’d recommend is Chatsonic. What I really like about Chatsonic is the way it simplifies marketing tasks with its all-in-one AI workspace and built-in optimization tools.
While DeepSeek has shown competitive performance in specific areas like mathematical reasoning, Chatsonic stands out for its seamless marketing integrations and content creation tools.
On the one hand, DeepSeek is an open-source powerhouse. It excels in logic, math, and coding tasks, making it a solid selection for technical users who need accurate problem-solving. The API access and free model availability also provide flexibility for developers and researchers.
Alternatively, Chatsonic is built for marketers, writers, and content strategists. It integrates with Ahrefs, Google Search Console, and WordPress, making real-time data retrieval and campaign management effortless. Unlike DeepSeek, which focuses more on computation but will be used for content creation and evaluation, Chatsonic prioritizes branding, automated workflows, and multi-model AI selection for creative projects.
For a complicated AI model for problem-solving, coding, and research, DeepSeek is an excellent selection. But in case your focus is content creation, marketing, and automation, select Chatsonic!
DeepSeek Review: The Right Tool For You?
After testing DeepSeek’s functionalities (DeepThink-R1, web search, and document evaluation), I used to be particularly impressed with its ability to unravel reasoning problems and generate thoughtful, structured responses. Nonetheless, some technical issues made the experience feel barely inconsistent.
Regardless, DeepSeek showed strong potential, especially in handling complex queries with depth and clarity. Its intuitive interface and logical reasoning capabilities really stood out to me. Despite the occasional glitches, it stays a promising tool for research and evaluation!
In the event you need a robust, cost-efficient AI for coding and technical tasks, DeepSeek is a solid selection. But in case you’re searching for the most effective DeepSeek alternatives, I’d consider these options:
- ChatGPT is best for general AI conversations, content creation, brainstorming, and coding. It offers a more natural, interactive experience with a high degree of reliability.
- Perplexity is best for research and fact-based responses. Its AI-powered search engine delivers up-to-date, cited information that is great for tutorial or business research.
- Chatsonic is best for AI-powered image generation, real-time web search, and voice interactions. It’s a robust option for digital marketers, content creators, and businesses in search of an AI with multimedia capabilities.
Thanks for reading my DeepSeek review! I hope you found it helpful.
Try DeepSeek’s core functionalities totally free and see the way you prefer it!
Steadily Asked Questions
Can DeepSeek be trusted?
DeepSeek’s AI capabilities are impressive, but there are significant privacy and security concerns on account of its data storage practices in China. There are also potential vulnerabilities to misinformation. While the model shows promise in areas like math and coding, approach it with caution given its susceptibility to generating harmful content and the dearth of transparency around data handling.
How is DeepSeek different from ChatGPT?
DeepSeek excels in technical precision, specializing in reasoning-heavy tasks like coding, math, and structured problem-solving. Meanwhile, ChatGPT offers a more versatile and conversational experience fitted to creative writing, brainstorming, and casual discussions. DeepSeek also uses a self-reinforced learning model without human supervision, making it cheaper and efficient. It also offers features like unlimited prompts and the flexibility to run on local machines.
What’s DeepSeek used for?
DeepSeek is an AI development firm that creates open-source large language models (LLMs) for various tasks. These LLMs are particularly strong in formal reasoning, coding, and problem-solving. DeepSeek offers multiple services including a web interface, mobile application, and API access.
Is DeepSeek free?
Yes, DeepSeek offers a totally free tier with full access to its core functionality. Meaning anyone can use the DeepSeek-V3 and R1 models without restrictions! Unlike many AI services that limit free usage, DeepSeek provides unlimited access to its chatbot and models without requiring a bank card or imposing every day query limits.
Who’s the owner of DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is owned by High-Flyer, a Chinese hedge fund. It was founded by Liang Wenfeng, a 40-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from Zhejiang University. Liang Wenfeng serves because the CEO of DeepSeek and previously co-founded High-Flyer, a quantitative investment management firm that now manages a reported $8 billion in assets
Why is the Nvidia stock falling on account of DeepSeek?
Nvidia’s stock plummeted 17% on January 27, 2025, on account of DeepSeek’s announcement of a cheap AI model that achieves similar performance to Western models at significantly lower cost. This development raised concerns about future demand for Nvidia’s high-performance AI chips, that are core to its business. It also sparked fears of increased competition in the worldwide artificial intelligence arena.
Is DeepSeek R1 free?
DeepSeek R1 offers each free and paid tiers, with pricing as little as $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens. While not completely free, DeepSeek R1 provides a really inexpensive option in comparison with other AI models, with some platforms offering limited free usage or low-cost access.
