Side by side
Claude vs DeepSeek
A fact-based comparison built only from each tool's verified directory profile — pricing summaries, plan availability, platforms, and stated strengths and limitations. No rankings, no sponsored placement.
| Criterion | Claude | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Chatbots & Assistants | AI Chatbots & Assistants |
| In one sentence | Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and research, available on web, desktop and mobile. | DeepSeek's chat app and low-cost API, running its V4.1 Flash model. |
| Problem it solves | Helps people write, analyse documents and code with an assistant that can also create files and connect to other apps. | Gives people and developers access to a capable model at low per-token cost. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Developer API | Yes — docs | Yes — docs |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, Desktop, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, CLI (Claude Code) | Web, iOS, Android, DeepSeek Harness Desktop |
| Pricing (summary) | Free costs nothing; Pro is $20/month or $17/month billed annually. Max starts at $100/month, Team is $25/$20 per standard seat and $125/$100 per premium seat, and Enterprise is $20/seat billed annually plus usage at API rates. Checked 2026-10-19 | DeepSeek's site lists no paid consumer subscription for the chat app. The API is pay-as-you-go per 1M tokens, with off-peak rates at half the peak rates. Checked 2026-10-19 |
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How to choose
Every profile links to the vendor's official pricing — plan details change often, so verify there before buying. Pick based on the criterion rows above that matter to your workflow, not on rankings: we don't rank tools, because the right choice depends on your needs.