Research / DeepSeek

DeepSeek

The cheapest strong reasoning model most teams can actually put in production. Chat is free; the API undercuts US labs hard if your workload can sit in off-peak hours.

My score

86 out of 100

Price

Free chat app; API billed per token (Flash and V4-Pro, peak/off-peak rates)

From Asia-Pacific

China-based; excellent for APAC cost-sensitive builders. Check data-residency rules before sending client files.

Affiliate program

Unverified

Last checked

16 October 2026

Go to www.deepseek.com

If DeepSeek isn't right

• Perplexity in research

  Fast cited answers; the default research starting point.

  Free tier; Pro $20/mo

• Gemini in research

  Makes most sense if your company runs on Google Workspace. Deep Research is the standout.

  Free tier; paid via Google AI plans

• NotebookLM in research

  Upload your sources and interrogate them; audio overviews are a bonus.

  Free; higher limits with Google plans

• Elicit in research

  Literature review and paper extraction for evidence-heavy work.

  Free tier; paid plans available