Have you ever ever discovered your self speaking to an AI prefer it’s your therapist? Simply me?
I’ll admit, I’ve used ChatGPT for extra than simply answering questions. Generally, it’s my go-to for venting about life’s little frustrations (however let’s preserve that between us).
Once I want research-backed solutions, I flip to Perplexity. It has a knack for pulling collectively strong data from throughout the online.
So after I heard about DeepSeek, I used to be naturally intrigued. Might this be the following large factor in AI?
If you happen to haven’t heard of DeepSeek but, right here’s a enjoyable reality: On January 27, 2025, its app skyrocketed to turn out to be essentially the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Retailer within the U.S. That sort of meteoric rise doesn’t occur day-after-day. DeepSeek is making waves, and I needed to see if it lived as much as the hype.
DeepSeek is an AI firm that develops open-source giant language fashions (LLMs), positioning itself as an economical and high-performance various to extra established rivals like ChatGPT. Its fashions, together with DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, are designed for duties like technical query answering, code era, and problem-solving.
Nonetheless, as with every AI, it’s not with out its drawbacks: occasional technical hiccups, stricter content material filters, and potential knowledge privateness issues.
On this DeepSeek overview, I am going to talk about the professionals and cons, what it’s, who it is best for, and its key options. Then, I am going to present you the way I used DeepSeek’s core functionalities (DeepThink-R1, internet search, and doc evaluation). I am going to end the article by evaluating DeepSeek with my high three alternate options (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Chatsonic).
So, is DeepSeek the AI assistant you’ve been ready for? Or does it fall in need of the competitors? Let’s dive in and discover every part it has to supply.
Verdict
DeepSeek stands out with its decrease API pricing, robust efficiency in technical duties, and open-source flexibility. This makes it a compelling selection for builders searching for customizable AI options. Nonetheless, its vulnerability to immediate assaults and privateness issues concerning consumer knowledge utilization poses important dangers you must rigorously contemplate.
Execs and Cons
What’s DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a Chinese language synthetic intelligence firm based in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng in Hangzhou, China. It develops open-source giant language fashions (LLMs) and has gained important consideration for its AI chatbot that rivals established rivals like ChatGPT.
The corporate emerged from Liang Wenfeng’s hedge fund, Excessive-Flyer. It was based with a transparent mission: to develop highly effective language fashions that compete with paid alternate options whereas staying accessible to the broader AI neighborhood.
Its AI fashions (significantly DeepSeek-V3) can carry out duties resembling answering questions, fixing logic issues, and writing pc packages at a stage corresponding to main AI techniques. DeepSeek’s founder acquired a big stockpile of Nvidia A100 chips earlier than U.S. export restrictions, giving the corporate a aggressive edge.
On January 27, 2025, DeepSeek’s app grew to become essentially the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Retailer in the USA, inflicting important disruption within the tech inventory market. DeepSeek has additionally made its AI chatbot open-source, permitting free entry to its code to be used, modification, and viewing.
Overview of Obtainable Fashions
DeepSeek has developed a number of foremost fashions, together with DeepSeek V3 and DeepSeek R1.
DeepSeek V3 is their large-scale mannequin with 671 billion parameters, able to dealing with a variety of duties together with complicated coding and basic reasoning.
In the meantime, DeepSeek R1 is constructed on high of V3 and is particularly designed for superior reasoning. It reveals considerably higher efficiency in areas like mathematical reasoning and code era.
Moreover, DeepSeek has launched smaller fashions just like the DeepSeek Janus-Professional-7B (a multimodal mannequin with 7 billion parameters), that’s able to understanding and producing photos. The DeepSeek Coder and DeepSeek-Coder-V2 are specialised fashions for coding duties, with the V2 model having 236 billion parameters.
Technological Options & Architectural Improvements
DeepSeek V3 (the corporate’s newest mannequin) incorporates a number of superior architectural improvements:
Combination of Specialists (MoE) Structure: DeepSeek V3 makes use of an MoE framework that prompts particular parameters primarily based on enter, boosting effectivity with out shedding efficiency.Multi-Head Latent Consideration (MLA): This improves velocity, reduces reminiscence use, and handles longer sequences higher.DeepSeekMoE: This system balances workload throughout consultants, bettering efficiency.Load Balancing Technique: DeepSeek V3 makes use of a brand new load balancing technique, bettering efficiency with out trade-offs in skilled activation.Multi-Token Prediction (MTP): DeepSeek V3 predicts a number of tokens without delay to spice up effectivity.Reminiscence Optimization: The mannequin trains with out tensor parallelism, making GPU coaching extra environment friendly and cost-effective.Prolonged Context Size: DeepSeek V3 can deal with as much as 128,000 tokens, making it higher at processing lengthy paperwork.
These improvements have allowed DeepSeek to realize aggressive efficiency with considerably decrease computational sources and prices in comparison with different main AI fashions.
Who’s DeepSeek Finest For?
DeepSeek is essentially the most helpful for the next sorts of folks:
Advertising and marketing businesses can use DeepSeek to research shopper conduct in area of interest markets, craft focused campaigns, and personalize messaging whereas staying forward of {industry} developments.Small companies can use DeepSeek to entry skilled insights at a decrease price. This successfully replaces costly consultancy companies for a aggressive edge.Trade professionals can use DeepSeek to get tailor-made insights in specialised fields like healthcare, finance, authorized companies, and scientific analysis.Builders and researchers can use DeepSeek as an open-source mannequin to change and customise AI for his or her initiatives.Value-conscious customers can use DeepSeek’s decrease API pricing to avoid wasting on AI improvement and enterprise operations.
Firms needing focused AI can use DeepSeek to construct exact, industry-specific functions.
DeepSeek Key Options
Listed here are DeepSeek’s key options you ought to be conscious of.
Mannequin Variety
DeepSeek has developed a complete suite of huge language fashions that showcase outstanding versatility. Their flagship mannequin (DeepSeek-V3) boasts a formidable 671 billion parameters and may deal with context home windows as much as 128,000 tokens, making it exceptionally highly effective for complicated reasoning and communication duties.
Listed here are DeepSeek’s fashions:
DeepSeek Coder (November 2023)DeepSeek LLM (December 2023)DeepSeek-V2 (Could 2024)DeepSeek-Coder-V2 (July 2024)DeepSeek-V3 (December 2024)DeepSeek-R1 (January 2025)Janus-Professional-7B (January 2025)
These fashions are designed for varied duties, together with coding, general-purpose use, and superior reasoning.
Architectural Innovation
DeepSeek has pioneered a sophisticated Combination of Specialists (MoE) structure that dramatically improves computational effectivity. They use exact skilled segmentation and shared isolation to enhance specialization and cut back redundancy.
Complementing this, DeepSeek developed DualPipe, a classy communication accelerator for environment friendly pipeline parallelism. DualPipe overlaps ahead and backward computation, reduces latency, and optimizes knowledge motion throughout GPUs by making a digital Information Processing Unit to effectively alternate knowledge between all GPUs.
This mixture of MoE structure and DualPipe permits DeepSeek to optimize knowledge circulate between GPUs for quicker and extra inexpensive mannequin coaching. For instance, their DeepSeek V3 mannequin (with 671 billion parameters) was skilled on 2,048 Nvidia H800 GPUs in about two months for 10X greater effectivity than some {industry} leaders.
Coaching Excellence
DeepSeek’s coaching excels with superior reinforcement studying strategies. They developed a rule-based reward system with two key elements: accuracy rewards and format rewards, which outperform conventional neural reward fashions. This strategy permits their AI to be taught extra nuanced and exact reasoning capabilities.
For instance, their R1 mannequin demonstrated outstanding enhancements in mathematical reasoning, rising go@1 scores on AIME 2024 from 15.6% to 71.0%. The corporate used a coaching course of with reinforcement studying. This technique enabled the mannequin to make use of a self-verification method as a part of its reasoning course of.
The result’s a coaching strategy that not solely enhances computational studying but additionally creates AI fashions able to extra subtle and dependable reasoning throughout complicated duties.
Financial Effectivity
DeepSeek has achieved aggressive AI efficiency with notable price effectivity in comparison with some Western fashions.
Whereas preliminary reviews of growing DeepSeek-V3 for simply $6 million have been deceptive, the corporate has demonstrated important financial benefits. The $6 million determine represents solely the ultimate coaching prices, with complete improvement bills estimated between $100 million to $1 billion yearly.
Regardless of greater general prices, DeepSeek’s strategy stays economically environment friendly. Their API pricing is considerably decrease than rivals like OpenAI, providing potential price financial savings for builders and companies.
This pricing technique, mixed with its open-source strategy and aggressive mannequin efficiency, positions DeepSeek as a probably disruptive drive within the international AI know-how panorama.
Specialised Capabilities
The corporate has not simply created generalist fashions but additionally developed specialised options like DeepSeek Coder and Janus-Professional-7B.
DeepSeek Coder is a collection of programming-focused language fashions skilled on 2 trillion tokens, with 87% code and 13% pure language in English and Chinese language. Obtainable in sizes starting from 1B to 33B parameters, these fashions ship state-of-the-art efficiency on programming benchmarks and help project-level code completion.
Janus-Professional-7B represents DeepSeek’s breakthrough in understanding and producing photos. Launched in January 2025, this mannequin achieves 80% accuracy on the GenEval benchmark, surpassing rivals like DALL-E 3 and Steady Diffusion. Constructed on DeepSeek-LLM-7B, Janus-Professional-7B makes use of a 72-million-image dataset.
These focused fashions excel in particular domains resembling programming and picture era, showcasing DeepSeek’s modern strategy to specialised AI options.
Accessibility Philosophy
Dedicated to democratizing AI know-how, DeepSeek releases lots of its fashions with open-source or partially open-source licenses. This enables researchers, builders, and corporations worldwide to entry cutting-edge AI capabilities at considerably lowered prices.
DeepSeek has embraced open-source strategies that foster collaborative innovation, providing fashions like DeepSeek Coder, DeepSeek-V3, and DeepSeek-R1 with accessible licensing. Their pricing technique dramatically lowers entry boundaries, with DeepSeek-R1 priced at simply $0.55 per million enter tokens, in comparison with OpenAI’s o1 mannequin at $15 per million tokens.
DeepSeek brings consultants collectively and provides inexpensive AI instruments, dashing up innovation and increasing international entry. This represents a big step towards democratizing synthetic intelligence, breaking down conventional boundaries of price, complexity, and computing energy.
The right way to Use DeepSeek
This is how I used all of DeepSeek’s functionalities to reply my queries and remedy my issues:
Choose Begin NowCreate an AccountAsk DeepSeek a QuestionUse the DeepThink-R1 ModelUse DeepSeek to Search the WebGive DeepSeek a Doc to Analyze
Step 1: Choose Begin Now
I began by going to deepseek.com and hitting “Begin Now” free of charge entry to DeepSeek-V3.
Step 2: Create an Account
After creating an account, I used to be impressed by how clear the interface was. It seemed so much like ChatGPT!
Taking a more in-depth take a look at the message subject itself, there have been a few issues I seen that I might do:
Activate DeepSeek-R1 to unravel reasoning problemsSearch the webUpload paperwork and pictures
Step 3: Ask DeepSeek a Query
I needed to attempt these completely different functionalities and examine them to one another, starting by asking DeepSeek an attention-grabbing query: “What are some unconventional methods to measure time with out utilizing clocks or calendars?”
I typed this into the message subject (with out turning DeepThink or Search on) and hit ship.
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek generated a response that adequately answered my query!
Step 4: Use the DeepThink-R1 Mannequin
Subsequent, I needed to attempt the DeepThink-R1 mannequin. This mannequin is designed for superior reasoning and problem-solving. It is nice for finishing extra complicated duties, like logic puzzles and mathematical challenges.
I made a decision to check its capabilities by asking it a reasoning drawback and seeing how nicely it might break down and remedy it: “If you happen to had an infinite provide of 3-liter and 5-liter jugs, how would you measure precisely 4 liters of water?”
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek shared the considering course of behind the way it approached fixing the issue in each conversational tone of voice, which I discovered very insightful.
It additionally supplied two strategies for fixing the issue! I used to be impressed.
Step 5: Use DeepSeek to Search the Internet
Subsequent, I needed to make use of DeepSeek’s internet search performance. I examined this by asking it the next query: “What are the most recent breakthroughs in AI-driven medical diagnostics this yr?”
Just a few seconds later generated a response to my question.
I despatched the question a few instances and, sadly, DeepSeek failed because of technical points. Nonetheless, this might simply be because of excessive demand overwhelming the servers.
Regardless, I appreciated that DeepSeek nonetheless answered the query to the perfect of its potential. Nonetheless, the knowledge it supplied was outdated by two years.
Step 6: Give DeepSeek a Doc to Analyze
Final however not least, I needed to offer DeepSeek a picture to research.
I did this by importing a PDF doc of Zhuangzi’s “Butterfly Dream” and offering the question: “Analyze this excerpt from Zhuangzi’s ‘Butterfly Dream’ and talk about its implications on the character of actuality and self-identity.”
Just a few seconds later, DeepSeek supplied 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!
Total, my expertise with DeepSeek was principally constructive. Its performance felt clean and intuitive, particularly when utilizing the DeepThink-R1 mannequin and analyzing paperwork.
Whereas I did encounter just a few technical hiccups, I used to be impressed by how deeply it analyzed issues and supplied considerate responses.
Prime 3 DeepSeek Alternate options
Listed here are the perfect DeepSeek alternate options you will wish to attempt.
ChatGPT
The primary DeepSeek various I’d advocate is ChatGPT. I take advantage of ChatGPT fairly religiously for quite a lot of issues. However what I really like most about it’s its conversational potential and the way nicely it handles a variety of queries, from informal chit-chat to extra complicated topics like coding or historical past.
DeepSeek and ChatGPT have so much in frequent, like their potential to course of and generate textual content in a conversational format. Nonetheless, DeepSeek excels in high-level benchmarks for specialised duties like coding and math. It is geared extra towards these requiring velocity and precision in fields like math, cryptography, or superior AI mannequin capabilities. DeepSeek has a 90% accuracy charge in math in comparison with ChatGPT’s 83%. Then again, ChatGPT is understood for its pleasant nature and skill to have interaction deeply in additional basic, on a regular basis conversations.
If you happen to need assistance with extra specialised, technical duties, select DeepSeek. For extra of an interactive, participating expertise with the pliability to sort out quite a lot of subjects, select ChatGPT!
Perplexity
The following DeepSeek various I’d advocate is Perplexity. Moreover ChatGPT, it is one other LLM I am an enormous fan of for doing analysis. It looks like having a analysis assistant who not solely finds data however organizes and refines it primarily based on what I want.
Whereas DeepSeek focuses on AI reasoning, coding, and problem-solving, Perplexity excels at AI-powered search, summarization, and analysis. Each platforms are robust in several areas: DeepSeek is nice for logic-heavy duties and technical challenges, whereas Perplexity is healthier for locating and organizing data.
Perplexity excels at AI-driven search, pulling data from stay web sources to offer up-to-date outcomes. In the meantime, DeepSeek focuses on superior reasoning and specialised duties utilizing its subtle mannequin. These fashions are recurrently up to date however do not carry out real-time internet searches.
DeepSeek stands out with its open-source fashions, like DeepSeek-R1 which permits builders to customise AI for particular wants. In the meantime, Perplexity provides a user-friendly analysis instrument that feels extra like a sophisticated search engine.
For an AI that helps you remedy complicated issues, generate code, and work on logic-based duties, select DeepSeek. For an AI that enhances analysis, summarizes content material, and gives up-to-date solutions, Perplexity is a good selection!
Chatsonic
The ultimate DeepSeek various I’d advocate is Chatsonic. What I really like about Chatsonic is the way it simplifies advertising duties with its all-in-one AI workspace and built-in optimization instruments.
Whereas DeepSeek has proven aggressive efficiency in particular areas like mathematical reasoning, Chatsonic stands out for its seamless advertising integrations and content material creation instruments.
On the one hand, DeepSeek is an open-source powerhouse. It excels in logic, math, and coding duties, making it a strong selection for technical customers who want correct problem-solving. The API entry and free mannequin availability additionally present flexibility for builders and researchers.
Then again, Chatsonic is constructed for entrepreneurs, writers, and content material strategists. It integrates with Ahrefs, Google Search Console, and WordPress, making real-time knowledge retrieval and marketing campaign administration easy. Not like DeepSeek, which focuses extra on computation however can be utilized for content material creation and evaluation, Chatsonic prioritizes branding, automated workflows, and multi-model AI choice for artistic initiatives.
For a sophisticated AI mannequin for problem-solving, coding, and analysis, DeepSeek is a good selection. But when your focus is content material creation, advertising, and automation, select Chatsonic!
DeepSeek Assessment: The Proper Device For You?
After testing DeepSeek’s functionalities (DeepThink-R1, internet search, and doc evaluation), I used to be significantly impressed with its potential to unravel reasoning issues and generate considerate, structured responses. Nonetheless, some technical points made the expertise really feel barely inconsistent.
Regardless, DeepSeek confirmed robust potential, particularly in dealing with complicated queries with depth and readability. Its intuitive interface and logical reasoning capabilities actually stood out to me. Regardless of the occasional glitches, it stays a promising instrument for analysis and evaluation!
If you happen to want a strong, cost-efficient AI for coding and technical duties, DeepSeek is a strong selection. However for those who’re searching for the perfect DeepSeek alternate options, I might contemplate these choices:
ChatGPT is greatest for basic AI conversations, content material creation, brainstorming, and coding. It provides a extra pure, interactive expertise with a excessive diploma of reliability.Perplexity is greatest for analysis and fact-based responses. Its AI-powered search engine delivers up-to-date, cited data that is nice for tutorial or enterprise analysis.Chatsonic is greatest for AI-powered picture era, real-time internet search, and voice interactions. It is a robust possibility for digital entrepreneurs, content material creators, and companies searching for an AI with multimedia capabilities.
Thanks for studying my DeepSeek overview! I hope you discovered it useful.
Strive DeepSeek’s core functionalities free of charge and see the way you prefer it!
Incessantly Requested Questions
Can DeepSeek be trusted?
DeepSeek’s AI capabilities are spectacular, however there are important privateness and safety issues because of its knowledge storage practices in China. There are additionally potential vulnerabilities to misinformation. Whereas the mannequin reveals promise in areas like math and coding, strategy it with warning given its susceptibility to producing dangerous content material and the dearth of transparency round knowledge dealing with.
How is DeepSeek completely different from ChatGPT?
DeepSeek excels in technical precision, specializing in reasoning-heavy duties like coding, math, and structured problem-solving. In the meantime, ChatGPT provides a extra versatile and conversational expertise suited to artistic writing, brainstorming, and informal discussions. DeepSeek additionally makes use of a self-reinforced studying mannequin with out human supervision, making it more cost effective and environment friendly. It additionally provides options like limitless prompts and the flexibility to run on native machines.
What’s DeepSeek used for?
DeepSeek is an AI improvement agency that creates open-source giant language fashions (LLMs) for varied duties. These LLMs are significantly robust in formal reasoning, coding, and problem-solving. DeepSeek provides a number of companies together with an online interface, cell utility, and API entry.
Is DeepSeek free?
Sure, DeepSeek provides a totally free tier with full entry to its core performance. Which means anybody can use the DeepSeek-V3 and R1 fashions with out restrictions! Not like many AI companies that restrict free utilization, DeepSeek gives limitless entry to its chatbot and fashions with out requiring a bank card or imposing every day question limits.
Who’s the proprietor of DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is owned by Excessive-Flyer, a Chinese language hedge fund. It was based by Liang Wenfeng, a 40-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from Zhejiang College. Liang Wenfeng serves because the CEO of DeepSeek and beforehand co-founded Excessive-Flyer, a quantitative funding administration agency that now manages a reported $8 billion in belongings
Why is the Nvidia inventory falling because of DeepSeek?
Nvidia’s inventory plummeted 17% on January 27, 2025, because of DeepSeek’s announcement of an economical AI mannequin that achieves comparable efficiency to Western fashions at considerably decrease price. This improvement raised issues about future demand for Nvidia’s high-performance AI chips, that are core to its enterprise. It additionally sparked fears of elevated competitors within the international synthetic intelligence enviornment.
Is DeepSeek R1 free?
DeepSeek R1 provides each free and paid tiers, with pricing as little as $0.14 per million enter tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens. Whereas not fully free, DeepSeek R1 gives a really inexpensive possibility in comparison with different AI fashions, with some platforms providing restricted free utilization or low-cost entry.
