DeepSeek

DeepSeek is a free AI chat assistant from the Chinese lab DeepSeek, with step-by-step reasoning, web search and file reading on web and mobile.

DeepSeek is the chat assistant from DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab known for releasing open-weight language models. The assistant runs on the web at chat.deepseek.com and in iOS and Android apps, and uses the lab's latest model, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, which adds native image understanding and better agent performance. DeepThink switches on step-by-step reasoning for harder questions, and search lets answers draw on current web results. Users can upload files and images and ask questions about them. The same models are sold through an API with a 1M-token context, priced from $0.15 per million input tokens off-peak, and DeepSeek also offers a desktop app for agent work.

DeepSeek at a glance

Best for: Software engineer, Researcher, Student, Writer
Runs on: Web, iOS, Android, API
Pricing: Free chat; API from $0.15 per 1M input tokens and $0.60 per 1M output tokens off-peak
Released: December 2023
Category: AI chat assistant
Website: chat.deepseek.com

Key features

Free chat on the web and in iOS and Android apps
DeepThink mode for step-by-step reasoning
Web search for current answers
File and image upload with visual understanding
API models with a 1M-token context
Off-peak API rates at half the peak price

Use it for

Work through math, logic or coding problems with reasoning mode
Summarise or question an uploaded document
Build apps on a low-cost model API

Companions

Tools that articles about DeepSeek recommend using with it, each with its job.

Cline — Cline has a native DeepSeek provider.
Cursor — DeepSeek works as a custom model in Cursor.
OpenRouter — One key for DeepSeek and fallback models.
Ollama — Run DeepSeek models locally when code must stay on the machine.

Alternatives to DeepSeek

DeepChat — Private desktop client for any model, with MCP and local data
Qwen — Free access to Alibaba's open and flagship Qwen models
DeepSearch — Your API key stays in your browser and searches never touch external servers.
Deep Chat Component — Connects directly to any API and popular AI providers from the browser.
Dsh Im — Unifies multiple chat platforms into a single management setting.
EasyChat AI — Native Windows chat app with a compact Quick Chat flyout and 20 free daily requests
Meta AI — Free assistant already built into WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
Z.ai — Free access to GLM, an open-weight model family strong at coding
NextChat — Bring your own access credentials or use flexible pay-as-you-go credits.
Duck.ai — Protects conversations from tracking and keeps information completely confidential.
Chatbox — Chat with multiple AI models and local documents using your own API keys.
ChatKit — Supports multiple AI models with local API key storage and voice input.

All DeepSeek alternatives