Over the past few years, ChatGPT has dominated the AI chatbot space, but new competitors like DeepSeek AI are emerging with impressive capabilities. Curious to see how it stacks up, I decided to switch from ChatGPT to DeepSeek AI for a full week.
Here’s my in-depth review, covering performance, features, strengths, weaknesses, and whether it’s worth making the switch.
Also read: 10 Best Content Marketing Tools for 2025
What is DeepSeek AI?
DeepSeek AI is a free large language model (LLM) developed by a Chinese AI company. It offers:
- Text-based AI responses (similar to ChatGPT)
- 128K context window (better memory than free ChatGPT)
- File upload support (PDFs, Word, Excel, etc.)
- Web search capabilities (like ChatGPT Plus)
Unlike OpenAI’s GPT-4, which requires a $20/month subscription for full access, DeepSeek AI is completely free—which immediately caught my attention.
First Impressions: User Interface & Accessibility
Web & Mobile Experience
- Clean, minimalist design (similar to early ChatGPT)
- No login required for basic use (unlike OpenAI)
- No app yet, but works well on mobile browsers
Ease of Use
- Simple prompt box (like ChatGPT)
- Web search toggle (helpful for real-time data)
- File uploads (great for research & document analysis)
Verdict: The UI is intuitive and lightweight—no unnecessary clutter.
Performance: DeepSeek AI vs. ChatGPT (Free vs. GPT-4)
I tested both models across different tasks:
A. General Knowledge & Research
| Query | DeepSeek AI | ChatGPT (Free GPT-3.5) |
| “Explain quantum computing simply” | ✅ Clear, well-structured | ✅ Also good, slightly less detailed |
| “Latest news on AI advancements” | ✅ With web search, accurate | ❌ Outdated (no web access) |
Winner: DeepSeek AI (thanks to web search).
B. Coding & Technical Tasks
| Task | DeepSeek AI | ChatGPT (Free) |
| “Write a Python script for web scraping” | ✅ Functional code | ✅ Similar quality |
| “Debug this SQL query” | ✅ Accurate fix | ✅ Also good |
Verdict: Tie—both perform well for coding.
C. Creative Writing
| Prompt | DeepSeek AI | ChatGPT (Free) |
| “Write a short sci-fi story” | ✅ Engaging, original | ✅ Slightly more polished |
| “Marketing email for a SaaS product” | ✅ Professional tone | ✅ More persuasive |
Winner: ChatGPT (slightly better flow & creativity)
Unique Features of DeepSeek AI
✔️ Free Web Search
Unlike free ChatGPT (which lacks web access), DeepSeek AI can fetch real-time data—a huge advantage.
✔️ 128K Context Memory
- Remembers much longer conversations than GPT-3.5 (and even GPT-4).
- Great for analyzing long documents (legal, research papers).
✔️ File Upload Support
- Upload PDFs, Word, Excel, PPT, and more for summarization or Q&A.
- ChatGPT’s free version doesn’t allow file uploads.
✔️ No Paywall (Fully Free!)
- No subscription needed (unlike GPT-4).
- No message limits (as of testing).
Where DeepSeek AI Falls Short
❌ Slightly Less Polished Than GPT-4
- Responses can feel more robotic than ChatGPT’s.
- Creative writing isn’t as natural (but still decent).
❌ Limited Multimodal Abilities
- No image generation (like DALL·E in ChatGPT Plus).
- No voice chat (unlike some competitors).
❌ Occasional Hallucinations
- Sometimes makes up facts (though ChatGPT does too).
- Web search isn’t always perfect.
Who Should Use DeepSeek AI?
✅ Students & Researchers (great for long papers & citations)
✅ Developers (strong coding support)
✅ Budget-conscious users (completely free!)
✅ Anyone needing web search without paying
🚫 Not ideal for:
- Those who need ultra-polished creative writing
- Users wanting image/voice features
Final Verdict: Should You Switch?
| Factor | DeepSeek AI | ChatGPT (Free) | ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4) |
| Cost | Free | Free | $20/month |
| Web Search | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Context Length | 128K | ~8K | ~32K |
| File Uploads | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Creativity | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Best Choice?
- If you want free web access & long-context memory → DeepSeek AI
- If you need the most refined AI → GPT-4 (ChatGPT Plus)
- If you’re happy with GPT-3.5 & don’t need web search → Free ChatGPT
FAQs About DeepSeek AI
1. Is DeepSeek AI really free?
✅ Yes! No paywall or subscription needed (as of June 2024).
2. Can DeepSeek AI browse the internet?
✅ Yes, unlike free ChatGPT, it has a web search toggle.
3. Does it support file uploads?
✅ Yes (PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, etc.).
4. How does it compare to Gemini or Claude?
- Better than Gemini 1.5 Free (longer memory, web search).
- Not as strong as Claude 3 Opus (but Claude is paid).
5. Will DeepSeek AI replace ChatGPT?
Not yet—but it’s a strong free alternative, especially for research.
Final Thoughts
DeepSeek AI is a powerful, free alternative to ChatGPT, especially for research, coding, and long-document analysis. While it’s not as polished as GPT-4, its web search, 128K memory, and file support make it a fantastic option for users who don’t want to pay for AI.
Will I keep using it? Yes—for research and long-form tasks. But for creative writing, I might still lean on GPT-4.