Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and multi-step work, with free and paid plans.
Free stops at: Usage limits apply, Projects: up to 5
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 30
Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 5, 2026
Claude vs DeepSeek in 2026: chat app and API compared
Pick Claude for everyday chat and documents; pick DeepSeek to pay per token through an API. Claude has a Free plan, Pro at $20/mo and Max from $100/mo. DeepSeek's documented prices are API-only: deepseek-flash costs $0.15 per 1M input tokens off-peak, against $2 for Claude Sonnet 5.5. The DeepSeek chat app's plans are unconfirmed.
Starting priceFree; Pro $20/mo · No chat price confirmed; API from $0.15 per 1M input tokens off-peakClaude · DeepSeek
Free tierYes · Not confirmed for chat appClaude · DeepSeek
Plans documented8 · 5Claude · DeepSeek
API input price per 1M tokens (Sonnet 5.5 vs deepseek-flash)$2 · $0.30 peak / $0.15 off-peakClaude · DeepSeek
We based this on our verified profiles of Claude (checked 2026-09-30) and DeepSeek (checked 2026-10-05); we did not run our benchmark on DeepSeek, use no third-party benchmarks and take no vendor payments.
Is Claude better than DeepSeek? The short answer
Claude has a documented Free plan, fixed monthly paid plans ($20 Pro) and published privacy terms, so it is the clearer choice for everyday chat use. DeepSeek is mainly documented as a developer API billed per 1M tokens, with OpenAI- and Anthropic-format endpoints and a 1M-token context. We could not confirm the DeepSeek chat app's free status, plans or privacy terms, so we cannot compare the two chat apps on price or data handling. Pick Claude for a known chat experience; pick DeepSeek if you want to pay per token through an API.
Based on our profiles of Claude (verified 2026-09-30) and DeepSeek (verified 2026-10-05) from official pricing and product pages; DeepSeek's chat app could not be checked, and no benchmark was run.
Claude or DeepSeek: which to use, by task
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chat with an assistant every day for free | Claude | Claude documents a Free plan with usage limits; DeepSeek's chat app free status is unconfirmed |
| Write or edit long documents | Claude | Claude lists writing and editing documents as a use case and accepts PDFs up to 1000 pages in chat |
| Create Word, Excel or PowerPoint files | Claude | Claude creates files through code execution; no equivalent is documented for DeepSeek |
| Get help with coding | Either | Claude offers Claude Code on Pro and above; DeepSeek's API lists coding-agent integrations |
| Build my own app on a model API | DeepSeek | DeepSeek publishes per-token prices and OpenAI- and Anthropic-format endpoints; Claude also has an API at higher listed prices |
| Keep API costs low on big batches | DeepSeek | deepseek-flash is $0.15 input / $0.60 output per 1M tokens off-peak; Sonnet 5.5 is $2 / $10 |
| Look up current information on the web | Either | Claude has web search with citations; DeepSeek's chat app has a Search toggle whose details are unverified |
| Work through a multi-step reasoning problem | Either | Claude has extended thinking; DeepSeek has DeepThink mode and thinking-mode API models |
| Roll out an assistant to a company team | Claude | Claude Team and Enterprise add SSO, admin controls and no training by default; none documented for DeepSeek |
| Use voice or mobile apps | Claude | Claude lists voice mode and iOS and Android apps; DeepSeek mobile apps are not confirmed |
Who should pick which
Pick Claude if
- You want a chat assistant with a documented Free plan and a flat $20/mo Pro plan
- You need published details on training use, retention and opt-out for your chats
- You want team features such as SSO, audit logs and no training on content by default
- You work with long documents: PDFs up to 1000 pages in chat
Pick DeepSeek if
- You are a developer who wants to pay per token instead of a monthly subscription
- You have existing OpenAI-format or Anthropic-format client code and want to change only the endpoint
- You can schedule heavy API jobs off-peak, when listed rates are half of peak rates
- You want to try the chat app's DeepThink and Search toggles, knowing its plans and terms are unverified
What Claude does better, and what DeepSeek does better
Claude
- Documented Free plan and flat monthly plans from $20/mo
- Published privacy terms: training opt-out, 30-day deletion, no training by default on Team and Enterprise
- Connectors to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack and GitHub, plus custom MCP
- Apps for web, desktop, iOS and Android, with voice mode and artifacts
DeepSeek
- Lower listed API prices per 1M tokens, halved off-peak
- OpenAI-format and Anthropic-format endpoints, so existing client code needs only a new base URL
- JSON output and tool calls in the API, with a 1M-token context
- Chat toggles for DeepThink and Search
Claude vs DeepSeek pricing: plans and free tiers
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Free | Claude | $0 | Usage limits apply; up to 5 projects; Sonnet and Haiku models only |
| Claude Pro | Claude | $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually) | More usage than Free; usage limits apply |
| Claude Max 5x | Claude | $100/mo | 5x more usage than Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Max 20x | Claude | $200/mo | 20x more usage than Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Team (Standard seat) | Claude | $25/seat/mo ($20/seat/mo billed annually) | More usage than Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Team (Premium seat) | Claude | $125/seat/mo ($100/seat/mo billed annually) | 5x more usage than standard seats; usage limits apply |
| Claude Enterprise | Claude | $20/seat/mo billed annually plus usage at API rates | Usage cost scales with model and task |
| Claude API (Claude Platform) | Claude | Per token; Sonnet 5.5 $2 input / $10 output per 1M | Rate limits per Console tier |
| DeepSeek deepseek-flash API | DeepSeek | Input (cache miss) $0.30 peak / $0.15 off-peak; output $1.20 peak / $0.60 off-peak per 1M | 1M context, max output 384K, concurrency 2500 |
| DeepSeek deepseek-v4-pro API | DeepSeek | Input (cache miss) $1.32 peak / $0.66 off-peak; output $3.96 peak / $1.98 off-peak per 1M | 1M context, max output 384K, concurrency 500 |
| DeepSeek chat app | DeepSeek | Not stated | Not stated |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 5, 2026. Claude pricing in full · DeepSeek pricing in full
Usage limits: what the vendors state
| Claude | DeepSeek | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Usage limits on every plan, reset on a schedule; Max gives 5x or 20x Pro usage | Chat app limits not stated; API concurrency 2500 (deepseek-flash) and 500 (deepseek-v4-pro) |
| Context / file size | PDFs up to 1000 pages and 500 MB per file in chat; context window up to 1M, varies by model | 1M-token context and 384K max output on the API; chat file limits not stated |
| Seats / team | Team for 2-150 users; Enterprise with SSO and SCIM | Not stated |
| Going past the limit | Usage credits at standard API rates; prepaid bundles on paid plans | API deducts from a granted balance first, then a topped-up balance |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Claude | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | No (HTML/SVG diagrams and charts only) | Not stated |
| Voice | Yes | Not stated |
| File upload | Yes | Images on deepseek-flash API; chat uploads not stated |
| Web search | Yes | Search toggle in chat; details unverified |
| Agents / tools | Yes (connectors, Claude Code on Pro and above) | API tool calls and JSON output |
| API | Yes, billed separately | Yes, OpenAI- and Anthropic-format endpoints |
| Mobile apps | Yes (iOS, Android) | Not confirmed |
Privacy and data training
| Claude | DeepSeek | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Free, Pro and Max: may be used unless you opt out; Team and Enterprise: not by default | Not stated |
| Retention | Deleted chats removed from the back end within 30 days; Enterprise offers custom retention | Not stated |
| Business controls | SSO, SCIM, audit logs, Compliance API, IP allowlisting, HIPAA-ready configuration | Not stated |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
Cost per answer on the API
Support assistant: 2,500 input + 500 output tokens
| Model | Tool | Cost per answer |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | Claude | $0.0500 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude | $0.0200 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Claude | $0.0100 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude | $0.0050 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813 (peak) | DeepSeek | $0.0053 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813 (off-peak) | DeepSeek | $0.0026 |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (peak) | DeepSeek | $0.0014 |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (off-peak) | DeepSeek | $0.0007 |
USD at list API prices from research/pricing/models.json; chat subscriptions are flat-rate and not included Run your own numbers in the calculator.
Switching between Claude and DeepSeek: what carries over
Claude → DeepSeekCarries over
- Your prompts and API client code, since DeepSeek exposes an Anthropic-format endpoint
- JSON output and tool-call patterns on the API
- Claude connectors, memory and projects
- Artifacts and file creation in chat
- Documented privacy terms and team controls
DeepSeek → ClaudeCarries over
- Prompts and API usage, via Claude's pay-per-token API
- Reasoning-style work, using extended thinking
- DeepSeek's lower listed per-token prices and off-peak discount
- The DeepThink and Search chat toggles
Pros and cons
Claude
- Free plan includes web search, file creation and code execution
- Apps for web, desktop and mobile
- Team and Enterprise plans with SSO and admin controls
- Free plan has usage limits
- Claude Code and Projects require a paid plan
- Heaviest usage tiers start at $100/month
DeepSeek
- Per-token API pricing is published openly
- Off-peak rates are half of peak rates
- API supports tool calls and JSON output
- API prices depend on peak or off-peak hours
- Chat app terms not verified
- API billed from a topped-up or granted balance
The two tools
DeepSeek offers an AI chat assistant and a usage-priced API for its V4-series language models.
Free stops at: Chat app free status not confirmed; the fetched chat site returned an error to the bot. The API deducts from …
Listed Not yet reviewed
Pricing US price unconfirmed
Claude or DeepSeek: how to choose
- Want a chat assistant with a known free plan and published privacy terms? Choose Claude.
- Need SSO, audit logs or no training by default for a team? Choose Claude.
- Paying per token and watching cost on large API volumes? Choose DeepSeek, and schedule heavy jobs off-peak.
- Have OpenAI- or Anthropic-format client code to reuse? DeepSeek needs only a new base URL.
- Need documented data handling for the chat app? DeepSeek's is unverified, so choose Claude.
- Our pick: Claude for chat and documents, DeepSeek for low-cost API calls.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepSeek cheaper than Claude?
For API use, yes: DeepSeek's API is billed per 1M tokens (deepseek-flash input $0.15 off-peak, $0.30 peak), while Claude's chat plans are flat monthly fees. Claude's API is also per token, for example Sonnet 5.5 at $2 input and $10 output per 1M tokens. We could not confirm DeepSeek chat app pricing.
Is the DeepSeek chat app free?
Unconfirmed: we could not verify whether the DeepSeek chat app is free. The chat site blocked automated access during our check on 2026-10-05, so its free status and plans are unverified. Claude has a Free plan with usage limits.
Can I use the Claude API with a Claude Pro subscription?
No. Claude's paid chat subscription does not include API access; the API is billed separately per token through the Claude Platform. DeepSeek's API is likewise a separate usage-priced service.
Does Claude or DeepSeek handle my data better?
Claude documents its data terms and DeepSeek's are unverified: Free, Pro and Max chats may be used for training unless you opt out, and Team and Enterprise do not train by default. DeepSeek's training use, retention and commercial-use terms were not verified, so we cannot rate it.
Sources
- https://claude.com
- https://claude.com/pricing
- https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12138966-release-notes
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8241126-upload-files-to-claude
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11647753-how-do-usage-and-length-limits-work
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8606394-how-large-is-the-context-window-on-paid-claude-plans
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12429409-manage-usage-credits-for-paid-claude-plans
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/14246112-buy-usage-bundles
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11049741-what-is-the-max-plan
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9266767-what-is-the-team-plan
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9797531-what-is-the-enterprise-plan
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9876003-i-have-a-paid-claude-subscription-pro-max-team-or-enterprise-plans-why-do-i-have-to-pay-separately-to-use-the-claude-api-and-console
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10769299-how-to-use-claude-in-your-preferred-language
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8114494-how-up-to-date-is-claude-s-training-data
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9002504-can-claude-produce-images
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12260368-use-incognito-chats
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11176164-use-connectors-to-extend-claude-s-capabilities
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9450526-export-your-claude-data
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13117299-minimum-age-requirement-access-restriction
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8461763-where-can-i-access-claude
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8325621-i-would-like-to-input-sensitive-data-into-my-chats-with-claude-who-can-view-my-conversations
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12326764-can-i-use-my-outputs-to-train-an-ai-model
- https://www.anthropic.com/legal/privacy
- https://www.anthropic.com/legal/consumer-terms
- https://www.deepseek.com/en
- https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing
- https://www.deepseek.com/
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.