DeepSeek vs Google Gemini
DeepSeek and Google Gemini are both AI assistants tools. DeepSeek is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Google Gemini is aimed at small businesses and creators. Both have a free plan.
Free AI chat app and low-cost API built on open-weight models
Google's AI assistant across Workspace and Android
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | Not published | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelancers | Small businesses, Creators, Developers |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | CN · 2023 | US · 2023 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose DeepSeek if
Developers and cost-conscious teams who want strong reasoning and coding models at very low API prices or as open weights.
- Consumer chat is completely free
- Among the cheapest frontier-class API token prices
- Open weights allow self-hosting and fine-tuning
Look elsewhere if: Organisations with strict data residency or public-sector rules (Mistral Le Chat, Claude, ChatGPT Enterprise).
Choose Google Gemini if
Google Workspace users and Android households who want AI where they already work.
- Deep Workspace and Android integration
- Bundled with Workspace plans and storage
- Strong multimodal and long-context abilities
Look elsewhere if: Users outside the Google ecosystem who prefer ChatGPT's apps or Claude's writing.
DeepSeek vs Google Gemini pricing
DeepSeek
- Chat app$0Web, iOS and Android; no paid consumer tier
- deepseek-flash API$0.30/1M input tokensPeak cache-miss rate; output $1.20/1M; off-peak rates are half
- deepseek-v4-pro API$1.32/1M input tokensPeak cache-miss rate; output $3.96/1M; off-peak rates are half
- Search & Fetch API$0.75/1,000 requestsBilled per successful request
Google Gemini
- Free$0Flash-Lite model, Deep Research, 15 GB storage
- Google AI Plus$4.99/moFlash model, 2x Free limits, 400 GB storage
- Google AI Pro$19.99/moGemini 4 Argon, Pro model, 4x Free limits, 5 TB
- Google AI Ultra$99.99/mo5x Pro limits; $199.99/mo tier with 20x
- Gemini Enterprise Business$21/seat/moFrom; for businesses, up to 300 licenses
DeepSeek · Key features
- Free chat app with thinking and instant modes on web and mobile
- 1M-token context window on V4 models
- API compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic request formats
- Automatic context caching with much cheaper cache-hit pricing
- Off-peak API rates at half the peak price
- Tool calls, JSON output and FIM completion for coding tools
Cons
- Hosted service stores user data on servers in China
- Banned on government devices in several countries
- Answers on politically sensitive Chinese topics are censored
Google Gemini · Key features
- Chat with Gemini Pro and Flash models, long context
- Deep Research reports and Canvas for drafting
- Image (Imagen) and video (Veo) generation
- Integration in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and Android
- Gems: custom assistants; NotebookLM for sources
- Live voice and camera conversations on mobile
Cons
- Feature availability varies by region and plan
- Inconsistent experience across surfaces
- Ultra tier is very expensive
DeepSeek vs Google Gemini: FAQ
Do DeepSeek and Google Gemini have a free plan?
Yes, both DeepSeek and Google Gemini have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.