DeepSeek vs Gemini
We give DeepSeek a 3.4 GPA and Gemini a 3.6, out of 4.0. DeepSeek grades higher on platforms. Gemini grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DeepSeek
Free AI chat assistant built on DeepSeek's openly released models
Gemini
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps
How we grade them
| 3.4GPADeepSeekVery good | 3.6GPAGeminiExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. The web chat and the iPhone and Android apps are free, and the US App Store listing shows no in-app purchases. The only thing DeepSeek sells is API access for developers, billed per token. | A$4.99 a month doubles your usage and adds 400 GB of Google storage. ChatGPT's cheapest paid plan is $8. AI Pro is $19.99, a cent under ChatGPT Plus, and 5 TB of storage comes with it. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole assistant is free, running DeepSeek's latest flagship model, with DeepThink and Search included. There's no paid consumer plan, so nothing is held back for one. | AChat, images, Deep Research, voice chats with Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems, all free with a Google Account. The catch is the limits. Google gives no numbers, and says free users can lose Deep Research when it's busy. |
| Features | BThe basics are here: chat, a DeepThink mode for reasoning, a Search mode that draws on the web, and a model that understands images as well as text. That's a short list. The desktop download is DeepSeek Harness, an agent app still in public preview, not the chat app. | AChat, image generation, Deep Research, and spoken conversations where you can show it what your camera sees. It can pull from your Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar as well. Video generation in the app is listed from the $4.99 plan. |
| Ease of use | C3.9 from about 12,100 App Store ratings, which is under our line for a B. Nothing about it looks hard: it's a chat box with DeepThink and Search beside it. But the rating is what we go by here, and it's low. | B4.7 from about 2.3 million App Store ratings, and asking a question is as easy as typing it. The muddle is everything around it. Gemini turns up in the app, Chrome, Gmail and Docs, each a bit different, and you pick between models too. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone, iPad and Android for the chat, plus an API for developers, billed per token. On Mac and Windows the download is the Harness preview, which needs an Apple-silicon Mac on macOS 13 or later, or 64-bit Windows. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with your chats synced between them, and an API for developers. But the Mac app needs Apple Silicon and macOS 15, the Windows app only arrived in September 2026 and can't share your screen yet, and no Linux app is listed. |
| Best for | free chat with nothing to upgrade to | AI help that reaches into your Gmail and Drive |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DeepSeek and Gemini. How we grade
Where they differ
- DeepSeek is free. Gemini starts at $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus).
- DeepSeek is open source, according to its own site.
- DeepSeek also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| DeepSeek | Gemini | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus) |
| Free plan | The web chat and the iOS and Android apps are free, and the US App Store listing shows no in-app purchases. API usage is billed separately per token. | Free with a Google Account: access to 3.6 Flash and varying access to 3.1 Pro, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems, plus 15 GB of Google storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | DeepSeek | |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | gemini.google |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
DeepSeek
- Free chat with no subscription tier to outgrow
- Developers who want low per-token API prices
- People who want models whose weights are openly released
Gemini
- People who already use Gmail, Docs, Drive and Google Calendar
- Buyers who want AI features bundled with Google storage
- College students, who are offered a free year of the Pro plan
Worth knowing
DeepSeek
- There is no paid consumer plan. API access is billed separately, from $0.15 per 1M input tokens off-peak for the deepseek-flash model.
- The desktop download is DeepSeek Harness, a preview agent app for Apple-silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later and 64-bit Windows, not the chat app.
- According to Wikipedia, DeepSeek's compliance with Chinese government censorship policies and its data collection have drawn regulatory scrutiny in several countries.
Gemini
- Paid tiers are Google AI plans that bundle storage and other Google services; no Gemini-only paid plan is listed.
- Google AI plans require age 18 or over, and features vary by region and platform.
- Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 per month, and its 20x usage level costs $199.99 per month.
- The macOS desktop app requires Apple Silicon and macOS Sequoia (15.0) or later, and the Windows app does not yet share the screen, take dictation or connect local folders.
Key features
DeepSeek
- DeepThink and Search modes
- Two modes sit beside the chat box on DeepSeek's site: DeepThink, for reasoning through a question, and Search, for answers that draw on the web.
- Visual understanding
- DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, released in September 2026, adds native visual understanding alongside text.
- Free mobile apps
- Official iOS and Android apps give free access to the assistant. The App Store listing covers iPhone and iPad.
- DeepSeek Harness
- A desktop agent app in public preview for organizing files, analyzing data, coding and research. It is MIT-licensed and extended through plugins such as scheduled tasks.
- Openly released models
- Wikipedia describes DeepSeek's models as open-weight and, since January 2025, released under free and open-source licenses. The web and mobile apps are proprietary.
- API platform
- The same models are available to developers through an API billed per token, with off-peak rates set at half the peak rates.
Gemini
- Chat with Gemini models
- The free plan includes the 3.6 Flash model and varying access to 3.1 Pro. Paid plans raise usage limits, from 2x on Plus to as much as 20x the Pro limits on Ultra.
- Deep Research
- A research tool that is included in the free plan, with higher access on the paid Google AI plans.
- Gemini Live
- Have a spoken conversation, switch between talking and typing, and show Gemini what you are looking at while you talk.
- Image and video generation
- Generate and edit images on every plan, and create or edit video by describing what you want. Paid plans include Google Flow credits.
- Google app integration
- Works with Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar, and paid plans add Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Vids.
- Desktop app
- Apps for Windows and macOS open over your work with a keyboard shortcut. Screen sharing, voice dictation and connecting local folders are in the macOS app only, with Windows to follow.
Plans
DeepSeek
Free$0
The chat assistant on the web, iOS and Android, running DeepSeek's latest flagship model.
Gemini
Free$0
Access to 3.6 Flash, varying access to 3.1 Pro, image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems, with 15 GB of storage.
Google AI Plus$4.99
per month
2x higher usage than Free, 200 Google Flow credits, Gemini in Gmail and Vids, and 400 GB of storage. Google One also sells Plus with 2 TB at $9.99 a month.
Google AI Pro$19.99
per month
4x higher usage than Free, 1,000 Flow credits, higher access to Gemini 3 Pro, Jules, Chrome auto browse, YouTube Premium Lite and 5 TB of storage.
Google AI UltraFrom $99.99
per month
5x the usage limits of AI Pro at $99.99 or 20x at $199.99, with Deep Think, Project Genie, YouTube Premium and 20 TB or more of storage.
Ways to pay less
DeepSeek
No public discounts listed.
Gemini
- Education
Free Pro plan for college students for a year
Google's US subscriptions page says college students get a free Google AI Pro plan for one year, through its student offer.
