Compare
DeepSeek vs Perplexity
The differences that matter, in plain English. Same specs are hidden.
vs
The short answer
- Pick DeepSeek for coding and writing.
- Pick Perplexity for making images and research with sources.
- DeepSeek is free to use.
| Spec | DeepSeek | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plan, per month | Free | $17 a month |
| Writing | 8 | 7 |
| Coding | 9 | 6 |
| Research | 7 | 9 |
| Images | 3 | 6 |
| Value | 9 | 8 |
| Made by | DeepSeek | Perplexity AI |
| Free plan | Yes, the app is free to use | Yes, with a limited number of Pro Searches |
| Paid plan | None | Pro, $17 a month when paid yearly |
| Main model | DeepSeek V4.1 | Best (picks a model automatically); Pro adds models from several makers |
| Images | Reads pictures | Image generation (more on Pro) |
| Voice | — | — |
| Web search | Web search and DeepThink mode | Answers with numbered source links |
| Files | File upload and text extraction | More file and photo uploads on Pro |
| Apps | Web, iPhone and Android | Web and the Comet browser |
| Model you can download | Yes, DeepSeek V4.1 models on Hugging Face | — |
| Checked | 2026-10 | 2026-10 |
Plans and prices change often: each row shows the month we checked. Scores are out of 10 and are our editorial view.
