The world's most popular AI vs the open-source challenger that shocked the industry. How do they compare for coding?
| Feature | ChatGPT | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Coding Quality | Very good | Excellent Winner |
| Math/Logic | Very good | Exceptional Winner |
| Price | Free / $20/mo Plus | Completely free Winner |
| Creative Writing | Excellent Winner | Adequate |
| Features | Image gen, browsing, plugins Winner | Chat only |
| Open Source | No | Yes Winner |
| Self-Hosting | Not possible | Full model weights available Winner |
| Data Trust | US-based, standard Winner | China-based, concerns |
| Ecosystem | GPT Store, massive community Winner | Growing, developer-focused |
| Speed | Fast | Fast |
For coding and math: DeepSeek is genuinely better and completely free. For everything else: ChatGPT wins on features, ecosystem, and creative capabilities. Many developers use DeepSeek for coding and ChatGPT for everything else.