Side-by-side comparison

Claude vs DeepSeek

Plans, free tiers and API access for Claude and DeepSeek, from each vendor's own pages. Last checked Oct 4, 2026.

ClaudeAssistant

DeepSeekAssistant

The short answer

Both Claude and DeepSeek have an ongoing free plan.
On LiveBench (2026-06-25), Claude's best model (Claude Fable 5.1 Max Effort) scores 83.4 against 81.1 for DeepSeek's best (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Max Effort).

Pricing and features

ClaudeDeepSeek

Starting price

$20/mo

Not listed

Paid plans

Pro$20/mo
Max$100/mo

No published monthly price

Free plan

Free planFree plan at $0 with web, desktop, and mobile chat

Free planFree web chat and mobile app with rate limits

API access

API availableClaude Platform API with per-token model pricing

API availableAPI is billed pay as you go per million tokens; see the platform pricing page

Best for

Knowledge workers who want long-context chat, file and code tools, and optional Claude Code or team workspaces on paid plans.

Developers wanting low-cost token pricing for chat, coding agents, and custom apps.

Watch out for

Usage resets on rolling five-hour windows with additional weekly caps on paid tiers; enterprise features and SSO require higher plans. Platform API usage is metered separately from claude.ai seats.

There is no paid web or app plan. The API is billed per million tokens and rates change, so check the platform page.

How to choose

Claude is a priced product line: a free plan, Pro at $20 per month with monthly or annual billing, and Max from $100 per month. DeepSeek has no flat monthly plan at all. Its free web chat and app are rate limited, a web chat price was not confirmed, and its API charges per million tokens with weekday peak rates that differ from off-peak. Claude's own API is also per token and metered apart from claude.ai seats. Claude is aimed at knowledge workers needing long-context chat, files and code tools, plus team workspaces. DeepSeek is aimed at developers wanting low-cost token pricing for chat, coding agents and custom apps.

Claude: You want a subscription with defined tiers, file and code tools, and optional team workspaces for office or knowledge work.
DeepSeek: You are a developer who wants usage-based token billing rather than a flat plan and can work around peak and off-peak pricing.
Either: You are looking for a free chat option with usage limits to try before spending.

Reviewed Oct 5, 2026. Prices and plans can change, so confirm on the vendor's site.

LiveBench results

Best-scoring model per vendor in the 2026-06-25 LiveBench release (13 Anthropic and 4 DeepSeek configurations). Scores are out of 100.

Claude Fable 5.1 Max EffortDeepSeek V4.1 Flash Max Effort

Overall

83.4

81.1

Reasoning

91.7

86.7

Coding

86.4

80.0

Agentic Coding

66.1

77.3

Mathematics

97.0

93.3

Data Analysis

80.3

79.3

Language

89.5

81.2

Instruction Following

73.0

70.0

Cost per successful task

$1.21

$0.029

Source: LiveBench, imported Oct 5, 2026. Explore every model.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, Claude or DeepSeek?

We could not confirm a starting price for both tools. See the plan table above.

Is Claude free?

Free plan. Free plan at $0 with web, desktop, and mobile chat

Is DeepSeek free?

Free plan. Free web chat and mobile app with rate limits

Which scores higher on benchmarks, Claude or DeepSeek?

In the 2026-06-25 LiveBench release, Claude Fable 5.1 Max Effort scores 83.4 and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Max Effort scores 81.1 overall. Scores measure the benchmark, not your own workload.

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