What is DeepSeek? A plain-English guide
DeepSeek is a Chinese AI model family that performs close to premium chatbots at a fraction of the cost. Here is what it is and how to use it without any technical setup.
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a family of AI models made by a Chinese company of the same name. The models answer questions, draft text, and write code at a level close to much more expensive American models.
What makes DeepSeek notable is value. It delivers most of what people use ChatGPT for, at a small fraction of the cost to run. That cost difference is why an entire category of affordable AI apps exists on top of it.
Why do people choose it over ChatGPT?
Two reasons: cost and openness. DeepSeek's models are dramatically cheaper to run than OpenAI's, and their weights are published openly, which means anyone can build with them. I have followed this space professionally for years, and DeepSeek is the first open model family I stopped benchmarking and started using daily.
The catch for many people is access. DeepSeek's own tools assume technical comfort. There has not been a simple web interface built for everyone else. That gap is exactly why we built Plainly.
How can I use DeepSeek easily?
You have three options, in order of simplicity:
- Plainly — a clean chat app that uses DeepSeek-class models automatically. You never touch a setting. $5 a month.
- DeepSeek's own app — capable, but built for technical users.
- API access — full control, requires code. Not worth it for everyday use.
If you just want answers without learning anything technical, the first option exists for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is DeepSeek free to use?+
DeepSeek's own chat app is free but technical and unpolished. Through a paid app like Plainly you get a clean, simple interface for $5 a month with no setup.
Is DeepSeek better than ChatGPT?+
It depends on the task. For everyday questions, writing, and planning, DeepSeek performs close to ChatGPT at a much lower cost. See our detailed DeepSeek vs ChatGPT comparison.
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