Alternatives · DeepSeek
DeepSeek alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
DeepSeek, from DeepSeek's own pages as they read on September 28, 2026: its plans, the limits it publishes, and what it says it does. Then what a message costs on each side, and who should pick which.
Other companies' plans checked . Updated .
Short answer
DeepSeek is free to use, and it publishes no message count for its paid plans, so a message's price on them can't be worked out. llmwise Pro is $20 a month for up to 250 DeepSeek V4 Pro messages a month ($0.08 each), each model's count shown before you send.
Sources: App Store: DeepSeek - AI Assistant, DeepSeek and DeepSeek API Docs: Models & Pricing, checked .
DeepSeek, in DeepSeek's words
“Experience seamless interaction with DeepSeek's official AI assistant for free!”
“Chat with DeepSeek: Use API Platform”
Source: DeepSeek
“Off-peak rates are half of the peak rates. Peak hours are 01:00 - 04:00 and 06:00 - 10:00 UTC, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays.”
DeepSeek's plans
Checked September 28, 2026. Prices change: the quote is what the page said that day.
| Plan | Price | In its words | Messages it states |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek app | $0 | “Experience seamless interaction with DeepSeek's official AI assistant for free!” (App Store: DeepSeek - AI Assistant) | None published |
What a message costs
DeepSeek publishes no price and count together, so there's no price per message to set beside llmwise's. Here's llmwise Pro's ($20), model by model.
| Where | Messages | A message |
|---|---|---|
| llmwise Pro, DeepSeek V4 Pro | Up to 250 a month | $0.08 |
| llmwise Pro, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | 60 a day | Everyday model: a day's count |
| llmwise Pro, Claude Sonnet 5 | Up to 125 a month | $0.16 |
Every limit is published. Paid plans also have a monthly fair-use limit on AI cost: Pro $7.50, Max $20, Ultra $42, Studio $85. Using every message on your plan at typical sizes stays under it; very large messages and heavy research use it faster. Every limit, explained.
Who should pick which (our view)
Pick DeepSeek if…
DeepSeek is all you use and free is what you want: its own app costs nothing.
Pick llmwise if…
You want DeepSeek beside Claude, GPT and Gemini in one chat, a count per model, and messages that go to the model's maker or a US host rather than to DeepSeek's own app.
What DeepSeek has that llmwise doesn't
A free app, with no paid chat plan to buy.
Other assistants
- Gemini alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Grok alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Kimi alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Meta AI alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Le Chat (now Vibe) alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Perplexity alternative: plans, limits and who should pick which
- Every alternative, compared
Questions
How much does DeepSeek cost?
DeepSeek app: $0 (from DeepSeek's own page, checked September 2026).
Is llmwise cheaper than DeepSeek per message?
DeepSeek publishes no message count, so there's no per-message price to set beside llmwise's. On llmwise Pro, up to 250 DeepSeek V4 Pro messages a month ($0.08 each).
What does DeepSeek have that llmwise doesn't?
A free app, with no paid chat plan to buy. llmwise's answer: You want DeepSeek beside Claude, GPT and Gemini in one chat, a count per model, and messages that go to the model's maker or a US host rather than to DeepSeek's own app.
Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Kimi, and GLM, in one chat.
See what a message costs before you send it. Free is 5 messages to try; sign in with an email link, no password or card.