DeepSeek is a cost-optimized Chinese AI model excelling at reasoning and coding with lower operational costs, while Perplexity is a US-based AI search engine prioritizing real-time information retrieval and citation accuracy with a freemium subscription model.
DeepSeek vs Perplexity — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Chinese AI reasoning model optimized for cost-efficiency and complex problem-solving.
US-based AI search engine delivering real-time web results with full source attribution.
Primary Function. Real-Time Information. API Cost per 1M tokens. Reasoning Capability (AIME 2024). Citation & Source Attribution. Coding Performance (HumanEval). Geographic Data Access
Choose DeepSeek if you need a powerful, cost-effective reasoning engine for coding, mathematics, and analysis tasks with minimal latency concerns. Choose Perplexity if you prioritize current information, source verification, and need an interactive search experience with real-time web results and comprehensive citations.
DeepSeek: $0.014 (DeepSeek-Chat) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Top-tier (R1/V3.2 optimized) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Text, emerging vision | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Free tier available | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Yes, fully supported | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Growing (API-focused) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Technical, developer-centric | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Limited (API-only) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Open-source weights available | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Subject to Chinese data laws | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: 4,096 tokens (DeepSeek-V3) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Free (with API credits) | Perplexity: N/A
Reasoning Task Performance (GPQA Benchmark)
DeepSeek: 685B (DeepSeek-V3) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Partial (R1 inference-only) | Perplexity: N/A
Minimum GPU VRAM for Full Model Inference
DeepSeek: 40GB (with MoE efficiency) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: 92.3% (DeepSeek-V3) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Closed-source, API-only | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Restricted in some jurisdictions; unclear terms | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: 86.5% (DeepSeek-V3) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: 2 primary versions (limited small sizes) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: $0.21 (average) | Perplexity: N/A
Math Reasoning Accuracy (AIME Benchmark)
DeepSeek: Proprietary with restrictions | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Not supported (API only) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Emerging (rank #8 in AI models) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Higher risk - processed by DeepSeek servers | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: ~8 million | Perplexity: 15+ million
DeepSeek: 128,000 | Perplexity: 128,000 tokens
DeepSeek: 8 months old (April 2024) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Limited (text-focused) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: None (API only) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: MIT Open-source | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: $0.00 (Free tier available) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: 0% (external integration required) | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: Fully Supported | Perplexity: N/A
DeepSeek: No (cutoff April 2024) | Perplexity: Yes (live results)
DeepSeek: Limited API access required | Perplexity: Free with limited searches
DeepSeek: Restricted/Limited | Perplexity: Fully Accessible
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Research & real-time information retrieval
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Real-time citations with verification
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Standard and integrated third-party models
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Limited but growing integrations
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Full real-time web search
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Deep Research with superior organization
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: 1.2–1.5 billion
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Native real-time citations
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Full Deep Research with multi-step analysis
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Direct live web access (primary)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Numbered inline references with report export
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: 0-1 integrations
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Basic (text-focused with limited image support)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Specialized benchmarks (research-focused)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Real-time via live web access
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: High (direct source links with verification)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Web-based research and summaries
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: 5 searches/day
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Tracks searches, interactions, and IP address
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: 2 primary models
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Inline citations with clickable links throughout response
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Dedicated iOS/Android apps with 4.6/5 rating
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Limited API access in beta
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Real-time (current)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Unlimited standard searches + 5 pro searches
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: 6,000 tokens (approximate)
DeepSeek: N/A | Perplexity: Yes (clickable links)
How to choose between DeepSeek and Perplexity
DeepSeek vs Perplexity — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for DeepSeek vs Perplexity. Contains 99 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
DeepSeek vs Perplexity — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for DeepSeek vs Perplexity.
Is DeepSeek available in the United States?
DeepSeek has faced regulatory restrictions and geopolitical scrutiny in the US market as of 2025-2026. While the API was technically available, access has been limited or suspended due to national security and data privacy concerns raised by US authorities. Perplexity operates without such restrictions globally.
Which is better for fact-checking and current events?
Perplexity is significantly better for current information and fact-checking because it performs live web searches and provides 15-20 cited sources per response. DeepSeek operates with a knowledge cutoff (April 2024) and cannot access real-time information, making it unsuitable for recent news or verification tasks.
Which is more cost-effective for developers?
DeepSeek is 30-40% cheaper for API usage, with input pricing at $0.14 per million tokens versus Perplexity's $0.20. For high-volume applications, DeepSeek's R1 model can also be self-hosted open-source, eliminating ongoing API costs entirely.
Can I use DeepSeek or Perplexity for research papers?
Perplexity is purpose-built for research with comprehensive citations and source attribution, making it ideal for academic work. DeepSeek can assist with complex reasoning and analysis but lacks citation infrastructure, making it better suited as a supplementary tool rather than a primary research assistant.
Which has better performance on coding tasks?
DeepSeek outperforms on coding with 96.3% accuracy on HumanEval benchmarks compared to Perplexity's 92% (via Claude backend). DeepSeek's R1 model was specifically optimized for code generation and mathematical reasoning, making it the superior choice for software development.
How to Choose Between DeepSeek and Perplexity
Primary Function: DeepSeek has General-purpose reasoning AI model, while Perplexity has AI-powered search engine with citations.
Real-Time Information: DeepSeek has Knowledge cutoff-based (April 2024), while Perplexity has Live web search results included.
API Cost per 1M tokens: DeepSeek has $0.14 (input) / $0.28 (output), while Perplexity has $0.20 (Pro API input) / $0.60 (output).
Consider: Reasoning Capability (AIME 2024)
Reasoning Capability (AIME 2024): DeepSeek has 71% accuracy, while Perplexity has 60% accuracy (via Claude).
Citation & Source Attribution: DeepSeek has Limited inline citations, while Perplexity has Comprehensive cited sources with footnotes.
Consider: Coding Performance (HumanEval)
Coding Performance (HumanEval): DeepSeek has 96.3% pass rate, while Perplexity has 92% pass rate (via GPT-4 backend).
Geographic Data Access: DeepSeek has Restricted in US due to regulatory concerns, while Perplexity has Fully accessible globally.