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Deepseek has been on my radar for a while, and I finally sat down to see what it’s all about. Trust me, this Deepseek review has all the real talk you’re looking for.
Ever wondered if Deepseek is actually worth your time? I’m going to spill the beans on the 3 things Deepseek does well—and the 5 big mistakes it makes.
If you’re confused about pricing, don’t sweat it. I’ll show you exactly what Deepseek costs without any hidden surprises.
Bored of the same old tool reviews? This is different. I’ve gone hands-on, tried Deepseek for days, and even tested out other options.
Plus, I’ll help you figure out the best Deepseek alternatives out there. And of course, the big question: Is Deepseek legit or just talk?
If you skip this Deepseek review, you could miss some stuff that'll save you time (and maybe money) down the road.
Let’s dive in together—get comfy, and let’s see if Deepseek should be your next go-to tool.
Oh, and before we get rolling, here’s a quick jump to everything inside this blog:
- Deepseek Review Summary
- 3 Things Deepseek Does Well
- 5 Big Mistakes Deepseek Makes
- What Does Deepseek Cost?
- What are Some Deepseek Alternatives?
- Is Deepseek Legit? - The Final Verdict

Deepseek Review Summary

If you're in a rush, here's a quick 2-minute summary of this blog:
3 Things Deepseek Does Well
- Autofixes mistakes: It seems a lot of folks like how it can correct errors in your code without much trouble, so you spend less time finding where things went wrong.
- Keeps chats short: You might notice that it starts a new chat when things get too long, which helps avoid the tool getting confused or mixing things up, even if that might disrupt your flow a little.
- Works with less power: It’s said that you don’t really need a fancy computer for this one since it can give back answers and code fixes even when you’re working with limited resources.
- More on the shiny side of Deepseek below.
5 Worst Deepseek Features (User Reviews)
- Poor customer service, refund and cancellation headaches: If you ever need help, good luck getting anyone to actually help you. Cancelling or getting a refund seems almost impossible, and they just keep sending you in circles with boring copy-paste replies.
- Locked into pricey plans and wasted credits: You’ll probably pay for way more credits than you use because they don’t roll over. If you miss a month, say bye-bye to your credits, but your wallet doesn’t get a break.
- Outdated data sets hold you back: Deepseek doesn’t even use the latest info—it’s stuck in the past. If you’re looking for updated or fresh facts, you’ll just end up frustrated and questioning why you paid for it.
- App bugs leave you locked out: Sometimes, you can’t even sign in or reset your account if things go wrong. If the app breaks, getting back in feels impossible and the instructions make no sense at all.
- Missing basic features on free version: You can’t even upload photos if you use the free version, but lots of other free tools let you. It feels like Deepseek just wants to make everything harder unless you pay them.
What Does Deepseek Cost?

- deepseek-chat – This one lets you use up to 64,000 tokens for context, and you can spit out up to 8,000 tokens each time. If you’ve got cached stuff, input costs $0.07 for 1 million tokens, but if not cached, it jumps up to $0.27. Output is $1.10 per 1 million tokens, which is not really cheap, especially if you use it a lot.
- deepseek-reasoner – Here, you still get the 64,000 token context, but you can also do chain-of-thought with up to 32,000 tokens, and 8,000 output tokens. Input costs are higher: $0.14 if it's cached and $0.55 if not. To get 1 million output tokens, it’s $2.19, which feels expensive compared to the chat model.
- So should you buy Deepseek? If you’re just playing around, it might feel kinda pricey and the token costs can add up fast, especially for the reasoner. Unless you really need all those tokens and features, I think there are better deals out there.
Alright, that’s the Deepseek pricing in a nutshell. If you wanna know more, keep reading to dive into how Deepseek actually works in real life.
Deepseek Review - What Does it Get Right?

Here’s what folks often point out as the best parts about using Deepseek:
-
Autofixes mistakes:
- Handles big code chunks: You can toss in big blocks of code, and it cleans up errors pretty smoothly compared to other AI tools.
- Saves you effort: You don’t need to search line by line for mistakes—it finds and fixes them for you.
- No need for fancy tricks: Deepseek just gives clear corrections without making you fiddle with settings or tools.
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Keeps chats short:
- No long-winded conversations: If your chat gets too long, Deepseek starts a new one, so things don’t get confusing.
- Less mixing up info: By breaking up chats, it avoids jumbling earlier stuff and helps you get a straight answer each time.
- Stops hallucination sooner: Other AIs start making up weird things if you talk too long, but Deepseek tries to avoid that by refreshing the chat.
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Works with less power:
- Runs on basic computers: You don’t need a super fast or new laptop to use Deepseek; it works on everyday setups.
- Good responses, low resources: It manages to answer your questions or code stuff even if your device isn’t the latest model.
- Many users notice this benefit: Some folks mention they get helpful replies even on older computers or when they’re low on resources.
Here's a user talking about how BypassGPT helped them:
“great response with minimum recourses great response with minimum recourses! respect”
Deepseek Review - Where Does it Fall Flat?

Let’s get real for a sec. Here are the worst 5 Deepseek features that honestly make you want to give up:
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Poor customer service, refund and cancellation headaches
- If you get stuck and need help, nobody really gets back to you or solves your problem. It feels like talking to a brick wall.
- When trying to cancel or get a refund, you just get the same boring copy-paste messages and keep going around in circles.
- I’ve noticed support barely cares about folks outside their target zone, which just adds to the pain if you run into any trouble.
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Locked into pricey plans and wasted credits
- Whatever credits you don’t use just vanish every month, so you’ve basically paid for nothing if you skipped a month.
- They don’t let you roll over credits or use them later, and you end up feeling ripped off for things you never used.
- You’ve got to commit to these expensive plans only to find out the value isn’t really there if your usage is unpredictable.
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Outdated data sets hold you back
- Deepseek only uses data till October 2023, so anything new is just not there. You don’t get the latest info you expect from AI.
- If you want facts or numbers that happened after that, you’re stuck. This honestly makes the tool almost useless for current stuff.
- From my experience, even basic info is missing or wrong, which means you end up just using free tools like Google for real facts instead.
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App bugs leave you locked out
- If you ever uninstall and reinstall, it’s a nightmare to even log back in. The sign-in and sign-up buttons just don’t work right.
- If your email is already in use, it won’t let you reset or get back access easily. The instructions make no sense at all.
- I’ve been stuck there myself—you’re basically locked out and support is nowhere to be found when you need it most.
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Missing basic features on free version
- You can’t upload photos on the free version, even though almost every other free AI lets you do it effortlessly.
- This means you miss out on features everyone else gets without having to pay, which just feels super unfair.
- Honestly, it feels like Deepseek is just making things harder on purpose so you give up and start paying them.
Here's a review by Rodayna Salman talking about their experience:
“Genuinely horrible. Unable to follow the most basic of commands. It's quality for price and that's exactly why it's free.”
Here's a review by সাহীব সালেহীন BD talking about their experience with DeepSeek's free version:
“photo uploading issue on free version I would like to request the image upload capability in DeepSeek's free version. This feature is available in competitors like ChatGPT, and it would be great to have it here too.”
By the way, if you're looking for a tool with no mandatory subscriptions and credits that never expire, check out AIDetectPlus. You can even test it out for free for up to 1000 words right here.
This concludes our in-depth analysis. Interested in exploring more alternatives to Deepseek? But first, let’s break down the pricing details!
What Does Deepseek Cost?

Deepseek doesn't really give you a "plan" like a basic or pro monthly subscription — it's all about Pay-As-You-Go pricing. But honestly, let me walk you through each of their models and you'll see why paying every single month for the same credits (even if you don't use them) just doesn't make sense for most people.
deepseek-chat Model
- This is their most basic model, priced at $0.07 for every 1 million input tokens and $0.14 for every 1 million output tokens. Sounds cheap, but believe me, it adds up fast if you use it even a little often.
- You get charged for every single interaction — there's no rolling over of unused tokens, which is a big letdown. So, even if you barely use it one month, you’re still paying every time you want to chat again.
- From my own experience, the quality is fine for basic stuff, but for anything deeper, you’ll hit limits and pay more for the advanced models anyway.
deepseek-reasoner Model
- The pricing gets even higher here — $0.14 per 1 million input tokens (cache hit), $0.55 per 1 million input tokens (if it's not cached), and $2.19 for every 1 million output tokens.
- If you think caching will save you a ton, in reality it rarely does unless you're running the same exact stuff over and over. Most people don't — so you end up paying the higher price most of the time.
- Honestly, it's easy to burn through credits without really realizing it, and you don’t get any “freebies” if you've paid last month but didn't use as much. It’s just *spend, spend, spend* every time you need AI.
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp Model
- This one costs $0.28 per 1 million input tokens, but if you’re lucky enough to hit the cache, it dips to $0.028 per million cached tokens.
- The cached price looks tempting, but let’s be honest, unless you’re rerunning the exact thing, you’ll almost always pay full price. That’s exactly what happened to me during testing.
- There’s no real way to “bank” your credits or save unused tokens. If you’re not careful, costs sneak up on you, and once the month’s over, you start again from zero… and your wallet feels it.
DeepSeek-R1 Model
- This is one of their advanced models and it's expensive: $0.55 per 1 million input tokens (cache miss) and a whopping $2.19 per 1 million output tokens.
- You'll almost never get the "cache hit" price unless you’re doing the same job again and again. Realistically, for any serious AI work, you’ll pay the high, uncached rates.
- For most folks, those numbers might look small, but they add up super fast, especially if you’re using output-heavy tasks (which is, let’s be real, almost everyone).
Other Pricing Details
- They sometimes toss out “off-peak” discounts, but you can't count on those, and they don’t really fix the fact that you’re paying monthly for short-lived credits you might not even use.
- There’s no real “plan” for folks who want steady, predictable pricing — and free access is just for certain experimental platforms. If you want real, ongoing access, you have to pay, and you’ll keep paying each month.
- I’ve noticed that the difference in price across models can be confusing, especially when the more useful models (like R1) are so much pricier than competitors — and those costs reset every month.
Why I Don’t Recommend Deepseek
- No matter which model you pick, you’re always trading money for “credits” you’ll probably never fully use. Every month, unused tokens just disappear — it’s like tossing cash out the window.
- I’ve tried all the models, and trust me, it’s all pay-per-use. Even when you hardly use it, your credits don’t save up or roll forward. It just keeps charging you again next month.
- For stuff like essay writing or long chats, you quickly hit limits OR end up paying as much as tools that give you way more for way less money (and let you keep your credits forever).
Here’s what I’d honestly do instead…
- Check out AIDetectPlus. It’s an all-in-one AI platform with GPT‑4, Claude, Gemini, AI detector, humanizer, essay writer, plagiarism checks, PDF tools, and more—all included.
- You start at just $9 one time (not per month!), and even the smallest package (5,000 words) is yours forever — credits NEVER EXPIRE. You only pay again if you want more. That's a way better deal than paying Deepseek every month just to keep using the same stuff.
- And if you want a real-deal head-to-head between Deepseek and AIDetectPlus, just head below for the full breakdown.
What are some Deepseek alternatives?

Alright, so you’ve seen what Deepseek can do. But before you jump in, let’s check out some other options. Here are my top 3 picks:
#1 - Deepseek vs AIDetectPlus
- Both Deepseek and AIDetectPlus use AI to help you out, but they’re built for different things:
- Deepseek is mostly about fixing code, keeping chats tidy, and working even if your computer isn’t super fancy.
- AIDetectPlus is like an all-in-one homework helper—think essay writing, AI detection, humanizing your text, plagiarism removal, and even citation generation—all in one spot, no switching apps.
- Where is AIDetectPlus Better?
- Way more than just chat: You can write essays, check for AI, fix plagiarism, and add citations—all without leaving the site.
- Super easy credits: Buy credits once (starting at $5), and they never expire. No monthly bills or wasted credits if you skip a month.
- Fast, friendly support: If you get stuck, you can actually talk to a real person and get help fast. No endless waiting or confusing instructions.
- Always up-to-date: AIDetectPlus uses the latest info and models, so you’re not stuck with old data.
- Free features that actually work: Even the free version lets you upload files and use most tools—no paywall for basic stuff.
- Where is Deepseek Better?
- If you just want to fix code and don’t care about essays or writing, Deepseek is simple and works on low-powered computers.
#2 - Deepseek vs Deep AI
- Both Deepseek and Deep AI are cool for chatting with AI, but honestly, they’re built for different things:
- Deepseek is basically a coding helper and chat tool. It can fix your code, answer questions, and tries to keep things running even if your computer isn’t super fancy. But mostly, it’s about code and tech stuff.
- DeepAI Chat is more like a big AI playground. You can chat, generate writing, make images, create music, and even mess around with videos—all right there in your browser. It’s got a bunch of tools—not just chat.
- Where is DeepAI Chat Better?
- All the creative stuff in one place: Draw pictures, write stories, make weird music, talk to it—you get everything, not just chat.
- Super easy to try for free: You don’t even need to make an account for some features. Just pull up the website and start goofing around.
- Flexible payment: Pay as you go with credits or grab the Pro plan for $4.99 a month, and it works for all the fun stuff, not just chat.
- Stays in one tab: No more jumping between different apps or tools for each thing—the AI chat, image, voice, and writing stuff all sit together.
- Where is Deepseek Better?
- Helps fix code quickly: If you just want something to spot bugs or fix your code without much fuss, Deepseek is super handy.
- Doesn’t need a powerful computer: Even if your laptop is kinda old, Deepseek can still help you out.
- Keeps chats short and clear: It starts fresh when chats get long, so things don’t get messy or mixed up.
#3 - Deepseek vs Duck AI
- These two tools both let you chat with AI, but they do things a bit differently:
- Deepseek is made for folks who want fast code fixes and don’t have the fanciest computer. It’s more about helping you write, run, and fix code, or just chat, even if your device is kinda slow.
- Duck AI (from DuckDuckGo) is all about privacy—you don’t even need an account. You can chat with different AIs like GPT‑4o mini, Claude 3 Haiku, and Llama, and nobody tracks what you do. It’s super simple, fast, and totally free.
- Where is Duck AI Better?
- Privacy is king: No signup, no logging, no tracking—no one’s watching what you chat about because it all stays on your device.
- Mix and match AIs: You can use lots of AI models in one place and swap between them whenever you want.
- Truly free: There aren't any paywalls, surprise bills, or credit limits sneaking up on you.
- Easy to fiddle with: Just adjust the tone and style however you like—no login or hoops to jump through.
- Where is Deepseek Better?
- Helpful code fixer: If your code's got bugs, Deepseek can spot and fix them quick, so you don't have to hunt down mistakes yourself.
- Doesn’t need a beefy computer: You can get answers or code help even if you're working on a basic laptop or device.
- Check out Deepseek for yourself → or try Duck AI here →
Is Deepseek Legit?

Short answer - Honestly, NOT REALLY!
Let me break it down for you:
- Reason #1: Customer Service is a Nightmare: If you ever run into trouble or want a refund, just know you’ll probably be stuck in a never-ending loop with copy-paste replies. Seriously, getting help feels impossible, and I found it super frustrating.
- Reason #2: Overpriced Plans with Wasted Credits: Deepseek makes you pay for a bunch of credits, but if you don’t use them all, they vanish at the end of the month. Basically, you pay for stuff you never even get to use, and your money just disappears.
- Reason #3: Outdated Info and Annoying Bugs: This one’s a big pain. Deepseek gives you old information and, even worse, sometimes the app locks you out for no reason—and good luck trying to get back in. For me, it honestly just made everything take way longer than it should.
Here's a review by Jim Moultrup talking about their data set issues:
“Data sets are not up to date. The most recent download is Oct 2023! Don't waste your money. Google free AI is best, no cost.”
So, what should you do instead?
I’ll be straight with you: AIDetectPlus fixes all the stuff Deepseek gets wrong. Let me explain how.

Right away, you actually get a free trial for 1000 words. That’s not even the best part though:
- #1 Fast, Accurate AI Chat with Top Models: AIDetectPlus has built-in AI chat powered by GPT‑4, Claude, Gemini, and others—so if you need quick answers or want to brainstorm, you can do it all right there. I use this all the time to look up stuff fast without opening a bunch of tabs.
- #2 Credits NEVER EXPIRE: Seriously, you buy credits and they’re yours until you actually use them—you never have to worry about them disappearing each month like with Deepseek.
- #3 Awesome Customer Support: The team actually cares. You’re not talking to some robot that copies the same message to everyone. I’ve always gotten replies super fast—like, under 12 hours every time.
- #4 Built-in AI Chat as Part of an All-in-One Suite: AIDetectPlus is more than just chat. You get everything in one spot—AI detection, humanizer, plagiarism checks, essay writing, paraphrasing, and even PDF tools. Whether you’re a student, marketer, or researcher, it’s all there waiting for you. You can also check out more stuff from the menu above.
And that’s pretty much it! I hope this review helped you see what’s up with Deepseek and pointed you to something better. If you want to try AIDetectPlus, just visit their website or start your 1000-word free trial. No credit card or phone number needed—just pop in your email and you’re good to go!