The AI landscape is rapidly evolving and one of the latest players making waves in this space in DeepSeek. On January 27^th DeepSeek passed up ChatGPT in downloads on Apple’s App Store caused a tech stock selloff. What’s so special about DeepSeek that is caused Nvidia to experience a record market cap loss of $593 billion in one day? Let’s start by comparing DeepSeek to its top competitors in the US – ChatGPT & Gemini.

Google Gemini has a similar layout out to DeepSeek and ChatGPT but you can definitely tell it’s a Google product when using it – probably due mostly to the Google apps & account icons in the top right and font choices. Here’s screenshots I took of each UI for comparison:

OK, enough talking about the UIs – let’s get into the actual strengths and weaknesses of each model.

DeepSeek Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Open-source weights and training procedures
• Low costs compared to other AI models (both to train the model and for consumers)
• Strong performance in code generation and data analysis

Weaknesses:

• Potential for content being censored
• “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else” came up more than I expected when I first started using it
• Doesn’t use a multimodal model (yet) so there’s only text input/output

ChatGPT Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Multimodal capabilities (works with text, images, audio, and video)
• Canvas makes writing and coding projects more collaborative and productive
• Updates and integrations mean new features are always being released
• Conversational skills and adaptability are above average (i.e. avoiding errors)

Weaknesses:

• Freemium model gatekeeps latest features
• Resource-intensive models are more costly than some competitors
• Some users might not like the constant evolution of the platform

Gemini Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Multimodal capabilities (works with text, images, audio, and video)
• Integrations into Google’s ecosystem
• Scalability with Google Cloud products
• Free tier for API

Weaknesses:

• Content isn’t as conversational or unique as some other AI models in my experience
• Some people have privacy concerns based on Google’s business model
• Can be more restrictive than ChatGPT in some areas

Comparison Table: DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT vs. Gemini

	DeepSeek	ChatGPT	Gemini
Focus	Data analysis, insights & coding	Conversational chatbot & content generation	Multimodal AI platform with ecosystem of integrations
Strengths	Open-source weights, low costs & coding performance	Multimodal, collaborative Canvas mode, new feature updates	Multimodal, integrations, scalability & free API tier
Weaknesses	Censorship, error rate & is not multimodal (yet)	Freemium model gatekeeping & resource intensive	Content can be lacking, privacy concerns & restrictive in some areas
Best for	Cost-effective, scalable API solutions that focus on data analysis or coding	Business applications and content creation	Developers that work within Google’s ecosystem; free API

What Makes DeepSeek Special?

It’s cheap. What really scares American AI companies about DeepSeek is not that it’s more advanced, but that it’s comparable for a fraction of the cost. It’s estimated that DeepSeek trained its models for a mere $6 million, but ChatGPT maker OpenAI (somewhat ironically) claims that DeepSeek did so by distilling, or ripping off, some of their technology. Either way, I suspect the popularity of DeepSeek among AI app users is more based on novelty than functionality – at least based on my limited testing. It’s not the DeepSeek isn’t good – it is. But I’m not sure it’s good enough to send ChatGPT or Gemini users rushing to another platform. Some people might find it preferable to ChatGPT and/or Gemini for their own reasons, but I don’t think anyone can say it’s noticeably better than ChatGPT or Gemini in any specific area.

How to Use DeepSeek for

DeepSeek can be used for business and marketing applications similar to other AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Here are some of the top business and marketing use cases for DeepSeek specifically, based on its strengths and weaknesses:

• Automated Insights & Predictive Analytics – Use the DeepSeek API to analyze customer data, segment it based on behavior, demographics etc. and then create predictive models. DeepSeek can also help with creating the scripts needed to accomplish all of the above.
• Code Generation for Data Pipelines – Automate the creation of code needed to clean, transform and integrate data pipelines across your business. Scripts for APIs, SQL queries and more can be created on the fly.
• Dynamic Pricing Optimization – Analyze market demand, competitor pricing and other data sources and dynamically adjust your pricing accordingly. Further automated pricing adjustments by integrating directly with your e-commerce platform.
• Reporting & Dashboards – Generate code for automated reporting tools and dashboards, offering real-time insights into performance. Create custom integrations between your businesses’ data and reporting platforms to better visualize trends, KPIs, and more.

Make sure to check out my AI for Small Business & 10 Ways to Use AI at Work in 2025 articles for more helpful info!

Choosing the Right AI Tool for You

AI tools and the LLMs that power them evolve quickly. New models and updates are constantly releasing so it’s important to remember that these strengths and weaknesses will change over time. The best way to determine which AI tool is right for you is to evaluate them through firsthand testing or if you’re short on time – comparisons like this article. Weighing the pros and cons of each model based on your specific needs is a great starting point for finding the right AI tool for you. I hope you found this article and please don’t hesitate to reach out for help with integrating AI into your business.