# DeepSeek vs Groq

> DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models
> Groq: Fast, OpenAI-compatible inference API for open models, running on custom LPU chips

- DeepSeek profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/deepseek
- Groq profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/groq
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/deepseek-vs-groq
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

DeepSeek is listed under AI Assistants and Groq under Developer Tools. Both have a free plan or trial. Only DeepSeek is available on Windows, macOS and iOS.

### Choose DeepSeek if

- You want a tool built for Low-cost API integration.
- Web chat and mobile apps are free.
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers.

### Choose Groq if

- You want a tool built for Low-latency LLM API calls.
- Listed speeds of about 280 to 1,000 tokens per second on hosted models.
- OpenAI-compatible API and Responses API support, so migration is mostly a base URL change.

## Pricing

| | DeepSeek | Groq |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | DeepSeek | Groq |
| --- | --- | --- |
| V4 model family | Yes | Not listed |
| Thinking mode | Yes | Not listed |
| Open weights | Yes | Not listed |
| OpenAI and Anthropic compatible API | Yes | Not listed |
| Tool calls and JSON output | Yes | Not listed |
| Search and Fetch APIs | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent tool integrations | Yes | Not listed |
| DeepSeek Harness | Yes | Not listed |
| Vision on Flash | Yes | Not listed |
| LPU inference | Not listed | Yes |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Not listed | Yes |
| Open model catalog | Not listed | Yes |
| Speech models | Not listed | Yes |
| Built-in tools and MCP | Not listed | Yes |
| Batch and Flex tiers | Not listed | Yes |
| Structured outputs and reasoning | Not listed | Yes |
| Spend limits and projects | Not listed | Yes |
| LoRA inference | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | DeepSeek | Groq |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | No |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| iOS | Yes | No |
| Android | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |

## DeepSeek strengths

- Web chat and mobile apps are free
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers
- Open weights for V4 and earlier models on Hugging Face
- 1M-token context and 384K max output on both API models
- API works with both OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs and several coding agents

## DeepSeek limitations

- Peak-hour API rates are double the off-peak rates on weekday mornings UTC
- deepseek-v4-pro does not support vision input
- No image generation
- Data is processed by a company based in China, which some organizations cannot accept

## Groq strengths

- Listed speeds of about 280 to 1,000 tokens per second on hosted models
- OpenAI-compatible API and Responses API support, so migration is mostly a base URL change
- Free tier with an API key, and pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly fee
- Low per-token prices, for example $0.15 input and $0.60 output per 1M tokens for GPT OSS 120B
- Includes speech-to-text and text-to-speech models alongside text models

## Groq limitations

- Only hosts a curated set of open models; no proprietary frontier models such as GPT or Claude
- Some models, including Llama 3.3 70B, are enterprise-only and require contacting sales
- Free tier rate limits are low for production use
- No public pricing page on groq.com; prices sit in the developer docs
- Preview models can be discontinued at short notice

## FAQ

**Is DeepSeek better than Groq?**

It depends on your workflow. DeepSeek is built for Low-cost API integration. Groq is built for Low-latency LLM API calls.

**What are the key feature differences between DeepSeek and Groq?**

DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models. Groq: Fast, OpenAI-compatible inference API for open models, running on custom LPU chips.

**Does DeepSeek or Groq have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. DeepSeek is freemium and Groq is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Groq?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.