Grok is the better app overall, scoring 8.0 to 7.4. Grok wins on 4 of the 5 scores, DeepSeek on 1.
X users and news followers who want fast takes on what is happening right now
Students and developers who want strong reasoning help without paying
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Grok | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Assistants | AI Assistants |
| Category rank | #7 of 8 | #8 of 8 |
| Developer | xAI | DeepSeek |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Grok
- Up-to-the-minute answers on news and trends
- Strong reasoning models on paid plans
- Image and video generation in one app
- Closely tied to X and its data practices
- Looser content limits have caused public controversies
Grok, from xAI, stands out for real-time knowledge pulled from X, so it is quick on breaking news and trending topics. It also offers image and video generation, voice mode and a reasoning mode for harder questions. It is looser with content limits than most rivals, which some like and others don't. Privacy is the weak spot: it is closely tied to X, and its data practices have drawn scrutiny from EU regulators.
Full Grok review
DeepSeek
- Strong reasoning and coding help at no cost
- Shows its reasoning process in DeepThink mode
- Open-weight models you can run yourself
- Data is stored on servers in China
- Basic app with no voice mode or image creation
DeepSeek offers capable reasoning and coding help completely free, and its models are released as open weights. DeepThink mode shows its reasoning step by step, and web search is built in. The app is basic, though, with no voice mode or image generation, and servers can be busy at peak times. Its privacy policy says data is stored in China, and several governments have restricted its use on official devices.
Full DeepSeek review
