Kimi and DeepSeek are two of the best-known AI assistants from China, and both have a free app. Kimi gives you more built-in tools. DeepSeek is simpler and much cheaper for developers. This page helps you choose by task.
A simple picture of where each one leads. The bars are an illustration, not exact scores.
You do not have to pick only one. Both have free apps, so try the same task in each.
We are a Kimi guide site, so we know Kimi best. We have tried to be fair to both. We are not affiliated with Moonshot AI or DeepSeek.
| Feature | Kimi | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Made by | Moonshot AI, China | DeepSeek, China |
| Best known for | Long tasks, agents and built-in tools | Very low prices and strong reasoning |
| Top model | Kimi K3 (July 2026) | DeepSeek V4 Pro (April 2026, updated August 2026) |
| Open weights | Yes. Modified MIT licence | Yes. MIT licence |
| Price | ||
| Free chat app | Yes. Uses Kimi K2.6 | Yes. Includes its top model |
| Paid plans | $19, $39, $99 or $199 a month | No paid plan for the chat app |
| API price, top model, per million tokens (in / out) | $3.00 / $15.00 | $1.32 / $3.96 at peak hours. Half that off-peak |
| API price, budget model (in / out) | $0.95 / $4.00 for Kimi K2.6 | $0.30 / $1.20 for V4.1 Flash at peak hours |
| What the model can do | ||
| Reads very long text | About 1 million tokens with Kimi K3 | About 1 million tokens |
| Understands images | Yes, built into Kimi K3 | Yes with V4.1 Flash. Not with V4 Pro on the API |
| Step-by-step thinking mode | Yes | Yes. Called DeepThink in the app |
| Tools and apps | ||
| Web search | Yes | Yes |
| File upload | Yes. Up to 50 files, 100 MB each | Yes. Limits not published |
| Deep research reports | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Slides, sheets and website builder | Yes | No built-in tools of this kind |
| Agents that do whole tasks | Yes | Not in the chat app |
| Coding assistant | Kimi Code (paid plan) | No official one. Works with other coding tools through its API |
| Where it runs | Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone | Web, Android, iPhone |
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Checked on 8 October 2026. Kimi details come from Moonshot's own pages. DeepSeek API prices and model details come from DeepSeek's own price page. DeepSeek chat app details come from independent guides, so check deepseek.com before you rely on them. "Not confirmed" means our sources did not say either way.
Both are free to start. DeepSeek's app is free and has no paid plan. Kimi's free plan covers everyday chat with Kimi K2.6. You pay (from $19 a month) when you want Kimi K3 and more use of the big tools.
Free services can slow down at busy times. Neither company promises a fixed number of free messages.
Here is one example job: send a long document (100,000 tokens) and get a detailed answer (20,000 tokens).
Worked out from each company's list prices, without cache discounts. Thinking counts as output on both, so real costs can be higher. Kimi API pricing
Both top models are very capable, and both can read about a million tokens at once. The differences are smaller than the marketing suggests.
Independent rankings we checked place Kimi K3 ahead overall, especially on hard reasoning and tasks with images.
It is close. Third-party write-ups show DeepSeek V4 Pro a little ahead on some coding tests, and Kimi K3 ahead on others, such as front-end design.
DeepSeek V4 Pro is reported as faster and costs far less per request. Kimi K3 is slower and uses more tokens when it thinks hard.
This is the biggest difference for everyday users. DeepSeek is mainly a chat box with search, file upload and a thinking mode. Kimi adds a set of tools that produce finished work.
If you only need quick answers, you may never miss these. If you want a finished report, deck or website, Kimi saves you steps. Kimi also has desktop apps for Windows and Mac. See the download guide.
Both do this well for free. Pick the app you find nicer to use.
Kimi Deep Research writes a long, organized report with sources. With DeepSeek you search and ask in a normal chat.
Kimi has a tool for each. DeepSeek can write the text or code, but you put it together yourself.
Both accept file uploads. For very long files on Kimi you may need Kimi K3. PDF guide
Both models are strong coders. Kimi adds Kimi Code. DeepSeek is cheap to plug into other coding tools.
Kimi K3 reads images and can turn a screenshot into a web page. DeepSeek's image support is more limited.
DeepSeek's API costs far less, and off-peak hours are half price again.
Both publish open weights. DeepSeek's plain MIT licence and smaller size make it the lighter choice.
Tick every line that sounds like you. The result updates as you go.
This is a simple guide based on the table above, not a test. Nothing you tick is saved or sent anywhere.
The fairest comparison is your own. Open both apps, paste the same prompt into each, and compare the answers.
Explain how a heat pump works to a 12-year-old in under 150 words, then give one everyday comparison.
Plan a 3-day trip to Kyoto for two people on a medium budget. Give a table with morning, afternoon and evening for each day.
Write a Python function that finds duplicate rows in a CSV file and saves them to a new file. Explain each step in a comment.
Judge each answer on four things: Is it correct? Is it clear? Did it follow your instructions? How long did you wait?
Both services are run by companies based in China. Read each privacy policy, and do not paste confidential or personal information into either.
In 2025 several governments restricted DeepSeek on official devices. Whichever tool you choose, check your employer's rules first.
Like other AI services from China, both may decline or limit answers on some political topics.
And for both: an AI answer can be wrong. Check important facts before you rely on them.