Claude vs DeepSeek
Claude and DeepSeek sit in the same category. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
Claude wins for 20 of 20 roles in our data. Claude starts at $20/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Claude | covers 14 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| Lawyer | Claude | covers 23 of this role's tasks against 0; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| HR manager | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| Finance manager | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Marketer | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Sales manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Data analyst | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Teacher | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Executive assistant | Claude | covers 31 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Logistics manager | Claude | covers 31 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Procurement manager | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Secretary | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Recruiter | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| HR administrator | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| Tax consultant | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| Auditor | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role |
| Economist | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Project manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Social media manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
Side by side
| Claude | DeepSeek | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Anthropic | DeepSeek |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Free plan | Yes: Several dozen messages a day depending on load, analysis of uploaded files and images, no Projects with large knowledge bases and no extended reasoning mode | Yes: A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, $20/mo | price on request |
| Top plan | Max 20x, $200/mo | price on request |
| Tasks covered | 54 | 1 |
Claude: Assistant for long documents, contracts and careful writing, with a Project for each matter.
DeepSeek: Free chat with DeepSeek reasoning models that are strong in math and code.
Only Claude covers
- Compare two versions of a contract
- Run a risk review of a contract for your side
- Write a structured legal memo
- Write a formal claim letter to a counterparty
- Screen resumes fairly and without bias
- Prepare a reply to a tax authority request
- Draft a personal data processing policy
- Categorize a bank statement by cash flow line
Only DeepSeek covers
Pitfalls to watch at work
Claude
- On the free and personal paid plans, check Settings, Privacy: training on chats should be off before a work document goes in
- Contracts and correspondence go in only with parties, amounts and details anonymized: [Buyer], [Supplier], [amount]
- The limit is measured by conversation size rather than message count: a long chat with a large file uses up the quota in a few questions, so open a separate chat for each document
DeepSeek
- Data is stored on servers in China and accessible under Chinese law: keep out personal data, company documents, contracts and financial reports
- Answers on the war, China and politics are censored, so the service is unsuitable for such questions
- Many governments and companies have banned DeepSeek on work devices: check your company's rules before installing the app
FAQ
Is Claude or DeepSeek better for work?
In our data Claude is the better choice for 20 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, Claude or DeepSeek?
Claude starts at $20/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Do Claude and DeepSeek have free plans?
Claude: Yes. Several dozen messages a day depending on load, analysis of uploaded files and images, no Projects with large knowledge bases and no extended reasoning mode. DeepSeek: Yes. A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable.
Compare Claude with
- Claude vs ChatGPT
- Claude vs NotebookLM
- Claude vs Copilot in Word
- Claude vs Gemini
- Claude vs Gemini in Google Docs
Compare DeepSeek with
- DeepSeek vs Qwen Chat
- DeepSeek vs ChatGPT
- DeepSeek vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
- DeepSeek vs Gemini
- DeepSeek vs Kagi Assistant
Alternatives to Claude · Alternatives to DeepSeek · Claude pricing · DeepSeek pricing
AI tools weekly for your role
One email a week: new tools, price changes and one tested prompt for your job. Free, unsubscribe in one click.