DeepSeek vs Grok
DeepSeek and Grok sit in the same category. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
Grok wins for 9 of 19 roles in our data. Grok starts at $8/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| HR manager | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| Finance manager | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free |
| Manager | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Marketer | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Sales manager | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Data analyst | Grok | covers 2 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Teacher | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Executive assistant | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Logistics manager | Either one | even on tasks, DeepSeek is cheaper to start |
| Procurement manager | Either one | even on tasks, DeepSeek is cheaper to start |
| Secretary | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Recruiter | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| HR administrator | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| Tax consultant | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| Auditor | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free |
| Economist | DeepSeek | covers 1 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free |
| Project manager | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
| Social media manager | Grok | covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1 |
Side by side
| DeepSeek | Grok | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | DeepSeek | xAI |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Free plan | Yes: A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable | Yes: A limited number of messages every few hours, limited reasoning and DeepSearch, image generation with a small quota |
| Cheapest paid plan | price on request | X Premium, $8/mo |
| Top plan | price on request | SuperGrok Heavy, $300/mo |
| Tasks covered | 1 | 3 |
DeepSeek: Free chat with DeepSeek reasoning models that are strong in math and code.
Grok: xAI chat with real-time access to the X feed, for mention monitoring and quick reviews.
Only DeepSeek covers
Only Grok covers
- Build a competitor price review
- Analyze customer reviews by topic
- Write a series of company social media posts
Pitfalls to watch at work
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
Grok
- The default model has fewer guardrails on style and claims: proofread client-facing text more carefully than after other chats
- In X settings, turn off permission for Grok to train on your posts and conversations, which is on by default
- X data is people's posts rather than facts: check a quote from the feed in the primary source before it goes into a report
FAQ
Is DeepSeek or Grok better for work?
In our data Grok is the better choice for 9 of 19 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Grok?
Grok starts at $8/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Do DeepSeek and Grok have free plans?
DeepSeek: Yes. A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable. Grok: Yes. A limited number of messages every few hours, limited reasoning and DeepSearch, image generation with a small quota.
Compare DeepSeek with
- DeepSeek vs Qwen Chat
- DeepSeek vs ChatGPT
- DeepSeek vs Claude
- DeepSeek vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
- DeepSeek vs Gemini
Compare Grok with
Alternatives to DeepSeek · Alternatives to Grok · DeepSeek pricing · Grok pricing
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