DeepSeek

Overview

DeepSeek shocked the AI world with R1, matching o1’s reasoning capabilities at dramatically lower cost. The V3 model offers GPT-4 level general performance. As an open-source model, it can be deployed locally or via the cheap DeepSeek API.

Key Features

• World-Class Performance: R1 matches OpenAI o1 on reasoning benchmarks
• Open Source: Both V3 and R1 weights publicly available under MIT license
• Cheap API: 90%+ cheaper than equivalent OpenAI API calls
• China Accessible: Web interface and API fully usable without VPN
• OpenAI Compatible API: Drop-in replacement in most AI apps

Why DeepSeek

The best choice for China-based developers needing a capable, affordable AI API. Self-hosting is viable with consumer hardware for smaller model sizes.