kitio.aiDeepSeek vs Kimi
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. DeepSeek is completely free, while Kimi is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Deep-thinking mode
- Web search
- File uploads
- Mobile apps
- Open-weight models
- Long-document reading
- Research reports
- Slide creation
- Agent mode
- Web search
| Feature | DeepSeek | Kimi |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free chat app from DeepSeek with strong reasoning and coding models | Moonshot AI's assistant for long documents, research and agent tasks |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | DeepSeek | Moonshot AI |
| Based in | China | China |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Both offer: Web search.
Pricing compared
DeepSeek is completely free, while Kimi is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Adagio
Free
- Free Kimi chat
- Limited agent usage
Moderato
$19/mo
- More agent and coding usage
- Priority access
Allegretto
$39/mo
- Higher usage limits
Vivace
$199/mo
- Highest usage limits
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
DeepSeek
- Completely free to use
- Strong math and coding answers
- Shows its reasoning steps
- Banned on some government devices
- Censors politically sensitive topics
- Servers can be busy at peak times
Kimi
- Handles very long inputs
- Useful free plan
- Strong agent and coding models
- Paid plans are pricey for casual use
- Some features launch in Chinese first
- Data stored in China
Which one should you choose?
Choose DeepSeek if you want:
- Completely free to use
- Strong math and coding answers
- Shows its reasoning steps
Watch out: banned on some government devices.
Choose Kimi if you want:
- Handles very long inputs
- Useful free plan
- Strong agent and coding models
Watch out: paid plans are pricey for casual use.
DeepSeek vs Kimi FAQ
What is the difference between DeepSeek and Kimi?
DeepSeek: Free chat app from DeepSeek with strong reasoning and coding models. Kimi: Moonshot AI's assistant for long documents, research and agent tasks. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is DeepSeek or Kimi cheaper?
DeepSeek is completely free, while Kimi is freemium.
Do DeepSeek and Kimi have free plans?
DeepSeek: Yes, fully free. Kimi: Yes.
Who makes DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is made by DeepSeek, based in China.
Who makes Kimi?
Kimi is made by Moonshot AI, based in China.
Which should I choose, DeepSeek or Kimi?
Choose DeepSeek if you value completely free to use and strong math and coding answers. Choose Kimi if you value handles very long inputs and useful free plan.