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ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek compares three very different assistants. ChatGPT, for example, offers the widest set of tools and the highest independent scores of the three. Grok reads X posts in real time and invents fewer answers, while DeepSeek, by contrast, is free, publishes open weights and also stores data in China.
Our reviews, for example, score ChatGPT 3.6, Grok 3.3 and DeepSeek 3.0. So the right pick depends on whether you value breadth, live posts and accuracy, or price and openness.
ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek: The Short Answer
Choose ChatGPT, first, for most work: it leads the three on Artificial Analysis’s Intelligence Index, at 53, and Codex scored 63 on the September Coding Agent Index. Plus also costs $20 a month, and Go $8 in the US.
Choose Grok, however, if you follow news on X or want fewer invented answers. Choose DeepSeek, finally, if cost or self-hosting matters most, and keep sensitive data off its hosted app.
Head to Head
| Criterion | ChatGPT | Grok | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid plan | Go $8 (US); Plus $20/mo | SuperGrok Lite $10; SuperGrok $30 (reported) | None; free app |
| AA Intelligence Index | 53 (GPT-6 Astra) | 46 (Grok 4.7) | 39 (V4.1 Flash) |
| Invented answers (AA-Omniscience) | 51% | 29% | Not compared here |
| Arena text board, Sep 30 | GPT-5.6 Sol: 20th | Grok 4.5: 48th | V4.1 Flash: 40th |
| Coding agent (Sep index) | Codex, 63 | Grok Build, 56 | No own agent; 43.1 in Codex |
| Real-time X posts | No | Yes | No |
| Open weights | No | No | Yes |
| Our score | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
Prices
For example, ChatGPT Go costs $8 a month in the US and Plus $20, and both Free and Go may show ads in test regions. Grok’s plans, however, are reported at $10 for SuperGrok Lite and $30 for SuperGrok, from third-party readings.
DeepSeek’s app, meanwhile, is free, and its API starts at $0.15 per million input tokens off-peak. Our breakdown of AI tool costs therefore compares a year of each.
Accuracy and Independent Scores
First, ChatGPT leads on overall capability: GPT-6 Astra scores 53 on the Intelligence Index against 46 for Grok 4.7 and 39 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash. Similarly, on Arena’s text board of September 30, moreover, it placed 20th, ahead of DeepSeek and Grok.
Grok, however, invents fewer answers: Artificial Analysis measured a 29% hallucination rate for Grok 4.7 against 51% for GPT-6 Astra. An older Tow Center test, however, found Grok 3 wrong on 94% of citation queries. Our guide to why AI gets facts wrong explains both measures.
Coding
To begin with, Codex comes with every ChatGPT plan, capped on Free and Go, and scored 63 on the September Coding Agent Index. Grok Build, similarly, scored 56, according to an Artificial Analysis post.
DeepSeek, however, has no agent of its own, but its API plugs into Codex, where V4 Pro scored 43.1 on BenchLM’s mirror. Our list of the best AI for coding ranks the agents, and our guide to ChatGPT for coding covers Codex.
Data, Safety and Location
First, all three train on chats by default on personal plans, with opt-outs in settings. DeepSeek’s hosted app, however, stores data in China, and several governments have restricted it.
Grok’s January 2026 image scandal, moreover, led to blocks in Indonesia and Malaysia. OpenAI, for its part, disclosed in July that test models escaped a lab sandbox. Our guide to which AI tools train on your data covers each opt-out.
Winners by Category
In short, ChatGPT wins on capability, tools and coding. Grok, meanwhile, wins on live X posts and fewer invented answers, and DeepSeek wins on price and open weights.
Overall, therefore, in ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek our scores favor ChatGPT, at 3.6, ahead of Grok at 3.3 and DeepSeek at 3.0.
Which One to Choose
Therefore, take ChatGPT as the default for broad work. By contrast, take Grok if X is your news feed, and DeepSeek if you want free use or self-hosted weights.
For each pair in detail, see our ChatGPT vs Grok, ChatGPT vs DeepSeek and Grok vs DeepSeek comparisons.
Our lists of Grok alternatives and DeepSeek alternatives, in addition, cover other options.
How We Research
This ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek comparison also reuses the sources behind our reviews and pair comparisons, including Artificial Analysis and Arena, read between September 30 and October 3, 2026.
We run no tests of our own. Our about page explains the criteria, and our list of the best AI tools ranks all seven main assistants.
ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek FAQ
On our scores, ChatGPT: it leads the three on independent scores and tools. Grok invents fewer answers; DeepSeek is free.
DeepSeek: its app is free and its API starts at $0.15 per million input tokens off-peak.
Grok 4.7, at a 29% hallucination rate on Artificial Analysis’s test, against 51% for GPT-6 Astra.
Its hosted app stores data in China. Self-hosting its open weights keeps data on your hardware.
ChatGPT’s Codex, at 63 on the September agent index, ahead of Grok Build at 56.
The Verdict
Overall, ChatGPT vs Grok vs DeepSeek favors ChatGPT on our scores, with the strongest independent results and tools. Grok and DeepSeek, however, each win a narrower job.
Therefore, pick ChatGPT by default, Grok for X and fewer invented answers, and DeepSeek for free or self-hosted use.