Used For

• +**Your AI keeps generating code that works locally but breaks in production** → DeepSeek explains each step so you catch the logic errors before deployment
• +**You're paying $10 per million tokens for reasoning and your budget is screaming** → Same quality thinking for $1.68, plus you can self-host for even cheaper
• +**Junior developers submit code without understanding why it works** → AI shows the thought process so they learn instead of copy-paste
• +Handles 100,000-word documents in one go - no chunking or losing context halfway through
• +Thinking mode for complex problems, fast mode for simple queries - switch based on what you need

Best For

• >Your OpenAI bill hit $500 last month and your boss is asking questions
• >Code reviews are taking forever because junior devs keep submitting buggy logic
• >You need step-by-step math solutions, not just answers that could be hallucinated

Not For

• -Teams wanting plug-and-play simplicity - this requires some technical setup if you want the good stuff
• -Anyone needing image generation or voice features - it's text and code only
• -Companies without developer resources - you'll want someone who can handle APIs and maybe GPU deployment

Pairs With

• *OpenAI GPT (for when you need images or voice, since DeepSeek is text-only)
• *GitHub Copilot (DeepSeek for complex logic, Copilot for quick autocomplete)
• *DigitalOcean (easiest way to self-host with their 1-click GPU setup)
• *PostgreSQL (to store the AI's reasoning chains if you're building something custom)
• *Hugging Face (where you download the model weights for self-hosting)
• *Slack (where your devs will share screenshots of the AI's step-by-step solutions)

The Catch

• !The full model needs serious GPU power - most people end up using the smaller versions or paying for API access
• !Still hallucinates like other AI models, just with more detailed explanations of why it's wrong
• !The thinking mode is slower since it's literally showing you its work - great for accuracy, annoying for quick tasks

Bottom Line

Finally, an AI that thinks out loud and won't bankrupt your startup.