In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Only Elicit has a free plan.
- Both run on the same kinds of device (web).
- DeepSeek shipped an update more recently (Oct 17, 2026).
Side by side
The details.
| DeepSeek | Elicit | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | DeepSeek · China | Elicit · United States |
| What it says it is | “Now live on our website, app, and API.” | “The AI Research Assistant” |
| Free plan | Not statedNot verified from a fetched page (see unverified). DeepSeek's own pages read did not state prices or a free/paid split. | YesBasic (free): limited Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across more than 138 million papers. |
| Plans | Not shown | Basic: freePlus: $11 a monthPro: $49 a monthScale: $169 a monthEnterprise: not in US$ |
| Runs on | web, app, API | web |
| Latest update | DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017: Wish-Driven Programming Made Real, Oct 17, 2026 | Routines and more flexible research with the Agent, Sep 30, 2026 |
| Its terms | “To provide you with our services, we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China.”What it does with your data · DeepSeek Privacy Policy | “PDFs you upload are encrypted and remain private to your account only, until you choose to delete them.”What it does with your data · Elicit Help: Privacy for uploaded papers |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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