The market for AI chatbots has been fiercely competitive lately, with newcomers like DeepSeek battling established names like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot thedailyguardian.com . In this report, we compare these four AI models on seven key aspects: accuracy and reliability, usability, cost and accessibility, privacy and security, functionalities, application areas, and limitations/traps. We highlight the added value as well as the pitfalls of each model for each aspect. Finally, we summarize the findings in a clear table.

1. Accuracy and reliability

• ChatGPT (OpenAI) – ChatGPT (especially the GPT-4 version available through ChatGPT Plus) is known for high accuracy and coherent answers. The model is trained on a huge dataset and generally provides reliable information. Yet ChatGPT sometimes suffers from hallucinations – it can present erroneous or fabricated facts and adopt bias from training data thedailyguardian.com . Despite these incidents, ChatGPT remains one of the most consistent models, though human oversight is important to ferret out errors.
• Google Gemini – Google’s brand new model Gemini offers performance that rivals GPT-4 and on certain benchmarks even slightly exceeds harmonic.security . The model is trained with a strong focus on responsible answers and limits toxic or biased output, improving reliability. In practice, this means that Gemini often produces very correct and nuanced responses. However, because Gemini is still emerging, some responses may contain imperfections – especially when using the free basic version (Gemini 1.5), which is less powerful than the Advanced tier.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot (integrated into Microsoft 365 Office and Windows, among others) builds on OpenAI’s advanced models (GPT-4), providing high basic accuracy across a variety of tasks. Especially within a business context, Copilot provides useful, context-specific results (e.g., summaries of documents or emails) that are usually correct. Yet even Copilot can make errors or give unfounded answers when the model has to guess outside the given data – a familiar problem with all major language models. Microsoft is actively trying to mitigate this by regularly adjusting the AI system to improve accuracy and reduce hallucinations attheu.utah.edu. However, it is still advisable for users to check output for certainty, especially with critical business information.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek’s R1/V3 model is praised for logical reasoning ability and high scores on challenging benchmarks for math and question answer tests thedailyguardian.com. It excels particularly in complex computation and programming questions – Wharton professor Ethan Mollick calls DeepSeek “remarkably capable” in the technical field thedailyguardian.com. So in those domains, accuracy is a strong point. However, there are also edges to DeepSeek’s reliability: for example, the model has difficulty with politically sensitive or censored topics thedailyguardian.com. It has been observed that DeepSeek gives inconsistent answers depending on language or content – for example, it answered in Korean that kimchi is a Korean dish, but in Chinese that kimchi is from China reuters.com. Such discrepancies (prompted by censorship or bias) undermine confidence in DeepSeek’s objectivity for certain topics.

2. Usability

• ChatGPT – ChatGPT provides a simple and intuitive chat interface that contributed greatly to its rapid adoption. The environment resembles a normal chat window, so almost anyone can use it right away. There are few barriers: no complex menus or settings – users can simply type a question and get an answer. This user-friendly design and wide availability (web interface and mobile app) make ChatGPT very accessible, even to non-technical users. Integrations of ChatGPT into other environments exist via APIs and community plugins, but out-of-the-box it is primarily a standalone chat platform.
• Google Gemini – Gemini, like ChatGPT, offers a straightforward chat interface in the style of Google’s Bard. Users with a Google account can easily log in and get started; in addition, the interface is consistent with Google’s design principles, which feels familiar to many. Uniquely, Gemini’s interface includes multimedia features (uploading images/video or generating them) without much extra effort on the user’s part. In essence, the service is just as approachable: type a prompt and Gemini responds. Its integration with the Google ecosystem also means that it shows up in various Google products – for example, as an assistant in Google Search or Docs – which increases accessibility for users already working in that environment.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot stands out because it is seamlessly integrated into Microsoft’s own tools. In Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and even Windows 11, Copilot appears as a sidebar or assistant, allowing users to stay in their familiar environment. This deep integration makes operation intuitive for those used to Office: you can ask for help in natural language when writing a document, creating a presentation or analyzing data, without going separately to a chatbot platform. For software developers, there is GitHub Copilot, which provides suggestions directly in the code editor while programming, hardly interrupting the workflow. For new users, the spread of “Copilot” across different apps can be a bit confusing, but within each individual product, the learning curve is small. Copilot does typically require corporate Microsoft licenses; for private use, there is limited direct access (outside of, for example, the free Bing Chat in Edge/Windows, which leans on the same technology).
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek is available as an “all-in-one AI tool” via a web chat, mobile apps and even a browser extension. Its interface is similar to ChatGPT: a simple chat window where questions are asked and answered. Accessibility is high – there is a free version with no quota – and the barrier to entry is low. However, users do have to register for the service. Because DeepSeek is still relatively new, the interface is a little less polished than those of the big players, but in essence the use is just as intuitive (type and get answers). Integrations are still limited beyond proprietary apps; however, developers can use the open API to incorporate the model into their applications.

3. Cost and accessibility

• ChatGPT – ChatGPT operates a freemium model. There is a free version available to the general public (using the GPT-3.5 model) and also a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription for €20 per month. The paid version gives access to more powerful models (GPT-4) and additional features, such as faster response and plugin access. For organizations, OpenAI also offers a business plan (ChatGPT Enterprise), which provides unlimited usage and additional data privacy guarantees, albeit at a higher cost. The free variant makes ChatGPT very accessible to individual users worldwide – it experienced record growth in number of users – although there are some countries/regions (e.g. Italy temporarily, or others with restrictions) where usage was subject to conditions due to privacy laws.
• Google Gemini – Google has made Gemini partially available for free: the basic version (Gemini 1.5) is free to use, while the advanced version Gemini Advanced costs around €22-23 per month as a subscription. This paid level unlocks the most powerful “Ultra 1.0” model version with all its features. Because Gemini runs in the Google environment, access is easy for anyone with a Google account (most people) – the free tier lowers the barrier to entry. The model will be available through the Web interface (formerly Bard) and possibly integrated into Google’s paid cloud AI services. For businesses, Gemini will likely be billed via Google Cloud based on usage, but for the general user, there is a free entry-level option and the paid option is slightly more expensive than ChatGPT Plus.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot is offered primarily as a paid service. There is no full free consumer version of Microsoft 365 Copilot; it is part of commercial Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Microsoft offers Copilot in two variants: a standard and a Pro, with Copilot Pro costing around €23/month (in some regions ~€30/user is mentioned for Enterprises). This price is in addition to the regular Office 365 license fee, which means Copilot is particularly accessible to businesses and professional users. For developers, GitHub Copilot is available at €10/month, and that version is free for students and open-source project majors. In terms of accessibility, Microsoft’s strategy is to include Copilot broadly in their product line: Windows 11 users get some form of Copilot (Bing Chat integration) for free, but the really productive integrations (such as in Word/Excel) require payment. In summary, Copilot is the most expensive of these four and primarily aimed at paying business users, with limited free alternatives via Bing/GitHub in specific contexts.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek presents itself as a budget-friendly alternative. It has a generous free tier for all users, and the paid subscription fee is only $0.50 per month– a fraction of what the competition charges. This dramatically lowers the financial threshold for individuals and small businesses. In addition, the core model (DeepSeek-R1) is open-source available, meaning that anyone with the technical resources can run or modify the model themselves cost-free. This open approach and low price make DeepSeek highly accessible worldwide. One downside is that operating costs must largely be covered through alternative routes (e.g., advertising or data analytics), but for the end user, the pricing model is exceptionally low. In some countries, government warnings have caused access to the DeepSeek app to be restricted or blocked, reducing actual accessibility there – but in many other regions the service is freely available.

4. Privacy and security

• ChatGPT – As a product of an American company (OpenAI), ChatGPT falls under several privacy laws. Early on, ChatGPT was criticized for how it stored user data and used it for training without explicit consent – leading to a temporary ban in Italy and a subsequent €15 million fine. OpenAI has since taken measures: users can choose to disable chat history (so conversations are not taken for model training) and an option to delete data has been introduced. ChatGPT Enterprise also guarantees that user input is not used to further train models, and data is stored encrypted. Still, for regular free/Plus users, conversations can be saved and analyzed for some time by default for model improvement purposes. In terms of content safety, ChatGPT maintains strict moderation: for example, it refuses requests that incite violence, illegal activities or explicit content. Nevertheless, occasional inappropriate or hallucinatory responses may arise. OpenAI continues to fine-tune models to increase both factual accuracy and safety of responses.
• Google Gemini – Google has a lot of experience with data and meets strict privacy requirements, but Gemini is a new service that also stores user input for a period of time. By default, conversations with Gemini are linked to the Google account and kept for up to 18 months (the user can shorten or extend this retention period to 3 or 36 months). Google provides clear visibility into these settings through a Privacy Hub, which is positive for transparency. At the same time, there is ambiguity about whether and how the prompt data will be used to further train the model – Google mentions that data may be anonymized and analyzed in aggregate form, and warns users not to enter confidential information themselves (input can be viewed by human reviewers). In the business context, Gemini will likely offer opt-outs for data use via Google Cloud, similar to OpenAI. In terms of AI response security, Gemini profiles itself as very careful: the model is trained to be less prone to toxic or offensive responses and more likely to refuse to execute unethical requests. This increases safety, although it sometimes means that Gemini responds more conservatively than ChatGPT.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot is designed with enterprise-grade privacy in mind. Microsoft promises that prompts, documents and other data a user queries through Copilot are not used to train the underlying LLMs. All data remains within the organizational tenant and retains existing security and compliance settings (such as DLP rules, sensitive labels, access rights). This strict approach is a key reason that, for example, a university like Utah’s has exclusively approved Copilot for use with sensitive data, while ChatGPT, Gemini and DeepSeek are considered insecure there. In addition, Microsoft has experience with cloud security, and Copilot runs in an environment with high encryption and control options for administrators. In terms of content security, Copilot inherits moderation from OpenAI’s models and Microsoft adds its own filters to prevent inappropriate or malicious outputs. For example, Copilot in GitHub can be set to avoid blindly copying complete pieces of public domain source code to avoid licensing issues. In general, Copilot is considered the most privacy-safe for business applications, provided it stays within the Microsoft environment.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek scores the worst on privacy. The model/app comes from a Chinese start-up and collects user data extensively – all chat content is stored on servers in China and, according to studies, even keystroke patterns (keyboard input patterns) are sent along with it. The prompts entered can be shared indefinitely by DeepSeek with advertisers and used for further training. Moreover, under Chinese law, the government can access this data. These aspects have led to governments in South Korea, Australia and Taiwan, among others, warning about DeepSeek or blocking the app because of security risks. Independent analyses (including by cybersecurity experts) also confirm that DeepSeek collects more personal data than usual and that it cannot resist any government demands for data release. In terms of content security, DeepSeek strictly follows Chinese censorship guidelines: certain political topics are not answered or lead to a request to talk about something else. This censorship leads to colored or evasive responses on sensitive topics, but on the other hand, DeepSeek seems to filter less strictly on general conversation (possibly more freedom on non-political creative assignments). On balance, DeepSeek users should be aware that their privacy is not guaranteed and that content censorship occurs, which can seriously affect security and reliability.

5. Functionalities and capabilities

• ChatGPT – ChatGPT excels in versatility. The model can generate creative content (stories, poems, marketing texts), answer informative questions, create summaries, and even write or explain programming code. Through the paid version (Plus), additional features have come such as plugins (for e.g. web-browsing, or access to external services) and a so-called Code Interpreter that can run Python code for data analysis or graph generation. Newer versions of ChatGPT (GPT-4) have also gained multimodal capabilities – for example, it can now analyze and describe images, and via integration with DALL-E, create images based on text. This broad set of features makes ChatGPT useful for both creative tasks and analytical/technical tasks. The model has no specific specialized mode per domain, but generally performs strongly across the board. The accessibility of OpenAI’s API also means that numerous apps and services offer ChatGPT’s model under the hood (from client vicebots to writing assistants).
• Google Gemini – Gemini stands out with unique multimodal features. It can not only generate text, but also create images, videos and even music on demand – something the other models do not offer out-of-the-box. In addition, like ChatGPT, Gemini can write and executecode within the interface, meaning that a user can, for example, have a Python script generated and run immediately to see output. This combination of text, image and programming functionality makes Gemini very versatile. Furthermore, Gemini is ideal for analyzing documents – users can enter long texts or data and ask the model for summaries or insights. Thanks to Google integration, there are links to other services; think reading data from Google Spreadsheets, or integration with Google Assistant. Gemini’s advanced (paid) version offers the most extensive features, while the free version has slightly more limited capabilities. Nevertheless, Google Gemini positions itself as a widely deployable AI assistant that can handle creative media output, coding assistance as well as business analytics.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot’s strength lies in deep integration with specific workflows. In Microsoft 365, Copilot fulfills the role of an intelligent assistant that enhances all Office functions: it can draft emails in Outlook, summarize calendar appointments, summarize or rewrite long Word documents, generate PowerPoint presentations based on a Word document, and explain formulas or trends in Excel data. These capabilities focus on increasing productivity: automating repetitive tasks and extracting insight from information directly in the tools the user is already working with. In Microsoft Teams, for example, Copilot can create real-time minutes and action lists during a meeting. There’s also the developer side: GitHub Copilot provides contextual programming help in IDEs – from autocompleting code to suggesting function names, explaining code snippets and writing unit tests. Copilot in this form acts as an AI pair programmer. Also present in Windows 11 is Copilot as an assistant that can adjust system settings on command or aggregate Web information through Bing. In short, each implementation of Copilot focuses on productivity and business applications. It offers less free-form creative text output than ChatGPT/Gemini (you mainly use it within a particular task), but for that task it is very useful.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek provides all the basic functionality of a generative AI chatbot, with added emphasis on technical and mathematical tasks. The model excels at writing programming code (especially in languages such as Python and Java) and solving complex mathematical problems step-by-step. This makes DeepSeek very suitable as a coding assistant or even a tool for scientific calculations. In addition to these specializations, DeepSeek can of course answer ordinary textual questions, provide general knowledge and generate creative content, but its strength lies in logic and exact disciplines. Moreover, the platform around DeepSeek contains several modules: for example, there is a DeepSeek Coder mode and a DeepSeek Math mode (according to the developer website), indicating that specific optimizations are applied per task area. In benchmarks, DeepSeek’s ability to reason strongly emerges, which can come in handy in applications such as financial forecasting or risk analysis, for example. Another unique feature is that DeepSeek’s core model is open-source, allowing developers to build or fine-tune DeepSeek’ s capabilities into their own software, something that cannot be done with the closed models of the big companies. In summary, DeepSeek offers a broad palette of AI functionalities, with a unique focus on exact subject areas as a distinctive value-add.

6. Applications

• ChatGPT – ChatGPT is used in very many industries and workflows, thanks to its general abilities. In marketing and creative industries, it is used for writing content (blogs, social media posts, ads), brainstorming ideas and generating drafts. In customer service, ChatGPT is often used as a chatbot to answer frequently asked questions and provide basic support, reducing wait times and relieving human agents. In education, students and teachers use ChatGPT as a tutor or to simplify complex material. Programmers also consult ChatGPT for explaining code or finding bugs. The breadth of applicability is thus great: from individuals using it as a personal assistant to companies integrating it into their workflow (e.g., for idea generation, summarizing reports, translating texts, etc.). ChatGPT particularly excels in creative and language-oriented tasks, but is actually used anywhere there is a need for natural language processing and knowledge retrieval.
• Google Gemini – Gemini finds its most effective use in data-driven and technical workflows, especially within the Google ecosystem. Companies that rely heavily on Google Cloud and tools can leverage Gemini, for example, to analyze large data sets (via BigQuery or Sheets) with natural language commands, or to generate reports from raw data. Developers can also leverage Gemini for coding or building applications (Google has integrated Gemini into services such as Colab for Python coding). Its multimedia capabilities make Gemini attractive to creative agencies – one can use it to quickly generate prototypes of images or videos for campaigns. In science and research, Gemini can help with transcript analysis (e.g., of interviews or meetings) and answering complex knowledge questions due to its strong model. Sectors like finance could use Gemini for both reporting and generating audio/speech, for example (think automated podcast scripts or video content on financial news). In short, Gemini is used most effectively in technical, data analysis and content creation applications where its integration with Google’s existing services offers an advantage.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot is ideally suited for corporate and office environments. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal services and government – where a lot of Office documents are worked with – Copilot saves an enormous amount of time. For example: a lawyer can have a long contract summarized or commented on by Copilot, a doctor can have a meeting minuted and actions taken in Teams, a financial analyst can query Excel sheets with Copilot in plain language (“What trends do you see in column X over Q4?”) and get immediate answers. Wherever productivity software is at the core of work, Copilot increases efficiency (Microsoft claims time savings of 30-50% on certain tasks through automation). In addition, Copilot is becoming indispensable in software development: numerous tech companies deploy GitHub Copilot to support developers in writing code, speeding development and lowering the threshold for novice programmers. Copilot’s strength thus lies in task-specific support: it is not a general question box for anything, but an assistant within a particular workflow. As a result, adoption is especially high in professional workflows (business documents, code writing, project management) and less in, say, the creative arts or general knowledge issues.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek is used most effectively in technical and research-oriented fields. Because of its strong performance in logic, math and programming, we see developers and AI researchers prefer DeepSeek for complex programming problems and algorithmic challenges. A startup or small business that does a lot of coding and does not have the resources for expensive AI subscriptions can use DeepSeek as a low-cost coding assistant. In academia, DeepSeek could be used to check or work out mathematical proofs, or to do physics calculations. DeepSeek also offers a helping hand, for example, in the engineering world (think of engineers who want complex formulas or simulations explained). Another area of application is the financial sector: because of its strong computational power, DeepSeek can help with financial modeling, risk analysis and forecasting. Because DeepSeek is less suited for politically or socially sensitive interactions, it is used less in general conversation or customer contact, but all the more where hard facts and logic are required. In summary, DeepSeek comes into its own best in engineering, science, software development and quantitative business analysis, especially with users who want a capable model for these specialized tasks at low cost.

7. Limitations and pitfalls.

• ChatGPT – Some limitations of ChatGPT stem from its general nature. The model has a knowledge truncation (most training data runs until the end of 2021), so very recent developments are sometimes unknown or incorrectly displayed unless one uses the Plus version with browse function. In addition, ChatGPT sometimes hallucinates – it can give a very convincing sounding but incorrect answer, which is dangerous if the user relies on it blindly. Certain topics or questions are denied by the built-in moderation, which means that you cannot get all types of information (e.g., no instructions on illegal activities, which is obviously good from a security point of view, but sometimes innocuous requests are also wrongly denied). Also, ChatGPT is not specialized in one domain: for highly technical niche questions (e.g., legal advice, complicated medical questions) it sometimes gives superficial or wrong answers, simply because it is not an expert system. Another pitfall is that precisely because of its user-friendliness, people tend to overestimate the model – there is a chance of plagiarism or unwanted use (students having essays written by ChatGPT without their own input). Finally, there is the cost aspect: the free version uses a less powerful model (sometimes noticeable in quality), while the more powerful GPT-4 is only accessible for a fee and can increase substantially in cost when used intensively via the API.
• Google Gemini – Because Gemini is still new, a major limitation is its limited availability in some regions or for some users – Google is rolling out the service in phases, possibly not immediately worldwide or for all Google Workspace customers. The free version (Gemini 1.5) is less powerful, which means that users who don’t want to pay may not experience the full potential of Gemini (the difference between Gemini 1.5 and the Advanced “Ultra” version can be large in more complex tasks). Another pitfall is that Gemini focuses so heavily on safe and responsible responses that it is sometimes more conservative than desired: the model may refuse certain creative or unusual requests or keep it very neutral, where ChatGPT might go more out-of-the-box with you. This makes Gemini slightly less spontaneous for e.g. creative writing exercises. Furthermore, a broad community or ecosystem has not yet emerged as with ChatGPT – there are fewer third-party plugins or integrations outside Google’s own world. In terms of reliability, Gemini can also hallucinate; while highly capable, it is not infallible. So users should take care to verify Gemini’s output, especially in critical applications. Finally, for advanced use, you are stuck with Google’s platform – this may be a drawback for those who do not want to entrust their data or processes to Google.
• Microsoft Copilot – Copilot’s biggest limitations lie in its reliance on Microsoft’s ecosystem and high cost. You need Microsoft software to really benefit from it – if your organization doesn’t use Office 365 or if you personally don’t have Windows/Office, you have little use for Copilot. It also requires a hefty budget to acquire Copilot licenses for all employees, which at $20-30 per user per month is high for many organizations (especially educational institutions or non-profits). In use, one pitfall is that end users may think Copilot is always right – while the model sometimes makes mistakes in summaries or analyses. There have been cases (from early demos) where Copilot drew incorrect conclusions from corporate data or provided fictitious sources because the underlying model misinterpreted things. Although Microsoft has indicated that Copilot can sometimes be “confidently wrong” and insists that it is an assistant, not an authority. Another concern: privacy settings need to be in place; if an organization doesn’t, in theory, sensitive info could be shared via Copilot beyond intent (although Microsoft minimizes this risk). As for GitHub Copilot, it may contain AI-generated code for bugs or imperfections – over-reliance may cause developers to think less for themselves or overlook bugs. There has also been discussion about Copilot offering bits of open-source code without a license notice, which can be a legal pitfall. In short, Copilot is powerful within its scope, but its scope is limited to Microsoft environments and it requires the same caution as other AI tools to verify output.
• DeepSeek – DeepSeek’s drawbacks are significant. The platform’s privacy risks (as discussed) are a major pitfall: users unaware of the app’s data hunger may inadvertently reveal sensitive information. There is also content censorship: for users outside of China, glossing over or avoiding certain topics can be frustrating and lead to incomplete information. This makes DeepSeek less useful for historical or political research, for example, or open brainstorming sessions on social issues. Another limitation is that DeepSeek, despite its huge model size, does not have the reputation for creativity or conversational finesse that ChatGPT does – it is less known whether the model generates stories and empathetic responses equally well. In addition, its provenance is a concern: as a relatively new player, there is less transparency and independent evaluation available compared to the big tech companies’ models. Bugs or errors in DeepSeek are less documented in the community, which can make it harder to find resources if the model does something unusual. Also, the quality of the service may vary; for example, if the cheap price means occasional server overloads or slower response at busy times. Finally, although open-source, the 600+ billion-parameter model is not easy to run yourself without specialized hardware – for most users, one still relies on the DeepSeek cloud, with all the aforementioned limitations. In short, DeepSeek’s pitfalls lie in flawed trust-building factors – in terms of privacy, objectivity and proven reliability, it falls short of its competitors.

Comparison at a glance

The table below summarizes the main features, advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and DeepSeek by aspect:

Sources: This comparison was compiled from recent articles and research, including a news comparison by Shukriya Shahi thedailyguardian.com, statements from tech companies and experts reuters.com, and tech blogs. The table and analysis include summaries of findings from said sources, with each model showing its own strengths(added value) and weaknesses(pitfalls). When choosing between these AI models, it is advisable to consider which aspect matters most to you – creativity, cost, integration, privacy or something else – and preferably try the free version first to see which system best suits your needs thedailyguardian.com.