ChatGPT vs. DeepSeek: data protection per plan
ChatGPT (9 plans) and DeepSeek (2 plans) side by side: DPA, training on inputs, hosting and data retention per plan, based on the providers’ public documents. Without rating.
Last updated: (latest review date of the tools shown)
At a glance
Each value is listed with the plans it applies to. Pick a tier to see only plans of that tier; if plans are chosen in the plan comparison below, the table shows exactly those.
All plans: each value is listed with the plans it applies to.
| Feature | ChatGPT | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Provider based in | According to the privacy policy | Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., 'registered address in China' |
| Plans recorded | 9 | 2 |
| Hosting | mixed: Free, Go, Plus, Pronot documented: Business, ChatGPT for TeachersEU option: Enterprise, Edu, API | not documented: all 2 plans |
| Training on inputs | opt-out available: Free, Go, Plus, Prono: Business, ChatGPT for Teachers, Enterprise, Edu, API | opt-out available: Chatnot documented: Open Platform API |
| DPA | not documented: Free, Go, Plus, Pro, ChatGPT for Teachers, Eduyes: Business, Enterprise, API | not documented: all 2 plans |
| As of | 18 Oct 2026 | 18 Oct 2026 |
Plans compared
Comparing: ChatGPT Free vs. DeepSeek Chat
| Feature | ChatGPTFree | DeepSeekChat (web and app) |
|---|---|---|
| not publicly documented | not publicly documented | |
| Details: DPA available | not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; Edu via Student Data Privacy Agreement) | not publicly documented |
| opt-out available | opt-out available | |
| Details: Training on inputs | Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models." | Terms of use (as of 2026-03-27, section 4.3): DeepSeek may use inputs and outputs 'to a minimal extent', after encryption and de-identification, to improve the services and the underlying technologies; opt-out available by switching off 'Improve the model for everyone'. Privacy policy: data is used, among other things, to train and improve the models; right to object to use for training. Document 'Model Mechanism and Training Methods of DeepSeek': in the optimisation phase, a small portion of the training data may be based on user input, which is then encrypted, de-identified and anonymised. |
| differs by plan | mixed | not publicly documented |
| Details: Data residency | Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro. | Privacy policy (as of 2026-02-10): 'we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China'. The category 'US only/EU option' does not apply; the selection list does not include China, hence 'not publicly documented' as the enum value here. An EU or US region: not publicly documented. |
| differs by plan | list available | not publicly documented |
| Details: List published |
| not publicly documented |
| differs by plan | Chats remain stored until deleted | Privacy policy: storage for as long as… |
| Details: Data retention | Chats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center). Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24): personalised advertising is mentioned for Free and Go users ("personalise the ads you see on our Services"). | Privacy policy: storage for as long as necessary for the services and the stated purposes; for accounts, as long as the account exists; legal and legitimate interests may justify longer retention. Fixed retention periods: not publicly documented. Chat history can be deleted in the settings; after account deletion, access cannot be restored. |
| differs by plan | 0 EUR/mo | free |
| Details: Price | €0 per month (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser; according to the FAQ, Free is available to everyone) (as of 2026-10-18) | free of charge (website app description: 'Chat with leading AI models for free.'; no paid chat plan found) |
| yes | yes | |
| Details: AI features included | yes (according to the pricing page: unlimited text chats with GPT-6, limited uploads, image creation, voice chats) | yes (AI chatbot; according to the terms of use, services based on large language models) |
| 6 sources | 4 sources | |
| Details: Sources with retrieval date |
|
|
Contract / DPA
- ChatGPT Freenot publicly documented
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- ChatGPT Free
not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; Edu via Student Data Privacy Agreement)
DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
Training
- ChatGPT Freeopt-out available
- DeepSeek Chatopt-out available
- ChatGPT Free
Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models."
DeepSeek ChatTerms of use (as of 2026-03-27, section 4.3): DeepSeek may use inputs and outputs 'to a minimal extent', after encryption and de-identification, to improve the services and the underlying technologies; opt-out available by switching off 'Improve the model for everyone'. Privacy policy: data is used, among other things, to train and improve the models; right to object to use for training. Document 'Model Mechanism and Training Methods of DeepSeek': in the optimisation phase, a small portion of the training data may be based on user input, which is then encrypted, de-identified and anonymised.
Hosting
- differs by plan
- ChatGPT Freemixed
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- ChatGPT Free
Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro.
DeepSeek ChatPrivacy policy (as of 2026-02-10): 'we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China'. The category 'US only/EU option' does not apply; the selection list does not include China, hence 'not publicly documented' as the enum value here. An EU or US region: not publicly documented.
Sub-processors
- differs by plan
- ChatGPT Freelist available
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- ChatGPT Free
- not publicly documented for consumer plans (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, names API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and Business as its scope; for Plus and Pro it states only for ChatGPT Sites that the listed sub-processors may provide web hosting, infrastructure, moderation and support; reference: https://openai.com/policies/sub-processor-list/)
DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
Retention
- differs by plan
- ChatGPT FreeChats remain stored until deleted
- DeepSeek ChatPrivacy policy: storage for as long as…
- ChatGPT FreeChats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center). Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24): personalised advertising is mentioned for Free and Go users ("personalise the ads you see on our Services").DeepSeek ChatPrivacy policy: storage for as long as necessary for the services and the stated purposes; for accounts, as long as the account exists; legal and legitimate interests may justify longer retention. Fixed retention periods: not publicly documented. Chat history can be deleted in the settings; after account deletion, access cannot be restored.
Price
- differs by plan
- ChatGPT Free0 EUR/mo
- DeepSeek Chatfree
- ChatGPT Free
€0 per month (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser; according to the FAQ, Free is available to everyone) (as of 2026-10-18)
DeepSeek Chatfree of charge (website app description: 'Chat with leading AI models for free.'; no paid chat plan found)
- ChatGPT Freeyes
- DeepSeek Chatyes
- ChatGPT Free
yes (according to the pricing page: unlimited text chats with GPT-6, limited uploads, image creation, voice chats)
DeepSeek Chatyes (AI chatbot; according to the terms of use, services based on large language models)
Evidence
- ChatGPT Free6 sources
- DeepSeek Chat4 sources
- ChatGPT Free
- OpenAI Help Center: How your data is used to improve model performanceHelp Center, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Enterprise privacy at OpenAI (Updated 2026-01-08)Privacy notice/Trust, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Data residency and inference residency for ChatGPTHelp Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- ChatGPT PricingPricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPTHelp Center, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Europe privacy policy (Updated 2026-08-24)Privacy notice, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
DeepSeek Chat- DeepSeek Privacy Policy (Last Update 2026-02-10)Privacy notice, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek Terms of Use (Last Update 2026-03-27)Terms and conditions, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Model Mechanism and Training Methods of DeepSeekDocumentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek website (home page and Transparency Center)Product page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
| Feature | ChatGPT | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| differs by tool |
| not publicly documentedall 2 plans |
| Details: DPA available |
|
|
| differs by tool |
|
|
| Details: Training on inputs |
|
|
| differs by tool |
| not publicly documentedall 2 plans |
| Details: Data residency |
|
|
| differs by tool | list availableall 9 plans | not publicly documentedall 2 plans |
| Details: List published |
|
|
| differs by tool |
| Privacy policy: storage for as long as…all 2 plans |
| Details: Data retention |
|
|
| differs by tool |
|
|
| Details: Price |
|
|
| differs by tool |
| yesall 2 plans |
| Details: AI features included |
|
|
| 17 sources | 6 sources | |
| Details: Sources with retrieval date |
|
|
Contract / DPA
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- not publicly documentedFree, Go, Plus, Pro, ChatGPT for Teachers, Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
- yesBusiness (formerly Team), Enterprise, API (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- ChatGPT
- Free
not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; Edu via Student Data Privacy Agreement)
- Go
not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; the Help Center article on Go refers on data protection only to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Data Controls FAQ)
- Plus
not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; the Help Center article on Plus refers on data protection only to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Data Controls FAQ)
- Pro
not publicly documented (the Enterprise privacy page mentions a DPA only for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and API; Edu via Student Data Privacy Agreement)
- Business (formerly Team)
yes: Enterprise privacy page: "we are able to execute a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) with customers for their use of ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, and the API"; concluded via the DPA form. OpenAI DPA (Effective 2026-01-01) published.
Provider’s DPA - ChatGPT for Teachers
not publicly documented whether a DPA under Art. 28 GDPR can be concluded: Enterprise privacy page: "For ChatGPT Edu and for Teachers, we process your data pursuant to our Student Data Privacy Agreement." It covers ChatGPT For Teachers via the Education Terms and names only US law as "Privacy Laws" (FERPA, PPRA, supplemental state laws); the GDPR and Art. 28 are not mentioned. The offering is aimed only at US schools and school districts.
Provider’s DPA - Enterprise
yes: Enterprise privacy page: "we are able to execute a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) with customers for their use of ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, and the API"; concluded via the DPA form. OpenAI DPA (Effective 2026-01-01) published.
Provider’s DPA - Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
not publicly documented whether a DPA under Art. 28 GDPR can be concluded: Enterprise privacy page: "For ChatGPT Edu and for Teachers, we process your data pursuant to our Student Data Privacy Agreement." The Student Data Privacy Agreement is a contract between OpenAI, LLC and the customer; in it, OpenAI is considered a FERPA "School Official", and "Privacy Laws" covers only US federal and state law (FERPA, PPRA, supplemental state laws); the GDPR and Art. 28 are not mentioned. The Enterprise privacy page mentions the OpenAI DPA only for Business, Enterprise and API.
Provider’s DPA - API (OpenAI API Platform)
yes: Enterprise privacy page: "we are able to execute a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) with customers for their use of ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, and the API"; concluded via the DPA form. OpenAI DPA (Effective 2026-01-01) published.
Provider’s DPA
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)
not publicly documented
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
not publicly documented
- Free
Training
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- opt-out availableFree, Go, Plus, Pro
- noBusiness (formerly Team), ChatGPT for Teachers, Enterprise, Edu (ChatGPT Edu), API (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeek
- opt-out availableChat (web and app)
- not publicly documentedOpen Platform API (usage-based)
- ChatGPT
- Free
Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models."
- Go
Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models." Help Center article on Go: "OpenAI may use conversations to improve model performance and safety. You can opt out of having your data used for training at any time."
- Plus
Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models."
- Pro
Help Center (section Services for individuals): "When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models. You can choose whether your conversations help improve our models. To opt out, turn off Improve the model for everyone under Settings > Data controls in ChatGPT, or select Do not train on my content in our Privacy Portal." Temporary chats: "are not used to improve OpenAI models while they remain temporary". Feedback exception: "If you choose to provide feedback, the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train our models."
- Business (formerly Team)
Help Center: "By default, we don't use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or our API to improve our models." Enterprise privacy page: "We do not train our models on your data by default". Help Center (Business FAQ): "ChatGPT Business is governed by OpenAI Business Terms and the Enterprise Privacy commitments, and OpenAI does not train on your workspace data."
- ChatGPT for Teachers
Help Center: "As with other Business customers, information shared with ChatGPT for Teachers is not used to train our models by default." In addition: "we may use automated systems to classify content for safety and quality."
- Enterprise
Help Center: "By default, we don't use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or our API to improve our models." Enterprise privacy page: "We do not train our models on your data by default".
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
Help Center: "By default, we don't use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or our API to improve our models." Enterprise privacy page: "We do not train our models on your data by default".
- API (OpenAI API Platform)
Help Center: "By default, we don't use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or our API to improve our models." Enterprise privacy page: "We do not train our models on your data by default". API documentation: "data sent to the OpenAI API is not used to train or improve OpenAI models (unless you explicitly opt in to share data with us)". API organisation owners can enable data sharing (Help Center); only then can members share feedback and the current Playground chat.
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)
Terms of use (as of 2026-03-27, section 4.3): DeepSeek may use inputs and outputs 'to a minimal extent', after encryption and de-identification, to improve the services and the underlying technologies; opt-out available by switching off 'Improve the model for everyone'. Privacy policy: data is used, among other things, to train and improve the models; right to object to use for training. Document 'Model Mechanism and Training Methods of DeepSeek': in the optimisation phase, a small portion of the training data may be based on user input, which is then encrypted, de-identified and anonymised.
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
The Open Platform terms (effective 2026-04-29) govern ownership of inputs and outputs (the customer retains rights to inputs and receives rights to outputs) but contain no express statement on the use of API inputs for training; they refer to the document 'Model Principles and Training Methods Explanation', which likewise does not distinguish between chat and API. The terms of use (section 4.3) and the privacy policy apply to 'Services' in general; an API-specific opt-out is not described. For end-user data in its own applications, according to the privacy policy and the Open Platform terms (5.5), the developer is the controller.
- Free
Hosting
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- mixedFree, Go, Plus, Pro
- not publicly documentedBusiness (formerly Team), ChatGPT for Teachers
- EU optionEnterprise, Edu (ChatGPT Edu), API (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- ChatGPT
- Free
Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro.
- Go
Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro.
- Plus
Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro.
- Pro
Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24), section 10: "OpenAI processes your Personal Data on servers located outside of the EEA, Switzerland and the UK ... This includes processing and storing your Personal Data in our facilities and servers in the United States or in countries or territories where our affiliates and partners or our vendors and service providers are located." Pricing page: row "Data residency in US, EU, UK, JP, CA, KR, SG, IN, AU, UAE" = No for Free, Go, Plus, Pro.
- Business (formerly Team)
not publicly documented for Business: the residency page in the Help Center (as of 2026-10-18) names as eligible "Eligible API customers and new ChatGPT Enterprise/Edu customers" (q5), the business data page "Eligible ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, ChatGPT for Healthcare, and API platform customers" (q11); ChatGPT Business is not named in either. The pricing page lists data residency in ten regions only for the Enterprise plan. The sub-processor list (as of 2026-10-14) names processing locations for Business in the USA and other countries (including EU Member States), without a choice.
- ChatGPT for Teachers
not publicly documented: the Help Center refers to sales for data residency and EKM ("You require advanced enterprise features (for example, data residency or EKM)"); the residency page does not name Teachers.
- Enterprise
Help Center Data residency (as of 2026-10-18): "Eligible API customers and new ChatGPT Enterprise/Edu customers can choose to have in-scope customer content stored at rest in supported countries." Regions: Australia, Canada, Europe (EEA + Switzerland), India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, UAE, UK, USA. Inference residency (GPU execution in the region) only for Europe (EEA + Switzerland), USA and UAE, and only with data residency activated in the same region. In scope: Memory, Code Interpreter/Data Analysis artefacts, conversations (text, image, voice), Custom GPTs, files, image generation inputs/outputs, incl. backups/replicas; new features only if listed. Outside the region, data from external integrations (Apps & MCP, Web Search), transient processing steps, workspace metadata and name, billing information and logins, among others, may be stored ("Certain categories of data may be stored outside the chosen data region"); CPU processing such as authentication, routing and analytics may run outside the region. Applies to newly provisioned workspaces; eligibility via sales; at no additional cost for Enterprise and Education.
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
Help Center Data residency (as of 2026-10-18): "new ChatGPT Enterprise/Edu customers can choose to have in-scope customer content stored at rest in supported countries"; Europe (EEA + Switzerland) is a supported region; inference residency for Enterprise/Edu with data residency activated (Europe, USA, UAE). Exceptions as for Enterprise (including external integrations, workspace metadata, billing information, logins). Eligibility via sales; at no additional cost for Education.
- API (OpenAI API Platform)
Help Center Data residency: "Eligible API customers ... can choose to have in-scope customer content stored at rest in supported countries". API documentation (Data controls, as of 2026-10-18): data residency is a project setting; "Contact our sales team to see if you're eligible for using data residency controls." Regions with their own endpoints: USA, Europe (EEA + Switzerland, eu.api.openai.com), Australia, Canada, Japan, India, Singapore, South Korea, UK, UAE; inference in the region only for the USA, Europe and the UAE, the other regions storage only; all regions except the USA require Modified Abuse Monitoring or Zero Data Retention. System data (account data, metadata, usage data without customer content) may be processed and stored outside the region. For models released from 2026-03-05, a 10% uplift applies on residency endpoints.
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)
Privacy policy (as of 2026-02-10): 'we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China'. The category 'US only/EU option' does not apply; the selection list does not include China, hence 'not publicly documented' as the enum value here. An EU or US region: not publicly documented.
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
Privacy policy (as of 2026-02-10): 'we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China'. The category 'US only/EU option' does not apply; the selection list does not include China, hence 'not publicly documented' as the enum value here. An EU or US region: not publicly documented. Region of API processing: not publicly documented.
- Free
Sub-processors
- differs by tool
- ChatGPTlist availableall 9 plans
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- ChatGPT
- Free
- not publicly documented for consumer plans (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, names API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and Business as its scope; for Plus and Pro it states only for ChatGPT Sites that the listed sub-processors may provide web hosting, infrastructure, moderation and support; reference: https://openai.com/policies/sub-processor-list/)
- Go
- not publicly documented for consumer plans (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, names API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and Business as its scope; for Plus and Pro it states only for ChatGPT Sites that the listed sub-processors may provide web hosting, infrastructure, moderation and support; reference: https://openai.com/policies/sub-processor-list/)
- Plus
- not publicly documented for consumer plans (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, names API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and Business as its scope; for Plus and Pro it states only for ChatGPT Sites that the listed sub-processors may provide web hosting, infrastructure, moderation and support; reference: https://openai.com/policies/sub-processor-list/)
- Pro
- not publicly documented for consumer plans (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, names API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and Business as its scope; for Plus and Pro it states only for ChatGPT Sites that the listed sub-processors may provide web hosting, infrastructure, moderation and support; reference: https://openai.com/policies/sub-processor-list/)
- Business (formerly Team)
- According to the list (as of 2026-10-14, applies to API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, Business): OpenAI companies OpenAI, OpCo, LLC and OAI International, Inc. (USA), OpenAI Ireland Ltd. (Ireland), OpenAI UK Ltd., OpenAI Japan Ltd. (standard contractual clauses between group companies)
- Cloudflare, Ltd. (CDN; data centre closest to the end user; for requests to us.api.openai.com or eu.api.openai.com, TLS termination in the selected region via Cloudflare Regional Services; also web hosting for ChatGPT Sites in the USA for Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Microsoft Corporation (cloud infrastructure; including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, the USA and others)
- CoreWeave, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA)
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (cloud infrastructure; Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA)
- Google Cloud Platform (cloud infrastructure; Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the UK, the USA)
- Amazon Web Services, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; USA)
- Cerebras (cloud infrastructure; USA, Canada)
- Snowflake, Inc. (data warehousing; USA; for the API except with Zero Data Retention)
- TaskUs, LLC (customer support; for API and Business moderation of content; for Enterprise, Edu and Business moderation of GPTs; Philippines)
- Salesforce (customer support; including Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and others)
- Pylon Labs (customer support; USA; API, Enterprise, Edu only; at the customer's choice, premium support only)
- Accenture International Limited (customer support; for API/Business also moderation of content; USA, Canada, Philippines)
- Fivetran, Inc. (ETL; USA)
- Cinder Technologies, Inc. (platform for content or GPT moderation; USA; for API except where Zero Data Retention is used)
- WorkOS, Inc. (cross-domain identity management; USA; at the customer's choice; Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Merge API, Inc. (infrastructure management, only with activated Connectors; including France, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, the USA and others; at the customer's choice)
- ChatGPT for Teachers
- not publicly documented (the sub-processor list, as of 2026-10-14, does not name ChatGPT for Teachers; according to the Help Center, authorised employees and "specialized third-party contractors" have access to stored conversations to review for abuse)
- Enterprise
- According to the list (as of 2026-10-14, applies to API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, Business): OpenAI companies OpenAI, OpCo, LLC and OAI International, Inc. (USA), OpenAI Ireland Ltd. (Ireland), OpenAI UK Ltd., OpenAI Japan Ltd. (standard contractual clauses between group companies)
- Cloudflare, Ltd. (CDN; data centre closest to the end user; for requests to us.api.openai.com or eu.api.openai.com, TLS termination in the selected region via Cloudflare Regional Services; also web hosting for ChatGPT Sites in the USA for Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Microsoft Corporation (cloud infrastructure; including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, the USA and others)
- CoreWeave, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA)
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (cloud infrastructure; Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA)
- Google Cloud Platform (cloud infrastructure; Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the UK, the USA)
- Amazon Web Services, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; USA)
- Cerebras (cloud infrastructure; USA, Canada)
- Snowflake, Inc. (data warehousing; USA; for the API except with Zero Data Retention)
- TaskUs, LLC (customer support; for API and Business moderation of content; for Enterprise, Edu and Business moderation of GPTs; Philippines)
- Salesforce (customer support; including Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and others)
- Pylon Labs (customer support; USA; API, Enterprise, Edu only; at the customer's choice, premium support only)
- Accenture International Limited (customer support; for API/Business also moderation of content; USA, Canada, Philippines)
- Fivetran, Inc. (ETL; USA)
- Cinder Technologies, Inc. (platform for content or GPT moderation; USA; for API except where Zero Data Retention is used)
- WorkOS, Inc. (cross-domain identity management; USA; at the customer's choice; Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Merge API, Inc. (infrastructure management, only with activated Connectors; including France, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, the USA and others; at the customer's choice)
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
- According to the list (as of 2026-10-14, applies to API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, Business): OpenAI companies OpenAI, OpCo, LLC and OAI International, Inc. (USA), OpenAI Ireland Ltd. (Ireland), OpenAI UK Ltd., OpenAI Japan Ltd. (standard contractual clauses between group companies)
- Cloudflare, Ltd. (CDN; data centre closest to the end user; for requests to us.api.openai.com or eu.api.openai.com, TLS termination in the selected region via Cloudflare Regional Services; also web hosting for ChatGPT Sites in the USA for Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Microsoft Corporation (cloud infrastructure; including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, the USA and others)
- CoreWeave, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA)
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (cloud infrastructure; Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA)
- Google Cloud Platform (cloud infrastructure; Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the UK, the USA)
- Amazon Web Services, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; USA)
- Cerebras (cloud infrastructure; USA, Canada)
- Snowflake, Inc. (data warehousing; USA; for the API except with Zero Data Retention)
- TaskUs, LLC (customer support; for API and Business moderation of content; for Enterprise, Edu and Business moderation of GPTs; Philippines)
- Salesforce (customer support; including Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and others)
- Pylon Labs (customer support; USA; API, Enterprise, Edu only; at the customer's choice, premium support only)
- Accenture International Limited (customer support; for API/Business also moderation of content; USA, Canada, Philippines)
- Fivetran, Inc. (ETL; USA)
- Cinder Technologies, Inc. (platform for content or GPT moderation; USA; for API except where Zero Data Retention is used)
- WorkOS, Inc. (cross-domain identity management; USA; at the customer's choice; Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Merge API, Inc. (infrastructure management, only with activated Connectors; including France, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, the USA and others; at the customer's choice)
- API (OpenAI API Platform)
- According to the list (as of 2026-10-14, applies to API, ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, Business): OpenAI companies OpenAI, OpCo, LLC and OAI International, Inc. (USA), OpenAI Ireland Ltd. (Ireland), OpenAI UK Ltd., OpenAI Japan Ltd. (standard contractual clauses between group companies)
- Cloudflare, Ltd. (CDN; data centre closest to the end user; for requests to us.api.openai.com or eu.api.openai.com, TLS termination in the selected region via Cloudflare Regional Services; also web hosting for ChatGPT Sites in the USA for Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Microsoft Corporation (cloud infrastructure; including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the UK, the USA and others)
- CoreWeave, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA)
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (cloud infrastructure; Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA)
- Google Cloud Platform (cloud infrastructure; Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the UK, the USA)
- Amazon Web Services, Inc. (cloud infrastructure; USA)
- Cerebras (cloud infrastructure; USA, Canada)
- Snowflake, Inc. (data warehousing; USA; for the API except with Zero Data Retention)
- TaskUs, LLC (customer support; for API and Business moderation of content; for Enterprise, Edu and Business moderation of GPTs; Philippines)
- Salesforce (customer support; including Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and others)
- Pylon Labs (customer support; USA; API, Enterprise, Edu only; at the customer's choice, premium support only)
- Accenture International Limited (customer support; for API/Business also moderation of content; USA, Canada, Philippines)
- Fivetran, Inc. (ETL; USA)
- Cinder Technologies, Inc. (platform for content or GPT moderation; USA; for API except where Zero Data Retention is used)
- WorkOS, Inc. (cross-domain identity management; USA; at the customer's choice; Enterprise, Edu, Business)
- Merge API, Inc. (infrastructure management, only with activated Connectors; including France, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, the USA and others; at the customer's choice)
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)not publicly documented
- Open Platform API (usage-based)not publicly documented
- Free
Retention
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- Chats remain stored until deletedFree, Go, Plus, Pro
- Enterprise privacy page: "Your workspace…Business (formerly Team)
- not publicly documentedChatGPT for Teachers
- Enterprise privacy pageEnterprise, Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
- API documentationAPI (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeekPrivacy policy: storage for as long as…all 2 plans
- ChatGPT
- FreeChats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center). Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24): personalised advertising is mentioned for Free and Go users ("personalise the ads you see on our Services").
- GoChats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center). Privacy policy (Europe, 2026-08-24): personalised advertising is mentioned for Free and Go users.
- PlusChats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center).
- ProChats remain stored until deleted; deleted chats are removed from the account view immediately and scheduled for permanent deletion "within 30 days", unless already de-identified or required to be retained longer for security reasons/legal obligations (Help Center).
- Business (formerly Team)Enterprise privacy page: "Your workspace admins can control how long your data is retained. Any deleted or unsaved conversations are removed from our systems within 30 days, unless longer retention is required by law, or is reasonably necessary to protect our services or any third party from harm."
- ChatGPT for Teachersnot publicly documentedthe Help Center article on ChatGPT for Teachers states no retention period
- EnterpriseEnterprise privacy page (FAQ Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare): "Your workspace admins control how long your data is retained. Any deleted conversations are removed from our systems within 30 days, unless we are legally required to retain them."
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)Enterprise privacy page (FAQ Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare): "Your workspace admins control how long your data is retained. Any deleted conversations are removed from our systems within 30 days, unless we are legally required to retain them."
- API (OpenAI API Platform)API documentation (Data controls, as of 2026-10-18): abuse monitoring logs, which may contain prompts and responses, are by default "retained for up to 30 days, unless longer retention is required by law, or is reasonably necessary to protect our services or any third party from harm". Zero Data Retention and Modified Abuse Monitoring "are subject to prior approval by OpenAI and acceptance of additional requirements" and can be set per organisation or project. Some endpoints additionally store application state; endpoints not eligible for ZDR may store it even with Zero Data Retention enabled. Enterprise privacy page: API inputs and outputs are removed after 30 days unless there is a legal obligation to retain them.
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)Privacy policy: storage for as long as necessary for the services and the stated purposes; for accounts, as long as the account exists; legal and legitimate interests may justify longer retention. Fixed retention periods: not publicly documented. Chat history can be deleted in the settings; after account deletion, access cannot be restored.
- Open Platform API (usage-based)Privacy policy: storage for as long as necessary for the services and the stated purposes; for accounts, as long as the account exists; legal and legitimate interests may justify longer retention. Fixed retention periods: not publicly documented. API-specific retention: not publicly documented.
Price
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- 0 EUR/moFree
- 8 EUR/moGo
- 23 EUR/moPlus
- 100 USD… (further prices in the details)Pro
- several tiersBusiness (formerly Team)
- freeChatGPT for Teachers
- customEnterprise
- not publicly documentedEdu (ChatGPT Edu), API (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeek
- freeChat (web and app)
- per tokenOpen Platform API (usage-based)
- ChatGPT
- Free
€0 per month (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser; according to the FAQ, Free is available to everyone) (as of 2026-10-18)
- Go
€8 per month (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser; no statement whether incl. VAT). Help Center: purchases in USD, local-currency billing only in some countries; monthly billing only, no annual plan; no USD amount is stated there (as of 2026-10-18)
- Plus
€23 per month (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser; no statement whether incl. VAT). Help Center: "$20/month (billed monthly)"; no annual plan (as of 2026-10-18)
- Pro
Pro 100: USD 100, Pro 200: USD 200, Pro 500: USD 500 per month (Help Center; Ultrafast models only in Pro 500; monthly billing only, no annual plan). Pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser: from €103 per month; euro amounts for Pro 200 and Pro 500 are not shown there (as of 2026-10-18)
- Business (formerly Team)
Standard seat €21 per user per month billed annually, €26 billed monthly; Premium seat (5x usage, no five-hour limit) €105 or €130 respectively (pricing page, de-DE rendered in the browser). Help Center: Standard USD 20 annually or USD 25 monthly, Premium USD 100 or USD 125 per user per month; "Prices listed here are in USD and may vary by country and currency". At least 2, at most 200 paid seats (as of 2026-10-18)
- ChatGPT for Teachers
free for verified US K–12 teachers until June 2028 (Help Center, as of 2026-10-18); pricing possible thereafter with advance notice. The FAQ on the pricing page (de-DE) states June 2027 instead.
- Enterprise
Price on request (pricing page: custom pricing via sales; annual plan; billing by credits or by tokens available) (as of 2026-10-18)
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
not publicly documented (the pricing page describes ChatGPT Edu as a low-cost plan for universities, without an amount; contact via sales) (as of 2026-10-18)
- API (OpenAI API Platform)
Price not publicly documented (usage-based API prices not evaluated from a primary source)
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)
free of charge (website app description: 'Chat with leading AI models for free.'; no paid chat plan found)
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
Per 1M tokens, in USD (pricing page): deepseek-flash: input (cache hit) USD 0.003 off-peak / USD 0.006 peak; input (cache miss) USD 0.15 / USD 0.3; output USD 0.6 / USD 1.2. deepseek-v4-pro: cache hit USD 0.022 / USD 0.044; cache miss USD 0.66 / USD 1.32; output USD 1.98 / USD 3.96. Peak hours: 01:00-04:00 and 06:00-10:00 UTC, Monday to Friday (excluding Chinese public holidays); otherwise half price. Search and Fetch API USD 0.75 each per 1,000 successful requests. Billed against topped-up or granted credit; DeepSeek may change prices; no indication whether incl. VAT.
- Free
- differs by tool
- ChatGPT
- yesFree, Go, Plus, Pro, Business (formerly Team), ChatGPT for Teachers, Enterprise, Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
- APIAPI (OpenAI API Platform)
- DeepSeekyesall 2 plans
- ChatGPT
- Free
yes (according to the pricing page: unlimited text chats with GPT-6, limited uploads, image creation, voice chats)
- Go
yes (Free plus more messages with tools, uploads, image creation, voice chats, longer Memory; according to the pricing page "This plan may include ads")
- Plus
yes (Go plus advanced GPT-6 reasoning models, more messages/uploads, Deep Research, Projects, Codex, ChatGPT Work)
- Pro
yes (Plus plus three usage tiers, Pro reasoning with GPT-6 Astra, Codex/Work sessions, Dot, maximum Deep Research)
- Business (formerly Team)
yes (Business workspace with workspace admin control of retention according to the Enterprise privacy page; feature scope not evaluated in the retrieved pricing text)
- ChatGPT for Teachers
yes (according to the Help Center, a self-serve workspace for verified US K–12 teachers and school staff, not for students; including file uploads, deep research, voice mode, image generation, memory, Custom GPTs, admin features with SSO and RBAC)
- Enterprise
yes (according to Enterprise Privacy: SAML SSO, Compliance API/audit logs, RBAC, data residency)
- Edu (ChatGPT Edu)
yes (according to the Enterprise privacy page part of the business products; feature scope not evaluated in the retrieved page text)
- API (OpenAI API Platform)
API (models via Platform); feature scope not the subject of this entry
DeepSeek- Chat (web and app)
yes (AI chatbot; according to the terms of use, services based on large language models)
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
yes (models deepseek-flash = DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 and deepseek-v4-pro = DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813, each with 1M-token context, up to 384K output, thinking/non-thinking mode, tool calls, JSON output, Responses API, OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible interface; vision only with deepseek-flash; additionally Search and Fetch API)
- Free
Evidence
- ChatGPT17 sources
- DeepSeek6 sources
- ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help Center: How your data is used to improve model performanceHelp Center, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Enterprise privacy at OpenAI (Updated 2026-01-08)Privacy notice/Trust, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Data Processing Addendum (Effective 2026-01-01, Updated 2025-12-01)DPA, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Sub-processor list (Last updated 2026-10-14)Sub-processor list, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Data residency and inference residency for ChatGPTHelp Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- ChatGPT PricingPricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: Deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPTHelp Center, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Security and privacy at OpenAITrust/Security, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Europe privacy policy (Updated 2026-08-24)Privacy notice, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI: Business data privacy, security, and compliancePrivacy notice/Trust, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: What is ChatGPT Plus?Help Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiersHelp Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: What is ChatGPT Go?Help Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Business: General FAQHelp Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT for TeachersHelp Center, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI Student Data Privacy AgreementDPA, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- OpenAI API docs: Data controls in the OpenAI platformDocumentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
DeepSeek- Models & PricingPricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek Privacy Policy (Last Update 2026-02-10)Privacy notice, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek Terms of Use (Last Update 2026-03-27)Terms and conditions, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek Open Platform Terms of Service (effective 2026-04-29)Terms and conditions, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Model Mechanism and Training Methods of DeepSeekDocumentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- DeepSeek website (home page and Transparency Center)Product page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
not documentedmeans: not publicly documented, not verifiable in any provider source. It does not mean “no”.
No guarantee of accuracy, not legal advice. Each entry is valid as of the date shown. Open points are listed on the detail pages.
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ChatGPT compared with
Individual pages: ChatGPT, DeepSeek. All tools in the category: AI assistants & search.