DeepSeek vs. Perplexity: data protection per plan
DeepSeek (2 plans) and Perplexity (5 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 | DeepSeek | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Provider based in | Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., 'registered address in China' | San Francisco, CA, USA: Perplexity AI, Inc., 2261 Market Street, Ste. 14441, San Francisco, CA 94114 |
| Plans recorded | 2 | 5 |
| Hosting | not documented: all 2 plans | not documented: all 5 plans |
| Training on inputs | opt-out available: Chatnot documented: Open Platform API | opt-out available: Free, Pro, Maxno: Enterprise Pro, Enterprise Max |
| DPA | not documented: all 2 plans | no: Free, Pro, Maxyes: Enterprise Pro, Enterprise Max |
| As of | 18 Oct 2026 | 18 Oct 2026 |
Plans compared
Comparing: DeepSeek Chat vs. Perplexity Free
| Feature | DeepSeekChat (web and app) | PerplexityFree |
|---|---|---|
| differs by plan | not publicly documented | no |
| Details: DPA available | not publicly documented | no (according to its wording, the DPA applies only to business customers whose contract refers to it; consumer use under the Privacy Notice) |
| opt-out available | opt-out available | |
| Details: Training on inputs | 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. | "AI data retention" enabled by default; opt-out in Account Settings > Preferences. "Opt-outs only apply to data collected after the opt-out date." Training data already collected cannot be deleted (Help Center). According to the Help Center, this applies expressly to Free, Pro and Max: "For Free, Perplexity Pro and Perplexity Max users, AI Data Retention is enabled by default." (q1) |
| not publicly documented | not publicly documented | |
| Details: Data residency | 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. | not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403) |
| differs by plan | not publicly documented | list available |
| Details: List published | not publicly documented |
|
| differs by plan | Privacy policy: storage for as long as… | Consumer accounts: "We retain your… |
| Details: Data retention | 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. | Consumer accounts: "We retain your personal information as long as your account is active"; after account deletion, removal within 30 days (Help Center). Training opt-out applies only to data from the opt-out date. |
| differs by plan | free | 0 USD/mo |
| Details: Price | free of charge (website app description: 'Chat with leading AI models for free.'; no paid chat plan found) | USD 0/month (as of 2026-10-14) |
| yes | yes | |
| Details: AI features included | yes (AI chatbot; according to the terms of use, services based on large language models) | yes (limited: search, basic models, limited weekly usage) |
| 4 sources | 7 sources | |
| Details: Sources with retrieval date |
|
|
Contract / DPA
- differs by plan
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- Perplexity Freeno
- DeepSeek Chat
not publicly documented
Perplexity Freeno (according to its wording, the DPA applies only to business customers whose contract refers to it; consumer use under the Privacy Notice)
Training
- DeepSeek Chatopt-out available
- Perplexity Freeopt-out available
- DeepSeek Chat
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.
Perplexity Free"AI data retention" enabled by default; opt-out in Account Settings > Preferences. "Opt-outs only apply to data collected after the opt-out date." Training data already collected cannot be deleted (Help Center). According to the Help Center, this applies expressly to Free, Pro and Max: "For Free, Perplexity Pro and Perplexity Max users, AI Data Retention is enabled by default." (q1)
Hosting
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- Perplexity Freenot publicly documented
- DeepSeek Chat
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.
Perplexity Freenot publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
Sub-processors
- differs by plan
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documented
- Perplexity Freelist available
- DeepSeek Chatnot publicly documentedPerplexity Free
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
Retention
- differs by plan
- DeepSeek ChatPrivacy policy: storage for as long as…
- Perplexity FreeConsumer accounts: "We retain your…
- 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.Perplexity FreeConsumer accounts: "We retain your personal information as long as your account is active"; after account deletion, removal within 30 days (Help Center). Training opt-out applies only to data from the opt-out date.
Price
- differs by plan
- DeepSeek Chatfree
- Perplexity Free0 USD/mo
- DeepSeek Chat
free of charge (website app description: 'Chat with leading AI models for free.'; no paid chat plan found)
Perplexity FreeUSD 0/month (as of 2026-10-14)
- DeepSeek Chatyes
- Perplexity Freeyes
- DeepSeek Chat
yes (AI chatbot; according to the terms of use, services based on large language models)
Perplexity Freeyes (limited: search, basic models, limited weekly usage)
Evidence
- DeepSeek Chat4 sources
- Perplexity Free7 sources
- 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
Perplexity Free- Data Collection at Perplexity (Help Center, Last modified 2026-08-31)Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Privacy Notice (Last updated 2026-07-08)Privacy notice, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Pricing (Pro/Max annual prices; Enterprise tab without price)Pricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Data Processing Addendum (Last Updated 2026-08-13)DPA, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Third-Party Models (Last updated 2025-11-25)Sub-processor list, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- How long does Perplexity retain my search history, profile data, and personal information?Documentation, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Getting started with FedRAMP 20x Secure Configuration (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-13)Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
| Feature | DeepSeek | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| differs by tool | not publicly documentedall 2 plans |
|
| Details: DPA available |
|
|
| differs by tool |
|
|
| Details: Training on inputs |
|
|
| not publicly documentedall 2 plans | not publicly documentedall 5 plans | |
| Details: Data residency |
|
|
| differs by tool | not publicly documentedall 2 plans | list availableall 5 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 |
|
|
| yesall 2 plans | yesall 5 plans | |
| Details: AI features included |
|
|
| 6 sources | 13 sources | |
| Details: Sources with retrieval date |
|
|
Contract / DPA
- differs by tool
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- Perplexity
- noFree, Pro, Max
- yesEnterprise Pro, Enterprise Max
- DeepSeek
- Chat (web and app)
not publicly documented
- Open Platform API (usage-based)
not publicly documented
Perplexity- Free
no (according to its wording, the DPA applies only to business customers whose contract refers to it; consumer use under the Privacy Notice)
- Pro
no (according to its wording, the DPA applies only to business customers whose contract refers to it; consumer use under the Privacy Notice)
- Max
no (according to its wording, the DPA applies only to business customers whose contract refers to it; consumer use under the Privacy Notice)
- Enterprise Pro
yes (DPA forms part of the Enterprise Terms by reference, section 5.1)
Provider’s DPA - Enterprise Max
yes (DPA forms part of the Enterprise Terms by reference, section 5.1)
Provider’s DPA
- Chat (web and app)
Training
- differs by tool
- DeepSeek
- opt-out availableChat (web and app)
- not publicly documentedOpen Platform API (usage-based)
- Perplexity
- opt-out availableFree, Pro, Max
- noEnterprise Pro, Enterprise Max
- 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.
Perplexity- Free
"AI data retention" enabled by default; opt-out in Account Settings > Preferences. "Opt-outs only apply to data collected after the opt-out date." Training data already collected cannot be deleted (Help Center). According to the Help Center, this applies expressly to Free, Pro and Max: "For Free, Perplexity Pro and Perplexity Max users, AI Data Retention is enabled by default." (q1)
- Pro
"AI data retention" enabled by default; opt-out in Account Settings > Preferences. "Opt-outs only apply to data collected after the opt-out date." Training data already collected cannot be deleted (Help Center). According to the Help Center, this applies expressly to Free, Pro and Max: "For Free, Perplexity Pro and Perplexity Max users, AI Data Retention is enabled by default." (q1)
- Max
"AI data retention" enabled by default; opt-out in Account Settings > Preferences. "Opt-outs only apply to data collected after the opt-out date." Training data already collected cannot be deleted (Help Center). According to the Help Center, this applies expressly to Free, Pro and Max: "For Free, Perplexity Pro and Perplexity Max users, AI Data Retention is enabled by default." (q1)
- Enterprise Pro
Enterprise Terms section 1.3.3: Perplexity does not use Customer Content for training, retraining or fine-tuning and does not authorise third parties to do so either; DPA: "Personal Data will not be used for training of Perplexity's large language models." Help Center: zero data retention and zero training agreements with AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic and others).
- Enterprise Max
As Enterprise Pro (Enterprise Terms section 1.3.3, DPA).
- Chat (web and app)
Hosting
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- Perplexitynot publicly documentedall 5 plans
- 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.
Perplexity- Free
not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
- Pro
not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
- Max
not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
- Enterprise Pro
not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
- Enterprise Max
not publicly documented (Trust Center trust.perplexity.ai JS-rendered; Help Center pages on hosting 403)
- Chat (web and app)
Sub-processors
- differs by tool
- DeepSeeknot publicly documentedall 2 plans
- Perplexitylist availableall 5 plans
- DeepSeek
- Chat (web and app)not publicly documented
- Open Platform API (usage-based)not publicly documented
Perplexity- Free
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
- Pro
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
- Max
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
- Enterprise Pro
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
- Enterprise Max
- Model providers according to "Third-Party Models" (as of 2025-11-25): OpenAI (incl. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service), Anthropic (incl. Google Vertex AI and AWS Bedrock), Meta (basis for Sonar, operated by Perplexity itself), xAI, Google (Gemini, Veo)
- full sub-processor list only in the Trust Center (trust.perplexity.ai, a JavaScript application; according to the Help Center the "sub-processor list" is also there, q16), not retrievable
Retention
- differs by tool
- DeepSeekPrivacy policy: storage for as long as…all 2 plans
- Perplexity
- Consumer accounts: "We retain your…Free, Pro, Max
- Uploaded files: 7 daysEnterprise Pro, Enterprise Max
- 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.
Perplexity- FreeConsumer accounts: "We retain your personal information as long as your account is active"; after account deletion, removal within 30 days (Help Center). Training opt-out applies only to data from the opt-out date.
- ProConsumer accounts: "We retain your personal information as long as your account is active"; after account deletion, removal within 30 days (Help Center). Training opt-out applies only to data from the opt-out date.
- MaxConsumer accounts: "We retain your personal information as long as your account is active"; after account deletion, removal within 30 days (Help Center). Training opt-out applies only to data from the opt-out date.
- Enterprise ProUploaded files: 7 days; Enterprise Pro from 50 seats or Enterprise Max: configurable session retention. DPA: deletion or return of personal data within 30 days of contract end; input stored until deleted by the user or at the latest 30 days after the end of the Services.
- Enterprise MaxUploaded files: 7 days; Enterprise Pro from 50 seats or Enterprise Max: configurable session retention. DPA: deletion or return of personal data within 30 days of contract end; input stored until deleted by the user or at the latest 30 days after the end of the Services.
Price
- differs by tool
- DeepSeek
- freeChat (web and app)
- per tokenOpen Platform API (usage-based)
- Perplexity
- 0 USD/moFree
- 17 USD/mo… (further prices in the details)Pro
- 167 USD/moMax
- several tiersEnterprise Pro
- 325 USD/user/mo… (further prices in the details)Enterprise Max
- 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.
Perplexity- Free
USD 0/month (as of 2026-10-14)
- Pro
USD 17/month with annual payment (pricing page, as of 2026-10-18); a monthly price is shown neither on the pricing page nor in the Help Center article "What is Perplexity Pro?" (check on 2026-10-07: USD 20/month)
- Max
USD 167/month with annual payment (pricing page, as of 2026-10-18); according to the Help Center "$200/monthly or $2000/annually", annual billing only in the web app (q13)
- Enterprise Pro
USD 40 per seat/month or USD 400 per seat/year (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-08, q14); pricing page, Enterprise tab: USD 34 per seat/month "when billed annually" (q3); for eligible educational institutions and non-profits USD 30 per seat/month or USD 300 per seat/year (q15). No indication whether VAT is included (as of 2026-10-18)
- Enterprise Max
USD 325 per seat/month or USD 3,250 per seat/year (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-08, q14); pricing page, Enterprise tab: USD 271 per seat/month "when billed annually" (q3). No indication whether VAT is included; additional security and governance features "Custom pricing" according to the pricing page (as of 2026-10-18)
- Chat (web and app)
- DeepSeekyesall 2 plans
- Perplexityyesall 5 plans
- 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)
Perplexity- Free
yes (limited: search, basic models, limited weekly usage)
- Pro
yes
- Max
yes
- Enterprise Pro
yes (incl. Perplexity Computer)
- Enterprise Max
yes (highest model and usage tier)
- Chat (web and app)
Evidence
- DeepSeek6 sources
- Perplexity13 sources
- 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
Perplexity- Data Collection at Perplexity (Help Center, Last modified 2026-08-31)Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Privacy Notice (Last updated 2026-07-08)Privacy notice, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Pricing (Pro/Max annual prices; Enterprise tab without price)Pricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Data retention and privacy for Enterprise organizationsDocumentation, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- What is Enterprise Pro?Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Data Processing Addendum (Last Updated 2026-08-13)DPA, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Enterprise Terms and Conditions (Last Updated 2026-08-03)Terms and conditions, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Third-Party Models (Last updated 2025-11-25)Sub-processor list, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- How long does Perplexity retain my search history, profile data, and personal information?Documentation, retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Perplexity Max (Help Center, Last modified 2026-09-14)Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Enterprise pricing and billing FAQ (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-08)Pricing page, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Which Perplexity subscription plan is right for you? (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-08)Documentation, retrieved 18 Oct 2026
- Getting started with FedRAMP 20x Secure Configuration (Help Center, Last modified 2026-10-13)Documentation, 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.
More comparisons
DeepSeek compared with
Individual pages: DeepSeek, Perplexity. All tools in the category: AI assistants & search.