DeepSeek R1 Basically Replaces GPT O1 - for free

Let's talk about DeepSeek's pricing (or lack of it). While OpenAI wants $20 monthly for their AI magic, DeepSeek's just like "here, have fun!" Just sign up with Gmail and you're in. No credit card needed, no subscription headaches.

The API pricing is where it gets really interesting (fellow devs, listen up) - DeepSeek's API is 27x cheaper than ChatGPT. We're talking $270 vs $10 for the same workload. That's like choosing between a new graphics card or a budget keyboard.

Here's the cool part - DeepSeek is open source, and with GPU prices dropping, self-hosting could become actually doable soon. Imagine running your own AI locally, no cloud dependencies, no usage limits, no privacy concerns. It's like the difference between streaming games and having them installed on your SSD - you own it. Meanwhile, OpenAI's keeping their code locked up tight.

Look, OpenAI's doing that whole premium subscription thing (you know the popup - "unlock advanced features!"), while DeepSeek's just trying to make AI accessible. Whether you're debugging code at 3 AM or working on your side project, DeepSeek lets you focus on building stuff instead of worrying about your bank account.

In the rest of the article, we will walk you through what you can use DeepSeek R1 for.

For Students: Why R1 Will Be the Ultimate Study Sidekick

Here's why R1's transparency is actually super cool for learning: imagine having a study buddy who literally shows you their work instead of just giving you answers. While O1's like "trust me bro, this is how you solve it," R1's walking you through its thought process in real-time, showing where it got stuck and how it figured things out. When it's tackling a tricky Sudoku or an LSAT logic puzzle, you can see it think, backtrack, and try different approaches - kinda like watching someone speedrun a game with commentary. The best part? Since it's free, you can mess around and learn from its thinking patterns without burning through your ramen budget. Even when R1 goofs up (which happens), you can spot exactly where it went wrong and learn from those mistakes. Try doing that with O1's "behind the curtain" approach!

Below is my own attempt with an actual LSAT question. You can see how DeepSeek shows its own thinking. I guess you also do not have to buy these Kaplan test prep books either!

For Consultants: The Junior Analyst Who Works Non-Stop, Literally

Imagine a junior analyst who never clocks out, complains about "work-life balance," or demands a raise after acing your grunt work. R1 is that mythical creature—a 24/7 problem-solving intern fueled by logic, not caffeine. It’ll churn out competitor tear-downs at 3 AM, debug your pricing model mid-Zoom call, and still have the bandwidth to ask, “Want me to cross-check those market trends again?”

No sleeping, no whining about "burnout," and zero risk of it drunkenly Slack-ing the client at 2 AM. Consultants, it’s like cloning your best associate… if your best associate ran on open-source code and thrived on Excel hell.

Below is my own attempt. I gave R1 an Excel sheet of a company's financial and asked it to produce a memo.

For Small Business Owners: Save On Expert Consultation Fees

DeepSeek R1 doesn’t just hand you answers—it hands you a translator for expert conversations. Imagine walking into your CPA’s office and saying:

“R1 flagged my home office deduction as risky because I store inventory there. It suggested reclassifying 10% of the space as ‘admin-only’ and capping the write-off. Does that align with IRS guidelines?”

Suddenly, your CPA isn’t billing you $250/hour to explain what a home office deduction is. Instead, they’re tackling your specific edge case—and you’re learning the rules as you go.

Here are a few more examples:

1. A freelance photographer uses R1 to draft a client contract with kill fees and liability caps, then asks a lawyer: “R1 added a force majeure clause for weather delays. Should I specify ‘act of God’ or stick with ‘natural disasters’?” The lawyer tweaks it in 15 minutes instead of charging for a full billable hour.

2. A food truck owner debates trademarking “Taco Trauma” (R1’s USPTO search has already found a conflicting “Taco Drama” in Texas). They ask an attorney: “Is this a ‘likelihood of confusion’ or just a punny loophole?” The lawyer confirms R1’s hunch, saving $10k in rebranding costs.

Most owners avoid experts until disaster strikes—because $500/hour fees feel like gambling. R1 flips the script:

1. You walk in prepared, not panicked.

2. Experts focus on nuance, not basics (cutting their time—and your bill).

3. You learn as you go, turning pricey consults into mini-MBAs.

R1 isn’t about replacing professionals—it’s about making them allies, not emergencies. And in a world where 60% of small businesses fail due to cash flow mismanagement or legal surprises, that’s not just efficiency… it’s survival.

Conclusion: Give This New Kid on the Block a Try

DeepSeek R1 is the Swiss Army knife of AI: part street-smart consultant, part overachieving tutor. For consultants, it’s the junior analyst who works 24/7 for "exposure," churning out competitor tear-downs, stress-testing mergers, and drafting client-ready scripts—all while citing its sources like a nerdy paralegal (“Here’s why Supplier A’s ESG score tanks their viability…”). For learners, it’s the study buddy who wants you to copy its homework, live-streaming its logic like a Twitch coder debugging Sudoku algorithms (“Backtracking—column 3 can’t have two 5s. Let’s try 7…”).

Shoutout to OpenAI for pioneering the tech that made this possible. But where ChatGPT plays the mysterious oracle, R1’s the ADHD genius who can’t stop explaining how it hacked the Matrix. Open-source? Free? Yep. It’s like getting a Harvard MBA intern who runs on ramen and existential curiosity.

Final thought: Whether you’re a consultant billing by the hour or a curious mind geeking out over logic puzzles, R1’s your wingman—solving problems and teaching you to solve them better. Thanks, OpenAI, for the rocket science. Now, let’s put it to work.