DeepSeek vs Our Free Model
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
An open-source agent harness built on a plugin-first design, run from a local Web UI.
Open source · MIT
A dsh plugin that gives access to hosted AI models without a login or API key.
Our verdict
DeepSeek (dsh) is an open-source agent harness you run locally as a dev tool, built around a plugin system, and it is still in developer preview so expect breaking changes. Our Free Model is not a standalone tool; it is a beta plugin that only works inside dsh and adds free hosted AI models with no login or API key. They are complementary rather than direct rivals: dsh is the platform, and this plugin is one way to fill it with free models.
Pick DeepSeek (dsh) if you want to build or extend an agent harness yourself and are comfortable with a command-line developer workflow.
Pick Our Free Model if you already use dsh and want to try hosted models quickly without creating accounts or API keys, and you can accept beta-level stability.
| Key difference | DeepSeek | Our Free Model |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A standalone open-source agent harness built on plugins | A plugin that runs only inside the dsh harness |
| Setup | Intermediate; needs Node.js or pnpm and a dev workflow | Beginner-friendly; no sign-up or API key needed to start |
| Maturity | Developer preview; breaking changes expected | Beta; model lists refresh from upstream and can change |
| Privacy | Runs locally as a dev tool; README gives no data-handling caveat here | Kilo free pool may record prompts; README advises no sensitive content |
| Price | Free and open source; hosted plans are freemium | Free and open source; free models rely on upstream gateways |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose DeepSeek if you need…
- Developers who want to experiment with an agent harness they can extend with plugins
- Developers already interested in the Cordis plugin model
- People comfortable running a local dev tool from the command line
- Plugin authors who want to publish to the dsh-plugin topic
Choose Our Free Model if you need…
- Developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys
- People who want to compare several hosted models inside one agent tool
- Users who want a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint for other tools on their own machine
- Testers who are comfortable with a beta plugin and can tolerate model availability changing
Side-by-side
| DeepSeek | Our Free Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source (hosted plans: freemium) | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 269k | 56.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | — |
| Works with | — | — |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 7 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
DeepSeek
DeepSeek Harness (dsh) is an open-source agent harness from DeepSeek AI, built so that nearly every part is a plugin. It runs on Cordis, a plugin framework the README links to, and can be started as a local Web UI. The README describes it as being in developer preview, so the interface and APIs may change.
Our Free Model
This is a plugin for DeepSeek Harness (dsh), an AI agent host. Once installed, it adds free hosted models such as DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Kimi K3 to dsh's model picker, with no sign-up or API key required. It also includes a local OpenAI-compatible port so other tools on the same machine can call those models. The README says the free models come from the OpenCode Zen and Kilo AI public gateways, and that the plugin is at beta status.
Best for
DeepSeek
- Developers who want to experiment with an agent harness they can extend with plugins
- Developers already interested in the Cordis plugin model
- People comfortable running a local dev tool from the command line
- Plugin authors who want to publish to the dsh-plugin topic
Our Free Model
- Developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys
- People who want to compare several hosted models inside one agent tool
- Users who want a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint for other tools on their own machine
- Testers who are comfortable with a beta plugin and can tolerate model availability changing
Strengths
DeepSeek
- Built on a stated everything-is-a-plugin architecture
- Can be started quickly with a single npx command, per the README
- Documentation, a Discord community and GitHub Discussions are linked from the README
Our Free Model
- No login, sign-up, or API key is needed to start, according to the README
- Ships as a plugin without changing the dsh kernel and with no build step, per the README
- Includes a local dashboard and a local OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and the README says usage data stays on the machine
Not ideal for
DeepSeek
- Users who need a stable production system, since the README warns of compatibility-breaking changes during developer preview
- Anyone who has not read the SAFETY.md notice, which the README asks users to review before running it
- Non-technical users looking for a finished consumer app; the README assumes Node.js or a repository checkout
Our Free Model
- Anyone sending sensitive or confidential code or text: the README says the Kilo free pool may record prompts to improve the service
- People who need stable, guaranteed uptime, since the project is marked beta and model lists refresh from upstream
- Users who do not run dsh, since the plugin only works inside that host
- People who want to install from npm: the README warns that the npm package named dsh-our-free-model is third-party and differs from this repository
Trade-offs
DeepSeek
- The README explicitly says it is in developer preview with breaking changes expected
- The README is truncated and gives limited detail on features and models supported
- Requires understanding of Node.js or pnpm and a local dev workflow
Our Free Model
- The 'free with no usage cap' claim comes from the project itself and depends on upstream gateways, which can change or restrict access
- Some features, including the EAC channel, require a GitHub login and a star on the repository before conversations are allowed, according to the README
- Prompts sent through the Kilo free pool may be recorded by the upstream provider, so the README advises against sending sensitive content
Getting started
DeepSeek
Run from npm
npx @deepseek-ai/dsh webClone the repository
git clone https://github.com/deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.gitOur Free Model
Install the plugin into a dsh web profile from a local source directory
dsh plugin --profile web add /绝对路径/dsh-our-free-modelFrequently asked questions
Should I use DeepSeek or Our Free Model?
DeepSeek (dsh) is an open-source agent harness you run locally as a dev tool, built around a plugin system, and it is still in developer preview so expect breaking changes. Our Free Model is not a standalone tool; it is a beta plugin that only works inside dsh and adds free hosted AI models with no login or API key. They are complementary rather than direct rivals: dsh is the platform, and this plugin is one way to fill it with free models. Pick DeepSeek (dsh) if you want to build or extend an agent harness yourself and are comfortable with a command-line developer workflow. Pick Our Free Model if you already use dsh and want to try hosted models quickly without creating accounts or API keys, and you can accept beta-level stability.
What is the difference between DeepSeek and Our Free Model?
DeepSeek: An open-source agent harness built on a plugin-first design, run from a local Web UI. Our Free Model: A dsh plugin that gives access to hosted AI models without a login or API key. DeepSeek suits developers who want to experiment with an agent harness they can extend with plugins, while Our Free Model suits developers who already use dsh and want to try models without creating accounts or keys.
Are DeepSeek and Our Free Model free?
DeepSeek: Free and open source (hosted plans: freemium). Our Free Model: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, DeepSeek or Our Free Model?
Our Free Model is easier to get started with (rated beginner); DeepSeek is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is DeepSeek or Our Free Model more popular?
DeepSeek has more GitHub stars (269k) than Our Free Model (56.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to DeepSeek and Our Free Model?
Other options people compare them with include LangChain, CrewAI, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.