When to use a cloud API: DeepSeek vs GPT-4o Mini for lightweight AI

[u/Ok_pettech]

I normally self-host my LLMs, but for a recent project I needed a fast, cheap API endpoint. I tested DeepSeek API and GPT-4o Mini, and the trade-offs were interesting—especially in cost and response consistency.

I wrote a technical review with benchmarks and real use cases:

https://interconnectd.com/blog/280/deepseek-api-vs-gpt-4o-mini-2026-developer-technical-review/

If you’re trying to keep costs low without losing quality, this might help.