Perplexity
An AI answer engine that searches the web and cites sources, with access to models from several providers on paid plans.
Comparison guide
Free AI tools compared
Tools with a genuine free plan or free tier. Every row says what the free plan actually limits — free plans are rarely unlimited.
| Criterion | ChatGPT | Claude | Google Gemini | GitHub Copilot | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Anthropic | GitHub | Microsoft | |
| What it is for | OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, writing, coding, research and file work, built on OpenAI's GPT models. | Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and research, available on web, desktop and mobile. | Google's AI assistant, bundled with Google One storage and Workspace apps on paid Google AI plans. | An AI pair programmer and coding agent that works in your editor, terminal and on GitHub itself. | Microsoft's AI assistant, free on its own and built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook through Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Latest confirmed model | GPT-6 Sol / GPT-6 Luna (in ChatGPT); GPT-6.1 Sol in Work and Codex Oct 7, 2026 | Claude Opus 5.5 Sep 22, 2026 | Gemini 4 Argon Oct 13, 2026 | — | — |
| Main capabilities |
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| Free plan | Yes Limited usage; exact caps not published on the pages checked | Yes Usage aimed at everyday questions; up to 5 projects | Yes Base limits | Yes 2,000 inline suggestions per month; 50 chat requests; limited chat and agent usage | Yes Limited Copilot usage |
| Cheapest paid plan | Go: $8/mo US price; localised elsewhere | Pro: $20/mo $17/mo billed annually $200 billed up front annually | Google AI Plus: $4.99/mo | Pro: $10/mo | Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99/mo $8.33/mo billed annually $99.99 per year |
| API access | Yes · docs (opens in a new tab) | Yes · docs (opens in a new tab) | Yes · docs (opens in a new tab) | No · docs (opens in a new tab) | No |
| Learning curve | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly |
| Last verified | Oct 19, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 |
Open in the comparison builder (all rows)
How to choose
- Free plans change often; the last-verified date on each row tells you how fresh the information is.
- A free chatbot plan does not include free API access — check the API row separately.
Also in this group
Grok
xAI's chatbot with voice, image and video generation, now sold through The X Subscription bundle with Cursor and X Premium.
DeepSeek
DeepSeek's chat app and low-cost API, running its V4.1 Flash model.
Stable Diffusion (Stability AI)
Stability AI's open-weight image models, also available through a credit-based API.
Hugging Face
Hub for sharing open models, datasets and demo apps, with paid compute for inference and hosting.
Meta AI
Meta's assistant across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, the Meta AI app and AI glasses, powered by Muse models.
Le Chat
Mistral AI's assistant with web search, coding sessions via Vibe and 100+ connectors.
Zapier
A no-code platform for connecting apps with automated workflows (Zaps), AI agents, chatbots and tables.
Grammarly
An AI writing assistant that checks grammar, tone and clarity wherever you type and can rewrite or generate text on request.
Qwen Chat
Alibaba's free Qwen assistant on web and mobile, with Qwen models also sold per token through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio.
ElevenLabs
Text-to-speech, voice cloning, transcription, music and voice agents from one platform and API.
Runway
AI video studio offering Runway's Gen-4.5 plus partner models, with a pay-per-credit developer API.
The table shows up to five entries in the directory's editorial order, not a ranking. Every value links back to a record with sources and a last-verified date.