ChatGPT
Does the most, from voice to images, and GPT-6 is free.
Free, then $8/mo
Best AI chat assistants
Short answer: ChatGPT. Start with ChatGPT; it does the most and the free plan now runs GPT-6.
Which AI chatbot should I use?
DeepSeek
Among the 40 best chat AIs, and nothing sits behind a paywall.
FreeOpen
Qwen Chat
Its 27B version runs on a gaming PC or a 32 GB Mac.
FreeSmaller versionOpen
Gemini
From $4.99 a month; $19.99 adds a top-three model and 5 TB.
Free, then $4.99/mo
October 2026 brought GPT-6 to free ChatGPT, Gemini 4 Argon for paying users, and Grok's new X Subscription.
All 10 side by side.
Price, whether it runs on your own computer, and the main catch.
| # | Tool | Best for | Price | On your PC | Main downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ChatGPTOpenAIBest overall | Everyday questions, writing and images | Free, then $8/mo | No | Free and Go plans show ads |
| 02 | GeminiGoogle | Google users, research, long documents | Free, then $4.99/mo | No | Free plan cut to the small Flash-Lite model in October |
| 03 | ClaudeAnthropic | Writing, analysis and long documents | Free, then $20/mo | No | Free plan hits its limit quickly |
| 04 | Meta AIMeta | Quick free help in WhatsApp | Free, then $20/mo | No | Best model, Muse Wonder, needs a paid Muse app plan |
| 05 | GrokxAI (SpaceX) | News and trends on X | Free, then $8/mo | No | Best Grok sits around rank 40 on LMArena text |
| 06 | Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft | Windows and Office users | Free, then $9.99/mo | No | Microsoft does not say which model answers you |
| 07 | DeepSeekDeepSeek | Free reasoning, maths and code | Free | No | Data is stored on servers in China |
| 08 | Qwen ChatAlibaba | Free chat and running AI locally | Free | Smaller version | Data is processed by a Chinese company |
| 09 | KimiMoonshot AI | Long documents, slides and agent tasks | Free | No | Free plan barely includes the best model |
| 10 | Le ChatMistral AI | European users who want EU hosting | Free, then $14.99/mo | No | Ranks around 113th on LMArena text |
Nothing matches. Try another filter.
Pros and cons of all 10
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ChatGPT
OpenAI · GPT-6 Sol (paid), GPT-6 Luna (free)
The all-rounder most people start with, now on GPT-6.
Best overallFree plan- Price
- Free plan, then $8/moGPT-6 Luna with message limits, ads and a little deep research.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Does almost everything: voice, images, files, research
- Plus at $20 unlocks GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6.1 Sol
- Free and Go plans show ads
- Ranks below Gemini and Claude on LMArena text
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Gemini
Google · Gemini 4 Argon
Google's assistant, with the top-ranked model on LMArena.
Best valueFree plan- Price
- Free plan, then $4.99/moFlash-Lite model with limits, Deep Research and image making included.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Gemini 4 Argon is number 2 on LMArena text
- AI Pro includes 5 TB of Google storage
- Free plan cut to the small Flash-Lite model in October
- Gemini 4 Argon needs AI Pro ($19.99) or Ultra
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- Price
- Free plan, then $20/moSonnet and Haiku models, web search, limits reset every 5 hours.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Claude Opus 5.5 is number 3 on LMArena text
- Natural writing that sounds least like an AI
- Free plan hits its limit quickly
- No Research mode and no Opus on the free plan
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Meta AI
Meta · Muse Spark
Free assistant inside WhatsApp and Instagram, now on Muse Spark.
Free plan- Price
- Free plan, then $20/moMeta AI is free with Muse Spark; usage is rate limited.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Muse Spark models rank in LMArena's top 20
- Already inside WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
- Best model, Muse Wonder, needs a paid Muse app plan
- Free limits are not published
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- Price
- Free plan, then $8/moLimited Grok chat and image making.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Sees what people post on X right now
- One plan also covers X Premium and Cursor
- Best Grok sits around rank 40 on LMArena text
- Plans changed in October 2026, old SuperGrok closed to new users
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- Price
- Free plan, then $9.99/moFree chat, web answers, image making and voice, within capacity limits.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Already on most Windows PCs
- Premium adds Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook
- Microsoft does not say which model answers you
- Not on the LMArena text board
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DeepSeek
DeepSeek · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (1017 update)
A strong chat assistant that is completely free.
Best freeFreeOpen source- Price
- Free, open sourceThe whole chat app is free; there is no paid plan.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Free with no paid tier to upsell you
- Open model under the MIT license
- Data is stored on servers in China
- Avoids topics sensitive to the Chinese government
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Qwen Chat
Alibaba · Qwen3.8-Max
Free chat with Alibaba's Qwen, whose small model runs at home.
Best on your computerFreeOpen sourceSmaller version local- Price
- Free, open sourceQwen Chat is free on web and apps.
- On your PC
- Some setup24 GB graphics card, or a Mac with 32 GB memory
- Qwen3.8-Max ranks in LMArena's top 25
- Qwen3.8-27B runs on a good home PC or Mac
- Data is processed by a Chinese company
- Avoids topics sensitive to the Chinese government
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Kimi
Moonshot AI · Kimi K3.1 Pro
Chinese assistant with a top-20 open model and agents.
FreeOpen source- Price
- Free, open sourceFree plan with limited use; little or no K3 access.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Kimi K3 ranks in LMArena's top 20
- Open weights you can download
- Free plan barely includes the best model
- Pricing pages are confusing and partly China-only
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Le Chat
Mistral AI · Mistral Medium 3.5
Fast European assistant from Mistral, cheap Pro plan.
Free plan- Price
- Free plan, then $14.99/moLimited messages, web searches and basic image making.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- European company, a plus for GDPR-minded users
- Pro is cheaper than ChatGPT Plus
- Ranks around 113th on LMArena text
- Fewer features than ChatGPT or Gemini
1 of these run on your own computer.
Private and offline. Check what your machine can handle.
| Tool | Setup | You need |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen Chat | Smaller version | 24 GB graphics card, or a Mac with 32 GB memory |
Quick answers.
What is the best free AI chatbot?
ChatGPT's free plan is the most complete, but it has ads and limits. DeepSeek is completely free with no paid plan. Meta AI is free with Muse Spark. Gemini's free plan was cut to its smallest model in October 2026.
Is ChatGPT Plus worth $20 a month?
Yes if you use it daily. Plus removes ads, unlocks GPT-6 Sol and more deep research. The $8 Go plan only adds more messages on the free model, with ads.
ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude, which is best?
On LMArena's text board Gemini 4 Argon is second, Claude Opus 5.5 third and the best GPT model 22nd. ChatGPT still has the most features. All three cost about $20 a month.
What do the $200 AI plans give you?
Much higher limits and the strongest modes. ChatGPT Pro ($100 to $500), Claude Ultra ($200), Gemini Ultra 20x ($199.99) and Grok Ultra ($200) suit people who use AI all day. Most people never need them.
Can I run a chatbot offline on my own computer?
Yes. Open models like Qwen3.8-27B run offline in Ollama or LM Studio on a 24 GB graphics card or a 32 GB Mac. They are weaker than ChatGPT or Gemini. See our local AI page.
Is DeepSeek safe to use?
The app sends your chats to servers in China and avoids some political topics. Do not paste private or work data. The open model itself can be run elsewhere.
Rankings we read: LMArena Text (arena.ai), LMArena leaderboard dataset (Hugging Face). Prices from each official pricing page, checked 2026-11-05.
Recent ai chat news.
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AI chat
Gemini 4 Argon arrives for paying Gemini users
Google's new Gemini 4 Argon model is in the Gemini app for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, with clearer answers and better coding.
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Coding agents
Grok, X and Cursor now share one subscription
SpaceX folded Grok, X Premium and the Cursor code editor into one X Subscription from $8 to $200 a month, replacing SuperGrok.
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AI chat
Free Gemini users lose Flash and Pro models
From 2026-10-09, free Gemini accounts only get the small Flash-Lite model, while Flash and Pro need a paid plan.
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AI chat
Anthropic releases Claude Opus 5.5 at lower prices
Claude Opus 5.5 scores higher than Opus 5 on coding tests, costs about 40% less to run, and paid Claude plans get higher limits.
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