7 Free ChatGPT Alternatives

When people think of AI chatbots, they generally think of ChatGPT, which is an all-purpose tool for brainstorming, drafting, and getting answers to questions.

While ChatGPT works well for many purposes, there are many other AI chat options available, each with unique features. Let’s dive into the details of some of these ChatGPT alternatives.

Alternatives to ChatGPT

Each free chatbot reviewed below has unique features that help it stand out. The best ChatGPT alternative for you depends on your purpose in using AI chat and the other tools you currently use.

ChatGPT alternative What it’s notable for Price
Claude Human-like responses and deep reasoning Free
Pro: $17/month
Gemini Integration with Google products Free
Premium: $19.99/month
Copilot Integration with Microsoft products Free
Pro: $20/month
Perplexity Emphasis on citing sources Free
Pro: $20/month
Character.AI Ability to create and interact with fictional characters Free
Plus: $9.99/month
Blackbox AI Use for technical applications, like coding Free
Pro: $14.99/month
Pi Personalized and empathetic conversations Free

Claude

Claude AI is known for its nuanced responses and human-like writing style. Claude is able to employ deep reasoning to provide balanced perspectives on multifaceted topics. Many find Claude’s creative writing abilities to be particularly high.

Claude is designed to be helpful while remaining honest about its limitations. Its tone is helpful and kind, and it adapts to users’ style.

Claude AI

Gemini

Gemini is tightly integrated with Google’s suite of products, such as Gmail, Drive, and Maps, which allows for seamless workflow across applications.

Gemini simultaneously processes text, images, audio, and video, which allows it to understand information across formats. Gemini Advanced includes a token window of up to 2 million tokens, which means it can process and analyze large documents in a single prompt.

Gemini AI

Copilot

If you use Microsoft products for daily work, you are probably already using Copilot since it’s integrated into Windows and Edge. Copilot combines GPT-4 and the Bing search engine, making it easy to switch between traditional search and AI.

After responding to a query, Copilot provides suggestions to explore the topic more deeply and is also able to cite sources.

Copilot AI

Perplexity

Perplexity is especially useful for research because of its focus on using and citing reputable sources and its real-time web updates. Users can limit queries to specific types of sources or focus areas, such as academic papers or videos, improving the relevance of responses.

Additionally, Perplexity allows users to organize their searches into threads, which allows for more structured and in-depth topic exploration.

Perplexity AI

Character.AI

Character.ai is a specialized chatbot that allows users to chat with various AI agents designed to mimic the voice of celebrities, historical figures, or fictional characters. Users can also build their own customized characters.

Character.ai’s primary focus is creativity and fun, but users can also chat with characters designed for more practical purposes, such as giving advice, recommending books, or practicing for an interview.

Character AI

Blackbox AI

Blackbox AI is known for its ability to perform specialized tasks, particularly coding and technical support. It is able to provide accurate syntax error checking and optimize code, making it a popular choice for developers.

Blackbox can also be used to add an AI agent to an existing website. It is designed for complex data analysis and industry-specific applications, such as finance or healthcare.

Blackbox AI

Pi

Pi.ai focuses on providing a friendly and empathetic chat experience where users feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and asking questions. The emphasis is on personalized advice and mental health resources.

Pi is known for having fast response times and relying on context to engage in more natural and human-like conversations.

Pi AI

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Kayla Anderson Hewitt, MA

Kayla has a master's degree in teaching English as a second language. She has taught university-level ESL and first-year composition courses. She also has 15 years of experience as an editor.