Best ChatGPT Alternatives in 2026 (Free and Paid)

The main ChatGPT alternatives in 2026 are Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Meta AI and Poe. Each of them has a free way to try it, and the main paid plans for several of them are listed at about $20 per month in US dollars, with higher tiers for heavy users. Which one suits you depends on what you do most: writing, research, working inside Google or Microsoft apps, or comparing several models in one place.

Quick comparison

Prices below are US dollar figures from each company's official pricing page, announcement or help centre as checked on 20 October 2026. Plans, limits and prices change often, so check the official page before you pay.

Claude

Claude is an AI assistant from Anthropic. It chats, writes, summarises documents and helps with code. It suits people who work with long text or want a careful writing partner.

Free option: Claude's pricing page lists a Free plan at $0, described as "Free for everyone". It includes chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation and code execution, memory across conversations, and Artifacts.

Paid pricing: According to Claude's pricing page, Pro is $17 per month with an annual subscription ($200 billed up front), or $20 if billed monthly. Max starts from $100 per month and lets you choose 5x or 20x Pro's usage. For groups, Team is listed for teams of 2 to 150, with standard seats at $20 per seat per month if billed annually ($25 if billed monthly) and premium seats at $100 per seat per month if billed annually ($125 if billed monthly). Enterprise is listed as a seat price plus usage at API rates.

Google Gemini

Gemini is Google's AI assistant. It suits people who already use Gmail, Google Docs, Drive and other Google services, because the paid plans bundle extra Google storage.

Free option: The Free plan is listed as "$0 / month with a Google Account". It includes image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems and 15 GB of storage.

Paid pricing: On Google's subscription page, Google AI Plus is $4.99 per month (2x the usage of Free and 400 GB of storage). Google AI Pro is $19.99 per month (4x the usage of Free and 5 TB of storage). Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 per month, with a higher tier at $199.99 per month. Google also lists business editions of Gemini Enterprise at $21 and $30 per seat per month.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant. It suits people who spend their day in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Free option: Microsoft says it offers "a limited free version of Copilot subject to available capacity and limits".

Paid pricing: On Microsoft's individual pricing page, Copilot features come with Microsoft 365 plans. Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Family is $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year, with AI features for the subscription owner only. Premium is $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year and adds extensive Copilot chat usage. Microsoft 365 Pro is $99.99 per month, with the highest usage limits.

Perplexity

Perplexity is built around searching the web and answering with sources. It suits students, researchers and anyone who uses AI mainly to look things up.

Free option: According to Perplexity's help centre, the free Standard plan includes "practically unlimited basic searches", with very limited Pro Searches and limited basic file uploads.

Paid pricing: Perplexity states that Perplexity Pro is $20 per month. Its help centre says Perplexity Max costs $200 per month or $2000 per year. Enterprise Pro is listed from $40 per seat per month or $400 per seat per year.

DeepSeek

DeepSeek is an AI assistant and model maker. It suits people who want a free chat app, and developers who use its API.

Free option: DeepSeek's app announcement on its official API documentation site describes the app as "FREE to use" and "100% FREE - No ads, no in-app purchases".

Paid pricing: We could not find a consumer subscription on DeepSeek's official pages. Developers who use the API pay by usage, priced per million tokens. DeepSeek's own pages show different figures and say prices may change, so we have not quoted numbers here. Check the official API docs if you need exact rates.

Meta AI

Meta AI is Meta's assistant. It suits people who already spend time in Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Free option: Meta describes it as "your free personal AI chatbot and assistant". In its announcement of Meta One, the company says "Meta AI will still be free for everyday use".

Paid pricing: Meta's announcement of Meta One lists subscription bundles that add more AI usage. Individual bundles are Core at $7.99 per month and Premium at $19.99 per month. There are also single-app plans (listed from $2.99 per month) and creator and business bundles.

Poe

Poe gives you many AI bots in one place. It suits people who want to compare answers from different models without signing up to each one.

Free option: Poe's help centre says non-paying users receive points daily, which reset at the end of each 24-hour period and do not roll over.

Paid pricing: Poe's purchases FAQ says access to major models starts at $4.99 per month. Subscribers receive more points than free users. The FAQ does not list every plan price, so check the plan options inside Poe.

What about ChatGPT itself?

ChatGPT is the tool these options are compared against. It also has a free plan and paid plans. See our guide to ChatGPT plans and pricing for the details.

How to choose

• You write a lot or work with long documents: try Claude's free plan first.
• You use Google apps all day: Gemini's plans include extra Google storage.
• You use Microsoft Office: Copilot comes inside Microsoft 365 plans.
• You mainly research and want sources: Perplexity is built for that.
• You want to compare several models: Poe puts many bots in one app.

How we chose

We picked well-known general-purpose AI assistants that people commonly search for as ChatGPT alternatives. We checked every price and free-plan detail in this article against each tool's official website or help centre on 20 October 2026. If we could not confirm something on an official page, we left it out. Prices are the figures shown on those pages and may change. Check the official page before you subscribe.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to ChatGPT?

There is no single best option. Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI, DeepSeek and Poe all have a free way to use them, and Microsoft Copilot has a limited free version. Try two or three with your own tasks, since limits and strengths differ.

Is Gemini better than ChatGPT?

It depends on how you work. Gemini fits well if you use Google services, because its paid plans bundle storage and Google features. Compare both free plans on the same task before paying.

Is Claude free to use?

Yes. Claude's pricing page lists a Free plan at $0. Paid plans start with Pro at $17 per month on annual billing, or $20 per month billed monthly.

Which ChatGPT alternative is cheapest?

Among the AI assistant plans covered here, Google AI Plus is listed at $4.99 per month and Poe subscriptions start at $4.99 per month. Meta One also has single-app plans listed from $2.99 per month. Meta AI and DeepSeek's app are described as free to use. The right choice depends on what each plan includes.

Which alternative is best for research?

Perplexity is designed around web search with sources, and Gemini lists Deep Research in its free plan. Test both on a question you already know the answer to.

Can I use more than one AI assistant?

Yes. All of the tools above have a free way to start, so you can use two or three side by side and only pay for the one that fits how you work.