ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI chatbots, but other options are available. Depending on your needs, it might not always be the best choice. It’s a tremendous all-around chatbot, but like many tools that try to do everything, it may not perform as well as more specialized ones for specific tasks. In those situations, there are many ChatGPT alternatives worth considering.
I’ve been using ChatGPT since it first launched and following AI developments for the past decade. Lately, a big part of my work has been figuring out what ChatGPT does well and where it doesn’t quite hit the mark. This has led me to test a lot of other ChatGPT alternatives. So, let’s dive into it!
Why Consider ChatGPT Alternatives?
Before exploring the best ChatGPT alternatives, it’s essential to understand why you might need one. Although ChatGPT offers a free version with a wide range of features, it also has some significant downsides.
One issue is that sometimes the app continues to load but doesn’t respond quickly. This can be pretty frustrating and inconvenient, slowing down your research or content creation and affecting your overall productivity.
Additionally, ChatGPT’s free plan may not be enough for advanced users. It runs on GPT-3.5, less advanced than GPT-4, and is available only through a paid subscription. The free plan also has slower response times and lacks access to useful GPT plugins that come with ChatGPT Plus.
Although $20/month for an AI tool might sound like little, it isn’t affordable for everyone. That’s why our list includes free ChatGPT alternatives and paid ones that offer better value for money with some handy features.
1. HuggingChat
Key Features:
- Offers multiple up-to-date open-source models
- Includes options like Llama 3.1 405B, 70B, Command R+, Mixtral 8x7B, Phi-3 mini
- Can access the web for the latest information
- Free to use
HuggingChat is a top alternative to ChatGPT and is made by HuggingFace, a well-known platform for AI models and datasets. Initially, it used Meta AI’s (LLaMA) model, but now it offers a variety of models to choose from.
You can pick from models like Llama 3.1 405B, 70B, Mixtral-8x7B, Command R+, Phi-3 mini, and more. HuggingChat lets you create fun blog posts, jokes, HTML code, recipes, and other content. There’s also a toggle that allows web access, enabling the bot to pull information from the internet to improve its answers. However, the bot may sometimes experience network errors, which can cause interruptions. Despite this, it’s worth trying if you’re interested in exploring open-source AI models for free.
Pricing: Free
2. Pi, Your AI
Key Features:
- Personal AI chatbot
- Emotionally smart
- Can listen to custom podcasts
- Audio chat option available
- Engaging and conversational
Pi is a unique ChatGPT alternative that stands out because it offers a different experience. Designed to be a helpful and smart AI, Pi engages in conversations one dialogue at a time, rather than long chats. What makes Pi even more interesting is its ability to respond with realistic and comforting voices—there are eight different voice options, each sounding almost lifelike.
Pi starts conversations and responds thoughtfully, much like a supportive therapist. It tries to understand what you’re saying and responds accordingly, making it easy to forget it’s an AI despite occasional mistakes. While long conversations can become tiring, Pi is great for mental relaxation and support. However, you’ll need an account to use it, which might be inconvenient for some. Still, it’s worth a look.
Pricing: Free
3. Google Gemini (Formerly Bard)
Key Features:
- Excels in creative tasks
- Can generate and analyze images
- Supports file uploads, including PDFs and documents
- Integrated with Google Search for updated information
- Allows chatting with YouTube videos, Google Docs, and Google Drive files
- Powered by Gemini 1.5 models (Flash and Pro)
Google Gemini is a strong competitor to ChatGPT, offering a free version powered by the Gemini 1.5 Flash model. It excels in creative tasks, often outperforming ChatGPT. However, in reasoning and coding, the paid version of Gemini (Gemini 1.5 Pro) ranks slightly below ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4o).
In a test comparing their reasoning skills, Gemini’s free version correctly answered while ChatGPT’s free version did not, showing Google’s strong offering even for free users. Additionally, Gemini provides features like image generation, image analysis, file uploads, and the unique ability to chat with YouTube videos, which ChatGPT lacks.
Pros and Cons of Google Gemini
Pricing: Free, with Gemini Advanced starting at $20 monthly and a free trial for Google One users.
4. Claude
Key Features:
- Limited free access to the top-tier Claude 3.5 Sonnet model
- Large context window of 200K tokens
- Supports file uploads, including PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents
- Offers image analysis
Claude 3.5 Sonnet, developed by Anthropic, outperforms ChatGPT 4o in coding and reasoning tasks. Backed by Google and Amazon, Claude stands as a strong competitor to OpenAI. It offers a larger context window of 200K tokens compared to ChatGPT’s 32K, allowing it to handle more data efficiently. Claude also excels in non-English languages and can process complex graphs, diagrams, and charts.
The Claude 3.5 Sonnet model powers the free version but has some limitations. Full access requires a subscription to Claude Pro at $23.60 per month.
Pros and Cons of Claude
Pricing: Free, with Claude Pro starting at $23.60 per month.
5. Microsoft Copilot
Key Features:
- Free access to GPT-4 Turbo during non-peak times
- Integrated with Bing for latest information
- Free image generation via DALL-E 3
- Supports image analysis
- Provides source citations
Microsoft Copilot competes with ChatGPT by offering free access to the GPT-4 Turbo model. A subscription to Copilot Pro costs $20 per month and offers priority access to the GPT-4 Turbo model and additional features in Office apps. The free version provides GPT-4 Turbo access during non-peak times.
Tests show Copilot performing better than ChatGPT in reasoning tasks, as it has the GPT-4 model in its free tier. Copilot also offers internet access via Bing, image analysis and generation, trip planning, recipes, advice, and more, similar to ChatGPT.
Pros and Cons of Microsoft Copilot
Pricing: Free, with Copilot Pro starting at $20 per month.
6. Meta AI
Meta recently released its Llama 3.1 models and offers a ChatGPT-like platform. Meta AI is free to use and runs on the Llama 3.1 70B model, which has shown strong performance, although it lags behind in coding and reasoning tasks. Meta AI supports image generation but lacks file and image analysis capabilities. It can be accessed on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
Pros and Cons of Meta AI
Pricing: Free
7. Mistral Chat
Key Features:
- Powered by the Mistral Large 2 model
- Excellent at reasoning tasks
- Fluent in multiple languages, including English and European languages
- Supports function calling
Mistral Chat, developed by Mistral AI, competes with OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. The Mistral Large 2 model scores highly on reasoning tasks and supports a context length of up to 128K tokens. It is fluent in multiple languages and offers strong coding capabilities. Mistral Chat (also called Le Chat) is free and provides a simple user interface, making it a great alternative to ChatGPT for complex reasoning tasks.
Pros and Cons of Mistral Chat
Pricing: Free
8. Perplexity AI
Key Features:
- Limited access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 models
- Effective for product recommendations
- Allows choice of sources and cites them
- Capable of finding the latest information
- Supports file uploads including PDFs, images, and text
Perplexity AI combines a search engine with an AI tool, featuring OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Claude 3 models. It performs web searches, finds the latest information, and cites sources in its responses. It also has a co-pilot mode powered by GPT-4 for deeper insights. However, the free version has limited reasoning capabilities and access to GPT-4 is restricted to five queries every four hours.
Pros and Cons of Perplexity AI
Pricing: Free, with Perplexity Pro costing $20 per month.
9. Grok 2
Grok-2, developed by xAI and led by Elon Musk, performs exceptionally well on benchmarks, closely matching ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model. Available on x.com, Grok-2 offers a subscription starting at $8 per month. While Grok-2 excels in reasoning, its image generation feature has been criticized for generating harmful content.
Pros and Cons of Grok 2
Pricing: Requires X Premium subscription at $8 per month.
10. GroqChat
Key Features:
- Fast output generation
- Uses open-source models, including Llama 3 70B and Mixtral 8x7B
- Free to use
GroqChat, powered by Groq’s AI hardware, runs open-source models like Meta’s Llama 3.1 70B and Mistral’s Mixtral 8x7B. It delivers results quickly, leveraging Groq’s specialized AI chip. Despite its smaller models, GroqChat competes well with ChatGPT, especially for users seeking a free alternative.
Pros and Cons of GroqChat
Pricing: Free
Which ChatGPT alternative should you use?
Choosing the suitable ChatGPT alternative depends on what you need from an AI chatbot. If you’re looking for something like ChatGPT but with more emphasis on safety and ethics, Claude is a good choice. Gemini might be your best fit if you frequently use Google Workspace apps, browsers, or smartphones. For a chatbot that helps with productivity, Zapier Central is a solid option. Each chatbot on this list has its strengths, so they made it here.
Although most now offer paid plans, all offer a free plan or trial. If you’re unsure which ChatGPT alternative suits you best, try a few and see which one works best for your needs.
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FAQs on ChatGPT Alternatives
Q: What are AI Chatbots?
AI chatbots are programs that use artificial intelligence to chat with people, answer questions, or provide help in real-time.
Q: Is There Any Ultimate Alternative to ChatGPT?
There isn’t one best alternative to ChatGPT; there are many options, such as HuggingChat, Bard, and Pi, that you can try based on your needs.
Q: Is There a Free Version of ChatGPT?
Yes, ChatGPT has a free version available, but it may have limited features compared to the paid version.
Q: What is ChatGPT’s Advanced Data Analysis?
ChatGPT’s Advanced Data Analysis, previously called Code Interpreter, helps analyze data, make calculations, and even create charts.
Q: What Is Google’s Equivalent of ChatGPT?
Google’s version of ChatGPT is Bard, an AI chatbot designed to have conversations and provide information.
Q: Is Google Gemini Better Than ChatGPT?
Whether Google Gemini is better depends on your needs; both have different strengths, and users may prefer one based on features or performance.
Pooja Yadav is a Technical Content Specialist with over 6 years of experience. She mostly writes about the tech guides for Tech Hub Digital. She also has an interest in Smartphones, Bluetooth Earbuds/speakers, Wearables and all things gaming.
In her spare time, she watches movies, series and enjoys spending time outdoors.