Automate Basics

AI assistants and chatbots

AI assistants are general-purpose chat tools built on large language models. You type or speak a request and they draft text, answer questions, summarise documents, analyse files and, increasingly, search the web or act in other apps on your behalf.

9 tools · prices checked 16 October 2026 · no rankings are paid for

A hand holding a phone showing a conversation with an AI assistant

ChatGPT

OpenAI's AI chat assistant for writing, research, images, voice and coding

Free plan · from $8/mo

Claude

Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, research and coding

Free plan · from $17/mo

Google Gemini

Google's AI assistant app, with paid Google AI plans for higher limits

Free plan · from $4.99/mo

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's free consumer AI assistant, with more use in Microsoft 365 plans

Free plan · from $9.99/mo

Perplexity

AI answer engine that replies with cited sources from the web

Free plan · from $17/mo

Grok

AI assistant from xAI, now part of SpaceX, with real-time web and X search

Free plan

Meta AI

Meta's AI assistant inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and its own app

Free plan · from $7.99/mo

Mistral Vibe

Mistral AI's assistant for chat, work tasks and coding, now called Vibe

Free plan · from $14.99/moFormerly Le Chat

DeepSeek

Free AI chat app and pay-per-token API from Chinese AI company DeepSeek

Free

Side by side

Tick up to 4 tools to compare them in one table, or filter and sort all 9 by price and platform.

CompareToolFree planStarting priceOpen sourcePlatforms
ChatGPT$8/moNoWeb, iOS, Android, macOS
Claude$17/mo (annual)NoWeb, iOS, Android, macOS
Google Gemini$4.99/moNoWeb, Android, iOS, API
Microsoft Copilot$9.99/moNoWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS
Perplexity$17/mo (annual)NoWeb, API
GrokSee pricing pageNoWeb, iOS, Android, API
Meta AI$7.99/moNoWeb, iOS, Android
Mistral Vibe$14.99/moNoWeb, iOS, Android, API
DeepSeekFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android, API

Entry prices are the cheapest paid plan per month, as published by each vendor. Annual means the monthly rate when billed yearly.

How to choose

  1. 1

    Where will you use it? Check the apps, browser extensions and integrations with the tools you already work in.

  2. 2

    Will you paste in work documents? Read the data and training settings on the business plans before you do.

  3. 3

    Do you need web search with sources, file and image analysis, or voice?

  4. 4

    How much will you use it? Free plans limit messages or access to the most capable models.

Also worth a look

Tools listed elsewhere that do this job too.

Manus

General AI agent that carries out research, slides, websites and other tasks

AI agentsFree plan · from $17/mo

Microsoft 365 Copilot

AI assistant built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for business

Docs, tasks and calendarsFrom $21/user/mo

Gemini in Google Workspace

Gemini AI inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and other Google Workspace apps

Docs, tasks and calendarsFree trial · from $7/user/mo

Mem

AI notes workspace with an agent that learns from what you save

Docs, tasks and calendarsFree plan · from $9/mo

Guides

Questions

What are AI assistants and chatbots?

AI assistants are general-purpose chat tools built on large language models. You type or speak a request and they draft text, answer questions, summarise documents, analyse files and, increasingly, search the web or act in other apps on your behalf.

Which AI assistants and chatbots have a free plan?

Of the 9 listed here, 9 have a free plan: ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI, Mistral Vibe and DeepSeek. Free plans are limited; each tool's page lists the limits.

Which of these AI assistants and chatbots costs least to start?

Of the tools here with a published price, the lowest entry price is Google Gemini's Google AI Plus plan at $4.99/mo, as published on its pricing page on 16 October 2026. The cheapest plan is not always the best value: check what each plan includes.