Best Free AI Chatbots & Assistants

1. ChatGPT

OpenAI's all-round AI assistant, now with GPT-6.

ChatGPT is the most-used AI assistant in the world. It writes, answers questions, searches the web, analyses files and creates images. Since October 2026 it runs GPT-6 (Luna on Free and Go, Sol on paid plans), and answers can include interactive charts, forms and small tools.

Free option: Free; low-cost Go plan in some regions; Plus $20/month; Pro from $100/month.

✓ We tested it: ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude: We Tested All Three with the Same 5 Tasks (2026)

Best for: anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research and everyday tasks.

• Most capable all-round assistant for most people
• Large ecosystem of features and integrations
• Usable free plan

2. Gemini

Google's AI assistant, built into Gmail, Docs and Android.

Gemini is Google's AI assistant. It chats, searches with Google, writes and analyses documents, and works inside Gmail, Docs and Android. Free users get Deep Research, Gemini Live voice chat and Canvas; paid Google AI plans add higher limits, video generation, more storage and the top models.

Free option: Free; Google AI Plus $4.99/month; AI Pro $19.99/month; AI Ultra from $99.99/month.

✓ We tested it: ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude: We Tested All Three with the Same 5 Tasks (2026)

Best for: people who live in Google apps (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Android).

• Generous free plan
• Deep integration with Google apps
• Paid plans include storage and extras

3. Claude

An AI assistant for writing, research, files and small apps.

Claude is the AI assistant made by Anthropic. Beyond chat, it searches the web, analyses uploaded files, creates Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files, builds shareable documents, dashboards and small tools, remembers context across chats and connects to apps like Google Workspace and Slack.

Free option: Free plan available; Pro from $17/month billed yearly ($20 monthly); Max from $100/month.

✓ We tested it: ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude: We Tested All Three with the Same 5 Tasks (2026)

Best for: writing, research and everyday office work.

• Strong, natural writing and editing
• Generous free plan with web search and file creation
• Creates finished files and shareable pages, not just text

4. Perplexity

An AI answer engine that searches the web and cites sources.

Perplexity answers questions by searching the web and showing its sources, which makes it popular for research and fact-checking. The Pro plan adds unlimited Pro searches, Deep Research, file uploads and a choice of models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.

Free option: Free; Pro $20/month ($200/year); Max $200/month.

Best for: research and questions where you want sources you can check.

• Sources make answers easy to verify
• Fast for current events and research
• Free plan for light use

5. Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's AI assistant in Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Copilot is a free AI assistant built into Windows and Edge and available on the web and mobile. It chats, searches the web, creates images and, with a Microsoft 365 subscription, works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Free option: Free; Office features included with Microsoft 365 plans.

Best for: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI inside the apps they use.

• Free and already on most Windows PCs
• Strong fit with Microsoft Office
• Web answers with links

6. DeepSeek

A free AI chat with strong reasoning and open models.

DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company whose chat assistant is free to use, with no paid consumer plan. Its models are released with open weights and are strong at reasoning and coding. It is text-first, refuses some China-sensitive topics, and stores data in China, which matters for privacy and work use.

Free option: Free chat; API is paid.

Best for: free reasoning and coding help for personal, non-sensitive use.

• Completely free to chat
• Capable reasoning for a free tool
• Open models can be self-hosted

7. NotebookLM

Google's AI research notebook that turns your sources into podcasts.

NotebookLM (renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026) lets you upload PDFs, docs, websites and videos, then ask questions answered only from those sources. It can turn them into Audio Overviews (podcast-style discussions), Video Overviews, mind maps, flashcards, quizzes and study guides. It is free with a Google account.

Free option: Free; higher limits with Google AI Plus ($4.99), Pro ($19.99) and Ultra plans.

Best for: students, researchers and creators working from their own documents.

• Free and very generous
• Answers stick to your documents, with citations
• Audio Overviews are great for learning