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All seven of the big AI assistants have a free version. Here's what each one costs if you want more, where you can use it, and what it's known for. Prices come from each company's own pricing page.
Facts checked September 24, 2026
U.S. monthly prices from each company's official page, checked September 24, 2026. Annual billing is often cheaper.
| Assistant | Company | Free? | Paid plans (per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | Yes | Go $8 · Plus $20 · Pro from $1001 |
| Claude | Anthropic | Yes | Pro $20 ($17 billed yearly) · Max from $1002 |
| Gemini | Yes | AI Plus $4.99 · AI Pro $19.99 · AI Ultra from $99.993 | |
| Copilot | Microsoft | Yes, limited | Bundled in Microsoft 365: Personal $9.99 · Family $12.99 · Premium $19.99 · Pro $99.994 |
| Perplexity | Perplexity | Yes | Pro $20 · Max $2005 |
| Grok | xAI | Yes | SuperGrok $30 · SuperGrok Plus $1006 |
| Meta AI | Meta | Yes | Meta One Core $7.99 · Premium $19.99 (optional extras)7 |
OpenAI
The one most people have tried. Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, plus the web.8 It can search the web for current information and show its sources.9 Paid plans raise your usage limits, and Pro offers five or twenty times the Plus limits.1
Anthropic
Works on the web, iOS, Android and desktop on every plan, including free. Anthropic lists web search, creating files, running code, memory across conversations and connecting your apps among its features.2 The free plan doesn't include Anthropic's top Opus model; Pro and Max do.2
Google's assistant, free with a Google account. The free plan includes Deep Research, Gemini Live voice chat, Canvas and image creation.3 There are phone apps and a web version, a Mac app since April 2026 and a Windows app since September 2026.10 Google says more than 1 billion people use the Gemini app each month.11
Microsoft
A limited free version is available "subject to available capacity." The paid versions come bundled with Microsoft 365 and work inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. Microsoft says it lets you switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models.4
Perplexity
Built as an answer engine. Perplexity says every answer "links to numbered citations," so you can check where information came from.12 Paid plans let you pick among models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and others.5
xAI
Made by xAI and available on the web, in phone apps and inside X (formerly Twitter).13 xAI promotes real-time search of the web and X, image and video generation, and voice mode.13 The SuperGrok plan includes its Grok 4.6 model.6
Meta
Available in Meta's apps, its own Meta AI app, on the web and in Meta's AI glasses.14 Since April 2026 it runs on Meta's Muse Spark model.15 Meta says it "will still be free for everyday use"; the new Meta One plans add more image and video creation.7
DeepSeek is a popular free chatbot from Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. in China. Its own privacy policy says it collects, processes and stores your personal data "in People's Republic of China" and may use it to train its models.16
hitechmike's take
Don't use DeepSeek's app or website for anything personal or work-related. With the data stored in China, U.S. users have little say over how it's used.
hitechmike's take
They're all good general helpers now. The free version of any of them will answer everyday questions well. Pick based on where you already live:
Try two free ones side by side on a question you already know the answer to. You'll quickly see which one you like.