Top pick
ChatGPT
AI Assistants & LLMs4.3
OpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.
Best for: Everyday questions and brainstorming
Top picks
Best AI chatbot
An AI chatbot is the all-round assistant you type or talk to. It answers questions, writes, plans and works through files with you.
Picked by Sam Despo on
Why ChatGPT is the top pick
It has the most features and the biggest ecosystem, so there's almost always a ready-made way to do what you need.
- The assistant with the most built in: images, voice, web search, deep research, agents, plugins and the Codex coding agent in one app. Since October, answers can include charts, buttons and small tools.
- The free plan gives you unlimited text chat with GPT-6 Luna, the lighter GPT-6 model. Plus at $20 a month moves you to GPT-6 Sol and is the plan most people land on.
- Its writing is competent but tends to sound like every other AI draft. If words are your product, Claude needs less fixing.
- Pricing has changed several times this year. Pro now comes as Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500, and Pro 200 moves to a smaller allowance after 29 October even for existing subscribers, so check the page before you commit.
Other tools that do this job
Anthropic's chat assistant, at its best on careful writing and long documents.
Google's assistant, built into Gmail, Docs, Drive and Android phones.
Ask a question and get a short answer from the web, with links to every source.
Guides
Questions
What is the best AI chatbot?
ChatGPT is the top pick. It has the most features and the biggest ecosystem, so there's almost always a ready-made way to do what you need.
Is there a free AI chatbot?
Yes. ChatGPT has a free option. There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
How much does ChatGPT cost?
There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
What are the alternatives to ChatGPT?
Other good options are Claude, Google Gemini and Perplexity. Claude is best for long-form writing and editing.