Skip to content

Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs

ChatGPT vs Duck.ai

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

ChatGPT

4.3

From $8/mo

Duck.ai

4.0

From $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Best overall

Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

Best value

Pick it if: Anyone who wants quick AI help without an account or a record of what they asked.

ChatGPT scores highest overall, but Duck.ai gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.

Overview

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
In one lineOpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.DuckDuckGo's private AI chat: no account, no stored prompts, free to use.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$8/mo$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Overall rating4.3Winner4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
3.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension Yes Yes
API access Yes No
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes No
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes
Makes images Yes Yes
Makes video No No
Writes code Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes No
Learns your brand or style Yes No
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score15/ 179/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Plans

Free

Free

Trying it out and everyday questions.

FreeOur pick

Free

Quick private questions with no sign-up.

Go

$8/mo

Casual users who hit the free limits.

Plus

$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr

Regular users who also want a VPN.

PlusOur pick

$20/mo

Anyone using it most days for work.

Pro

$19.99/mo or $199.99/yr

People who want the top models privately.

Pro

From $100/mo

Heavy users and people living in Codex.

Business

See website

Teams from 2 people up.

Which plan to pickThe free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first: Pro 200 now comes with a smaller allowance than it did before 29 September.Stay on Free unless you also want a VPN. Plus is good value if you'd pay for a VPN anyway. Pro is $19.99, the same as ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro, so only pick it if anonymity matters more to you than features.

Key features

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Standout features
  • Image generation and editing
  • Voice mode
  • Deep research
  • ChatGPT Work
  • Plugins and connectors
  • Codex and Sites
  • No account needed
  • Anonymised prompts
  • Choice of models
  • Voice chat and images
  • Local chat history
  • Built into the browser

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Pros
  • The widest set of built-in tools of any assistant
  • Free plan includes unlimited text chat with GPT-6 Luna
  • Image generation and voice mode are the best in the category
  • Huge ecosystem of plugins, connectors and guides
  • One subscription covers the Codex coding agent too
  • No account, and prompts are anonymised and not used for training
  • Free access to models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Mistral in one place
  • Fast, clean and easy for anyone to use
  • Paid plans bundle a VPN and identity protection
Cons
  • Writing sounds generic unless you work hard on the prompt
  • Plans and limits change often, and Pro now runs to $500 a month
  • Free and Go plans may show ads
  • It's confident when it's wrong, so check facts before you publish
  • Custom GPTs are being retired, so anything built on them needs moving to plugins
  • Free models are the small versions, so answers trail paid ChatGPT or Claude
  • No projects, connectors or spreadsheet uploads, and PDFs are capped at 15 to 50 pages
  • Usage limits aren't published as numbers
  • Privacy rests on DuckDuckGo's contracts with the AI companies, and some users report chat sync errors between devices

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPTDuck.ai
Best for
  • Everyday questions and brainstorming
  • Making and editing images in the chat
  • Voice conversations on your phone
  • Quick research with web search
  • Quick private questions
  • Using AI without signing up
  • A shared or work computer
  • Voice chat and simple image making
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Developers
  • Privacy-minded professionals
  • DuckDuckGo users
  • Casual AI users
  • Students

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT or Duck.ai?

ChatGPT scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5 and Duck.ai 4.0/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. Duck.ai is best for quick private questions and Using AI without signing up.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Duck.ai?

ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Duck.ai: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

Swap in another tool

More tools from AI Assistants & LLMs in the library.