Looking for more tools?
This page compares the seven big assistants. The AI Systems directory lists many more, with official links only.
Prices at a glance
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 $100 (as of Oct 18, 2026)1 |
| Claude | Anthropic | Yes | Pro $20 ($17 billed yearly) · Max from $100 (as of Oct 18, 2026)2 |
| Gemini | Google | Yes | AI Plus $4.99 · AI Pro $19.99 · AI Ultra from $99.99 (as of Sep 24, 2026)3 |
| Copilot | Microsoft | Yes, limited | Bundled in Microsoft 365: Personal $9.99 · Family $12.99 · Premium $19.99 · Pro $99.99 (as of Sep 24, 2026)4 |
| Perplexity | Perplexity | Yes | Pro $20 · Max $200 (as of Sep 24, 2026)5 |
| Grok | xAI | Yes | Plus $8 · Premium $30 · Super $100 · Ultra $200 (as of Oct 18, 2026)6 |
| Meta AI | Meta | Yes | Meta One Core $7.99 · Premium $19.99 (optional extras) (as of Sep 24, 2026)7 |
What each one is
About DeepSeek
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.
Which one for which job
hitechmike's take
They're all good general-purpose assistants now. The free version of any of them will answer everyday questions well. Pick based on where you already live:
- You want sources you can click: Perplexity, or ChatGPT and Gemini with search on.
- You live in Gmail, Google Docs and an Android phone: Gemini.
- Your work runs on Word, Excel and Outlook: Copilot through Microsoft 365.
- Long documents, careful writing, or working with files: Claude.
- A do-everything app with images and voice: ChatGPT.
- You message on WhatsApp all day: Meta AI is already there.
Try two free ones side by side on a question you already know the answer to. You'll quickly see which one you like.