Free ChatGPT alternatives: what each free plan really includes
"Free" covers very different things. This page puts the free plans side by side in the vendors' own words, then shows the price of the next plan up.
Free plans, side by side
The limits column quotes or closely paraphrases the pricing page. Where a vendor gives no number, we say so instead of estimating one.
| Assistant | Is there a free plan? | What the free plan includes and limits | What it costs when you outgrow it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPTOpenAI · baseline | Yes, there is a Free plan at no charge chatgpt.com checked 2 Oct 2026 | Unlimited text chats (subject to abuse guardrails); limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory chatgpt.com checked 1 Oct 2026 | Plus, US$20/month billed monthly (OpenAI help centre). The cheaper Go plan exists, but its US-dollar price is not verified: the help centre gives no figure, and the pricing page we could load showed the Australian price (A$13/month) and says Go may include ads help.openai.com checked 2 Oct 2026 |
| ClaudeAnthropic | Yes, US$0 claude.com checked 1 Oct 2026 | Usage limits apply; the pricing page gives no message count. Free includes web search, file creation, code execution, memory and Artifacts claude.com checked 1 Oct 2026 | Pro, US$20/month billed monthly, or US$17/month on the annual plan (US$200 up front) claude.com checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| GeminiGoogle | Yes, US$0/month with a Google Account gemini.google checked 2 Oct 2026 | Access to the Flash model and varying access to the Pro model; image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems; 15 GB storage gemini.google checked 1 Oct 2026 | Google AI Plus, US$4.99/month (2x the free usage limits, 400 GB storage); Google AI Pro is US$19.99/month (4x the free usage limits, 5 TB storage) gemini.google checked 2 Oct 2026 |
| Mistral (Vibe)Mistral AI | Yes, free tier on web and mobile mistral.ai checked 1 Oct 2026 | Limited messages and web searches, limited coding sessions; image generation included mistral.ai checked 1 Oct 2026 | Pro, US$14.99/month excluding taxes mistral.ai checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft | Yes. Microsoft describes Microsoft Copilot (free) as available free of cost, for general questions and answers and web-based tasks, on the web, desktop and mobile apps and in Edge. support.microsoft.com checked 2 Oct 2026 | No numeric caps are stated on the pages read. Microsoft says signing in gives chat history, more image creation, longer conversations and longer use of voice. support.microsoft.com checked 2 Oct 2026 | Microsoft 365 Personal, US$9.99/month, includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook with Copilot and 1 TB storage; Premium is US$19.99/month microsoft.com checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| GrokxAI | Not verified The product page offers 'Try for free'; terms not stated x.ai tried 2 Oct 2026 | Not verified Not stated on the pages we could read grok.com tried 2 Oct 2026 | SuperGrok Lite US$10/month; SuperGrok US$30/month; SuperGrok Heavy US$300/month. Read from the price elements on grok.com/plans with the annual toggle off. grok.com checked 2 Oct 2026 |
| DeepSeekDeepSeek | Not verified Web chat and apps are offered; the site shows no consumer price list deepseek.com tried 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified Not stated deepseek.com tried 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified No consumer subscription listed; API pricing is published separately deepseek.com tried 1 Oct 2026 |
| PerplexityPerplexity AI | Not verified Not verified perplexity.ai tried 2 Oct 2026 | Not verified Not verified perplexity.ai tried 2 Oct 2026 | Not verified Not verified perplexity.ai tried 2 Oct 2026 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
About the currencies. Vendor pages were read on 1 and 2 October 2026 from a connection in Australia. Where a vendor shows local prices, we took the US-dollar figure from its United States page or its help centre and link to that page. Where we could not read a US-dollar price, the cell says so and names the currency we saw. Prices in other countries can differ.
Three things the table shows
Nobody publishes a number. Every free plan we could read describes its limits in words: limited, varying, usage limits apply. You find the real ceiling by using it.
The free plans differ in what they include, not only how much. Claude's free plan lists file creation and code execution. Gemini's lists image generation and Deep Research. Mistral's lists image generation and connectors. ChatGPT's lists all of its extras as limited.
The step up is under twenty a month wherever we could read a price. Google AI Plus is US$4.99, Microsoft 365 Personal US$9.99, Mistral Pro US$14.99, and Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus US$20 billed monthly. ChatGPT also has a cheaper Go plan that the vendor says may include ads; we could not read its US-dollar price.
Who each free plan suits
Drawn from the cells above. We have not tested answer quality.
ChatGPTSource: chatgpt.com
- Best for
- The baseline. Its free plan lists unlimited text chats, so the reasons to switch are the limits on everything else.Based on: free-plan limits
- Not ideal for
- People who want a cheap ad-free tier: the plan below Plus is the one the vendor says may include ads.Based on: first paid plan
ClaudeSource: claude.com
- Best for
- Getting file creation and code execution without paying: both are listed on the free plan.Based on: free-plan limits
- Not ideal for
- Anyone who needs a published free message allowance to plan around: the page only says usage limits apply.Based on: free-plan limits
GeminiSource: gemini.google
- Best for
- Households already paying Google for storage: the paid tiers bundle 400 GB to 5 TB with the assistant.Based on: first paid plan, listed features
- Not ideal for
- A small team that only wants a few chat seats at consumer prices: the business edition starts at US$21 a seat.Based on: team seat
Mistral (Vibe)Source: mistral.ai
- Best for
- A standalone assistant with a paid plan under US$15 a month: Pro is listed at US$14.99.Based on: first paid plan
- Not ideal for
- Heavy free use: messages, web searches and coding sessions are all described as limited.Based on: free-plan limits
Microsoft CopilotSource: microsoft.com
- Best for
- People who live in Word, Excel and Outlook: the assistant comes inside the Microsoft 365 subscription.Based on: first paid plan, listed features
- Not ideal for
- Buyers who only want a chat assistant: every paid tier on the page is a Microsoft 365 bundle.Based on: first paid plan
GrokSource: x.ai
- Best for
- Questions about what is happening right now: the product page leads with live web and X search.Based on: listed features
- Not ideal for
- A low-cost paid step: the listed plans run from US$10 to US$300 a month.Based on: first paid plan
DeepSeekSource: deepseek.com
- Best for
- Trying a reasoning mode and search from the web chat once you have signed in.Based on: listed features
- Not ideal for
- A business that needs a team plan with listed terms: none is published on the site.Based on: team seat
Perplexity is in the table with every cell marked not verified: its pages blocked our reader on the day. We will fill it in when we can read the vendor page.
Questions people ask
Which free ChatGPT alternative includes the most?
On the pages we read, Claude lists web search, file creation, code execution, memory and Artifacts on its free plan, and Gemini lists image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems. Neither publishes a message count, so we cannot say which lets you do more in a day.
Do free plans publish exact message limits?
Not on the pricing pages we read on 1 October 2026. ChatGPT says unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails, Claude says usage limits apply, Gemini says varying access to its Pro model, and Mistral says limited messages and web searches.
Is ChatGPT itself free?
Yes. The ChatGPT pricing page lists a Free plan at no charge with unlimited text chats and limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory.
Do I need an account to use these free plans?
Gemini states that its free plan needs a Google Account, and the DeepSeek web chat asked us to sign in before chatting. We did not check the sign-up requirement for the others.
See also all ChatGPT alternatives with paid and team prices.