Best AI Chatbots and Assistants in 2026
Updated
In short: ChatGPT is ranked #1 of 65 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Microsoft Copilot. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Dust at €2/mo.
For questions, research or everyday tasks, AI chatbots and assistants offer different ways to work and access information. Compared on web search, file uploads and app integrations, the entries can also be weighed by image generation, mobile apps and team workspace options. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing as well. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity are among the names to compare, with Claude and Gemini also listed. Think about the capabilities you need, whether you will use an assistant alone or with a team, and how you prefer to access it.
65 AI chatbots and assistants ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
22 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPTWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 8.3 | |
| 2 | Microsoft CopilotWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $8.33/mo | 8.2 | |
| 3 | PerplexityWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 8.2 | |
| 4 | ClaudeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API · Extension | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 8.2 | |
| 5 | GeminiWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 8.1 | |
| 6 | PoeWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 7 | GrokWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.8 | |
| 8 | DeepSeekWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 9 | Amazon QWeb · Android | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 10 | LumoWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 11 | AnythingLLMWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 12 | YuanbaoWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.5 | |
| 13 | MerlinWeb · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 7.5 | |
| 14 | VibeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $14.99/mo | 7.5 | |
| 15 | LobeChatWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $9.90/mo | 7.5 | |
| 16 | Gemini NotebookWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $9.99/mo | 7.3 | |
| 17 | Big-AGIWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $9/mo | 7.3 | |
| 18 | Quad ChatNo platforms listed | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | $8/mo | 7.2 | |
| 19 | Gab AI Research AssistantWeb · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $16.67/mo | 7.2 | |
| 20 | DustWeb · API · Extension | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €2/mo | 7.1 | |
| 21 | Venice AIWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $18/mo | 7.1 | |
| 22 | Msty StudioWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $12.42/mo | 7.0 | |
| 23 | Meta AIWeb · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 24 | Qwen ChatWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 25 | DoubaoWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which AI chatbots and assistant is ranked first on Freedom251?
ChatGPT is ranked #1 of 65 with a score of 8.3. Microsoft Copilot is second and Perplexity third.
How many of these have a free plan?
22 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Dust has the lowest first paid tier we found: €2/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.