Free and open first

Best AI Chatbots and Assistants in 2026

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 apps
Research read 28 Sept 2026
How the order is worked out

1

Onyx

Free plan Open source APIExtensionLinux+4

8.9 Free plan · paid from $20/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Visit site
2

ChatGPT
by ChatGPT
Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac+2

ChatGPT offers text, voice, search, image, and work tools across mobile, desktop, and web. Free users get unlimited text chats, but should consider the listed limits on other capabilities.

7.7 Free plan Visit site
3

Gemini
by Gemini
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3

7.7 Free plan Visit site
4

Microsoft Copilot
by Microsoft Copilot
Free plan WebWindowsMac+2

Copilot offers a free entry point and paid Microsoft 365 plans with different levels of AI usage and bundled apps. Compare the plan-specific usage, storage, and family access terms before subscribing.

7.7 Free plan · paid from $9.99/mo Visit site
5

Perplexity

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3

Perplexity combines real-time web search, citations, and file and app search, with additional capabilities at higher plan levels.

7.7 Free plan Visit site
6

Claude
by Claude
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+5

Claude combines work assistance, file editing, data analysis, and integrations across several platforms. Check the free-plan usage limits and the differences among paid plans before choosing.

7.7 Free plan Visit site
7

Meta AI
by Meta AI
Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac+1

Meta AI combines question answering, task help, web search, file uploads, image generation, and photo editing.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
8

Grok

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

Choose Grok if you want web and X search, voice mode, and connectors on its Free plan, or need the team and enterprise features listed for higher tiers.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
9

Qwen Chat

Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac+2

Qwen Chat brings reasoning, file analysis, multimodal input, and content creation into one assistant, with apps across mobile and desktop platforms.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
10

Doubao

Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+4

Doubao combines conversation, generation, search, translation, and desktop assistance across many access points.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
11

Poe

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3

7.6 Free plan Visit site
12

Open WebUI

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

Open WebUI combines model connections, retrieval, extensions, and deployment choices in a self-hosted interface.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
13

DeepSeek
by DeepSeek
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3

Choose DeepSeek if you want a free AI chat assistant with web search and file uploads, accessible on the web and mobile. Its listed free plan includes the assistant and official mobile apps.

7.6 Free plan Visit site
14

Kimi
by Kimi
Free plan WebWindowsMac+2

Kimi offers broad platform availability and plan options with varying task, project, and storage allocations.

7.6 Free plan · 7-day trial Visit site
15

Amazon Q

Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+5

Choose Amazon Q if its developer allowances or business response and consumption options match your work.

7.5 Free plan · paid from $3/user/mo · 60-day trial Visit site
16

Sider
by Sider
Free plan AndroidExtensioniPhone+3

Sider combines browser assistance, automation, content creation, and multi-model chat across desktop, mobile, and web platforms.

7.5 Free plan Visit site
17

Merlin
by Merlin
Free plan WebMaciPhone+1

Choose Merlin if you want a free starting plan with AI tools across web and mobile platforms, plus syncing across devices.

7.5 Free plan Visit site
18

Khoj
by Khoj
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2

Choose Khoj if you want an open-source personal AI that searches your documents and public information, with self-hosting and scheduled research emails.

7.5 Free plan Visit site
19

Lumo
by Lumo
Free plan WebiPhoneAndroid

7.4 Free plan Visit site
20

Yuanbao

Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb

Choose Yuanbao if you want a free assistant that combines chat, search, file uploads, and image generation across web and mobile. Its Tencent service connections are a further reason to consider it.

7.4 Free plan Visit site
21

LibreChat

Free plan APILinuxMac+3

LibreChat combines multiple model providers with agent, search, file, and team features in a self-hosted web application. Consider hosting needs and possible provider charges before using it.

7.4 Free plan Visit site
22

AnythingLLM

Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4

AnythingLLM offers local document and meeting tools alongside mobile, cloud, and self-hosted options. Consider its Windows 11 guidance and paid cloud pricing when choosing a deployment.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $50/mo Visit site
23

Vibe
by VIBE
Free plan WebWindowsMac+3

Vibe offers broad platform coverage and several workspace-oriented capabilities, with a free tier for trying the service.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $14.99/mo Visit site
24

LobeChat

Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+4

LobeChat combines agent collaboration, memory, workflows, and marketplace tools across cloud and self-hosted options.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $12.90/mo Visit site
25

Big-AGI
by Big-AGI
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2

Big-AGI offers broad model access, parallel comparison, and detailed controls, while keeping provider usage costs separate from its plan price.

7.4 Free plan · paid from $9/mo Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

More in AI Tools