ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and more: which AI assistant is worth paying for, and for what.
Chatbots · Buying Guides
Gemini is the best free AI chatbot for most people: its free tier includes image generation, Deep Research and coding tools, with no ads mentioned on Google's plan pages. ChatGPT is the runner-up for unlimited everyday chat, though ads may appear on its free plan.
Chatbots · Buying Guides
Perplexity is the best AI search engine for most people: every answer comes with numbered sources, and its free plan covers practically unlimited basic searches. ChatGPT search is the runner-up, Google AI Mode is the best free option for everyday queries, and Brave Search and Kagi are the picks for privacy.
Chatbots · Buying Guides
ChatGPT is the best AI app for iPhone for most people: it's free to start, creates images, talks back by voice and plugs into Siri. Claude is the runner-up for writing, and Gemini is the best free pick for making images.
Chatbots · Buying Guides
ChatGPT is the best AI chatbot for most people: its free app does more than any rival's, and Plus adds a lot for $20 a month. Claude is the runner-up for writers and coders, and Gemini is the best free and budget pick.
Chatbots · Reviews
Perplexity Pro is worth it if you research topics online several times a week and want answers you can check against their sources. If you mostly write, code or make images, a general-purpose chatbot like ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro is the better buy.
Chatbots · Reviews
Claude Pro is worth $20 a month if you code or write long documents with Claude several times a week. Casual users can stay on the free plan, and all-day users should look at Max.
Chatbots · Reviews
ChatGPT Plus is worth $20 a month if you use ChatGPT most days for writing, coding or images. If you only ask the occasional question, the free plan or the cheaper Go plan is enough.
Chatbots · Comparisons
Gemini is the better choice for most people: at the same price, it adds image and video generation, Google app integration and 5 TB of storage. Claude is the one to pick if you mainly write or code.
Chatbots · Comparisons
Perplexity is the better pick for search and research: every answer comes with numbered citations, and Pro lets you choose models from several AI companies. ChatGPT is the better all-rounder if you also write, code and make images.
Chatbots · Comparisons
ChatGPT is the better AI assistant for most people: it has the stronger free tier, the top-ranked image models and a full coding agent. Gemini is the better buy if you live in Gmail, Google Docs and Android, or want AI video.
Chatbots · Comparisons
ChatGPT is the better pick for most people: it does the most things well, from images and voice to deep research, and its free tier is the most generous. Claude is the one to choose if your work is mostly writing or code.
Chatbots · Comparisons
ChatGPT is the AI most people should pay for: it does the most things well. Claude is the better pick for serious writing and coding, and Gemini is the smart buy if you live in Gmail and Google Docs.
