| Claude Pro by Anthropic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Claude Pro unlocks premium access to the Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku AI models—all equipped with multimodal vision capabilities for analyzing images, charts, and documents. Built for speed and intelligence, these upgraded models deliver sharper reasoning, 5x higher usage limits than the free tier, and priority access during high traffic for uninterrupted workflows. | Claude's ability to handle many file types, including documents and images, makes it ideal for a wide range of productivity tasks. With the largest context window among AI assistants, capable of processing around 150,000 words, Claude can tackle even the most complex and lengthy projects with ease. | 175 countries | Paid | No | Yes, but no support for voice features | No | PDF, DOCX, CSV, TXT, HTML, ODT, RTF, and EPUB. | Beginner | Late 2023 to Mid 2024 | Anthropic trains its models on prompt data but takes steps to de-identify it before using it for model training. They do not use customer data to train models unless the conversations are flagged for Trust & Safety review or the user has explicitly given permission. |
| ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4) by OpenAI | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) delivers cutting-edge multimodal AI (text, image, voice) with mobile voice chats, desktop workflows (coding/data), and custom GPTs. The o1 and o1-mini models are great for complex reasoning tasks and coding. | Ideal for creators, developers, and professionals needing cutting-edge versatility, it edges out rivals with seamless cross-device integration and rapid model updates—though competitors like Copilot Pro better serve Microsoft-centric workflows. | 188 countries | Paid | Yes | Yes, with mobile support for voice and vision features. | Yes, depends on model. | Now handles almost any document, data file, or any document you want to analyze. Common file types are: TXT, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, HTML, JSON, PY, RTF, ODT, PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and GIF. | Intermediate | Late 2023 to Mid 2024 | Users can opt out of data training, but you'll lose features like past conversation access and Advanced Data Analysis. All conversations are stored for 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deleted. |
| Claude by Anthropic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Using Claude feels more like having a natural conversation — making it seem more relatable and sometimes more professional. The go-to for basic use if you want quality but don't want to pay. | Processing large documents, organizing information, managing projects. Claude's ability to handle many file types makes it ideal for productivity tasks involving documents. | 175 countries | Free | No | Yes, but no support for voice features | No | PDF, DOCX, CSV, TXT, HTML, ODT, RTF, and EPUB. | Beginner | Late 2023 to Mid 2024 | Anthropic trains its models on prompt data but takes steps to de-identify it and requires explicit user permission to use conversations for model training. They have guidelines against certain use-cases like targeted political campaigns and require businesses to have a "human in the loop" while disclosing the use of their services to customers. |
| Perplexity AI | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | A great place to start before upgrading to Pro. Perplexity’s free tier offers accessible AI-powered search for casual users, delivering unlimited quick answers with basic models (Claude 3 Haiku) for everyday queries like fact-checking or travel tips. The 3–5 daily Pro Searches are great for deeper research, limited file analysis (PDFs, text), and collaboration in shared Spaces. | Research that requires the most up-to-date information with citations. Summaries of text, personalized answers based on interest and past search history. Tasks which require highly accurate and complete information. | Available globally but may be limited by local regulations regarding AI services | Free | No | Yes | Yes | 3 files/day of plain text, PDFs, and code files. | Intermediate | Essentially up-to-date since it is connected to the web but knowledge cut offs of specific models may apply. | Collects device and account information for analytics and service improvement but does not knowingly collect sensitive data. Your personal information is securely stored, not sold or shared with third parties except for specified services, and will be deleted upon account deactivation within 30 days. |
| Perplexity AI Pro | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The gold standard on steroids with practically unlimited interactive searches — making it the go-to search companion. Get access to a wide range of models like Claude Sonnet, Gemini 2, o1 reasoning, Perplexity's in-house models, and Mistral's open-source model. Manage project with Spaces and now includes AI-powered shopping assitance. | Research that requires up-to-date information, image generation, and when you want to test out writing capabilities among the best models like Claude Sonnet, o1, and open-source models. Also great for answering questions, summarizing articles and web pages, and exploring topics in-depth. | Available globally but may be limited by local regulations regarding AI services | Paid | No | Yes | Yes | Unlimited uploads of plain text, PDFs, code files, and images. | Intermediate | Essentially up-to-date since it is connected to the web but knowledge cut offs of specific models may apply. | Collects device and account information for analytics and service improvement but does not knowingly collect sensitive data. Your personal information is securely stored, not sold or shared with third parties except for specified services, and will be deleted upon account deactivation within 30 days. |
| Poe by Quora | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Access to multiple LLMs from Meta, Mistral, OpenAI, Anthropic, StableDiffusion, and more) is great but can be confusing for non-experts. Similar pricing to ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo. | You want to access multiple LLMs from one platform. Desktop version is a nice feature. | No official list, but available globally | Free and Paid | No | Yes | Specific "bots" may be able to access the web | TXT, DOCX, PDF, and other text based formats. | Intermediate to Advanced | Depends on bot type | Varies by LLM used. Third-party LLM providers and bot developers may receive details about your interactions with Poe (e.g., chat contents, upvotes) to provide and improve their services. However, your Poe user account information (e.g., username and email) is not shared with any third-party LLMs or developers |
| ChatGPT (free version) by OpenAI | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The free tier now offers metered access to OpenAI's most advanced model (including reasoning models). A great place to start if you want to see if the functionality fits your needs. Limited access to Advanced Voice Mode for multi-modal acess. | Brainstorming ideas, summarizing information, simple Q&A where some incorrect facts are acceptable. The speed makes it good for drafting and iterating quickly. | 188 countries | Free | No | Yes, with mobile support for voice and vision features. | Yes, depends on model. | None | Beginner | Late 2023 to Mid 2024 | Users can opt out of data training, but you'll lose features like past conversation access. All conversations are stored for 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deleted. |
| Pi by Inflection | ⭐⭐⭐ | Has empathy but can be frustratingly slow. Use when you want a patient listener, not quick answers. | Having an empathetic conversation, exploring ideas, journaling, mental health applications where emotional intelligence is needed. | No official list | Free | No | Yes | Cannot access the internet directly, but does have real-time access to fresh information from across the Web. | None | Beginner | Unknown | Uses de-identified conversations to improve our AI while never selling or sharing data without explicit permission. De-identified means removing all personal identifiers like name, phone number, and email from the conversation logs. |
| Microsoft Copilot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Microsoft Copilot Free includes real-time AI insights, 15 daily image boosts (DALL-E 3), and basic voice interactions across devices, but excludes Microsoft 365 app integration (Word, Excel, Outlook). Free users face restricted model access during peak times and lack priority GPT-4 Turbo, workflow automation, or early feature previews—upgrade to Pro for advanced tools. | Ideal for casual users, students, or creatives needing 15 daily image boosts, basic voice/web answers, and lightweight AI tasks—without Microsoft 365 app access. | Most countries where Microsoft does business, except for China. | Free | No | Yes | Yes, through Bing Search | JPEG, PNG, WebP. Can display and analyze images. | Beginner | Unknown — likely similar to GPT-4 | Microsoft uses both automated and manual reviews of prompts shared with Bing to respond to and monitor inappropriate behavior. |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Microsoft Copilot Pro ($20/month with 1-month free trial) delivers priority GPT-4 Turbo access, 100 daily AI image boosts (vs. 15 in free), and seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) for drafting, data analysis, and presentations. Ideal for power users needing advanced tools beyond the free tier’s limits. | Use if you are in the Microsoft/Windows ecosystem and want integration with Microsoft 365 apps. | Most countries where Microsoft does business, except for China. | Paid | Yes | Yes | Yes, through Bing Search. | JPEG, PNG, GIF, and SVG | Beginner to intermediate | Unknown | Microsoft uses both automated and manual reviews of prompts shared with Bing to respond to and monitor inappropriate behavior. |
| Google Gemini | ⭐⭐⭐ | Gemini Free is ideal for experimentation and light tasks but lacks the depth required for professional workflows. For heavy research, coding, or enterprise needs, upgrading to Gemini Advanced or exploring alternatives like ChatGPT Plus is recommended | Image analysis, tasks where connections to Google Apps is important, writing tasks, translation, and code generation. | 239 countries | Free | Yes, to other Google applications | Yes | No longer available | JPEG, PNG, WebP. Can display and analyze images. | Beginner | Late 2024 | Collects user conversations, location, and usage metrics to enhance its accuracy and usefulness. By default, conversations are stored for up to 18 months, though users can alter this setting. Google selects a subset of conversations and uses automated tools to help remove personally identifiable information to protect user privacy |
| Google Gemini Advanced | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | New updates include Gemini Advanced with Deep Research make the tool awesome for resarch-intensive tasks and sysnthsiszing information. Writers will benefit from human-lik prose, while developers get some great code outputs. | Image analysis, code generation, and advanced writing. | 160 countries | Paid | Yes, to other Google applications | Yes | No longer available | JPEG, PNG, WebP. Can display and analyze images. | Intermediate | Late 2024 | Collects user conversations, location, and usage metrics to enhance its accuracy and usefulness. By default, conversations are stored for up to 18 months, though users can alter this setting. Google selects a subset of conversations and uses automated tools to help remove personally identifiable information to protect user privacy |
| DeepSeek | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | DeepSeek Chat is a powerhouse when it comes to reasoning and search tasks - think of it as GPT-4's scrappy open-source cousin that's not afraid to get technical. Its standout feature is how it methodically breaks down complex problems and searches through information, though it sometimes needs a gentle nudge to stay on track. Essentially a free version of OpenAI's o1. | DeepSeek Chat is best deployed when you need a model that excels at technical reasoning, complex problem-solving, and detailed code generation. It's particularly valuable for developers and researchers who require in-depth analytical responses or step-by-step problem decomposition, especially in mathematical and programming contexts. | Unknown | Free | No | Yes | Yes | JPEG, PNG, PDF | Intermediate | Mid 2024 | DeepSeek collects user conversations, profile information, device data, and usage metrics to enhance its accuracy, functionality, and safety. By default, user input, chat history, and other interactions are stored as long as the account is active, though users can manage or delete their chat history and account. DeepSeek uses automated tools and manual reviews to detect and address abuse, fraud, or illegal activity, while complying with legal obligations and protecting user privacy. Information is stored on servers in China, and users have rights to access, correct, or delete their data, depending on their location. |
| ChatGPT Pro | ⭐⭐⭐ | ChatGPT Pro is a premium tier ($200/month) designed for power users, researchers, and businesses requiring unlimited access to advanced models (e.g., o1 Pro, GPT-4o) for reasoning. While powerful, it may be overkill for casual users due to high costs and slower response times for simple queries. Includes access to Operator Agent, Scheduled Tasks, and Sora. | Ideal for complex, high-stakes tasks in fields like data science, coding, legal analysis, medical research, or advanced technical problem-solving. Suited for professionals needing maximum reliability, accuracy, and computational depth. | 175 countries | Paid | No | Yes | Yes, depends on model. | PDF | Advanced | 10/1/2023 | Adheres to OpenAI’s privacy policies, including data deletion requests. However, concerns persist about hallucinations, data misuse, and compliance with regulations like the EU AI Act. |
