Category · 20 tools · 25 comparisons
AI chatbots
General-purpose AI assistants for writing, research and analysis, compared on plans, usage limits and which models each tier gets.
At a glance
- Tools tracked
- 20
- Entry plans
- $4.17–$59/mo
- Typical entry plan
- $15/mo
- Free plan
- 17 of 20
- Cheapest paid
- Poe, $4.17/mo
- Best value score
- BoltAI, 7.5/10
Every tool we cover
Price tracker →| Tool | Score | From | Top listed plan | Free plan | Trial | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 BoltAIBoltAI | 7.7 | $59/mo | — | No | 14 days | ReviewAlternatives |
 ClaudeClaude | 7.2 | $17/mo | $200/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 ChatPlaygroundChatPlayground | 7.2 | $15/mo* | $25/mo | No | 7 days | Review |
 TypingMindTypingMind | 7.2 | $39/mo* | $1,558.33/mo | Yes | 14 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 LobeChatLobeChat | 7.2 | $18/mo | $180/mo | Yes | — | Review |
 DeepSeekDeepSeek | 7.0 | Free* | — | Yes | Yes | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Skywork AISkywork AI | 7.0 | $12.50/mo* | $158.32/mo | Yes | 7 days | ReviewPricing |
 ChatGPTChatGPT | 6.8 | $8/mo* | $100/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft Copilot | 6.8 | $16.67/mo* | $200/mo | Yes | 1 month | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 PerplexityPerplexity | 6.8 | $17/mo* | $271/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Merlin AIMerlin AI | 6.8 | $15/mo* | $19/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 MonicaMonica | 6.5 | $8.30/mo* | $82.90/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Le ChatLe Chat | 6.2 | $14.99/mo* | $24.99/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricing |
 KimiKimi | 6.2 | $15/mo* | $31/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricing |
 MagaiMagai | 6.2 | $20/mo* | $200/mo | No | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 GeminiGemini | 6.1 | $4.99/mo* | $199.99/mo | Yes | 1 month | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Venice AIVenice AI | 6.0 | $15/mo | $180/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 GrokGrok | 5.6 | $8/mo* | $2,000/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 PoePoe | 5.6 | $4.17/mo* | $83.33/mo | Yes | — | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
 Z.aiZ.ai | 5.2 | $12.60/mo* | $117.60/mo | Yes | 5 days | ReviewPricingAlternatives |
* Lower confidence: the vendor's pricing page couldn't be read directly or didn't list every price, so the figure was compiled from other public sources and may be incomplete. Check the vendor's page before you buy.
Head-to-head
ClaudevsChatGPTClaude vs ChatGPT
GeminivsChatGPTGemini vs ChatGPT
GrokvsChatGPTGrok vs ChatGPT
DeepSeekvsChatGPTDeepSeek vs ChatGPT
PerplexityvsChatGPTPerplexity vs ChatGPT
GrokvsGeminiGrok vs Gemini
Microsoft CopilotvsChatGPTMicrosoft Copilot vs ChatGPT
KimivsClaudeKimi vs Claude
PerplexityvsClaudePerplexity vs Claude
ClaudevsDeepSeekClaude vs DeepSeek
KimivsChatGPTKimi vs ChatGPT
Venice AIvsChatGPTVenice AI vs ChatGPT
DeepSeekvsKimiDeepSeek vs Kimi
Microsoft CopilotvsClaudeMicrosoft Copilot vs Claude
ClaudevsLe ChatClaude vs Le Chat
DeepSeekvsGrokDeepSeek vs Grok
Microsoft CopilotvsGeminiMicrosoft Copilot vs Gemini
PerplexityvsGeminiPerplexity vs Gemini
PoevsChatGPTPoe vs ChatGPT
DeepSeekvsZ.aiDeepSeek vs Z.ai
ChatGPTvsZ.aiChatGPT vs Z.ai
ClaudevsGeminiClaude vs Gemini
ChatGPTvsChatPlaygroundChatGPT vs ChatPlayground
Microsoft CopilotvsPerplexityMicrosoft Copilot vs Perplexity
Merlin AIvsPerplexityMerlin AI vs Perplexity
Highest scored
BoltAIBoltAI
A feature-rich Mac AI hub; the $59 sale is appealing, but updates and stability deserve scrutiny.
ClaudeClaude
A capable all-rounder, but check the usage limits before paying for more.
ChatPlaygroundChatPlayground
Good for comparing models; less compelling if you need unlimited images or dependable lifetime access.
AI chatbots: quick answers
How much do AI chatbots cost?
Paid plans for the 20 AI chatbots we track start between $4.17 and $59 a month, and the typical entry plan is about $15 a month. 17 of them have a free plan. Prices are the vendors' own, checked Nov 7, 2026; most quote the per-month price when billed annually.
Which AI chatbot is the cheapest?
Which AI chatbots have a free plan?
Claude, TypingMind, LobeChat, DeepSeek, Skywork AI, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Merlin AI, Monica, Le Chat, Kimi, Gemini, Venice AI, Grok, Poe and Z.ai have a free plan. BoltAI and ChatPlayground offer a free trial instead. Free plans are usually capped on usage, seats or features; each review lists the limits.
Which AI chatbot scores highest in our reviews?
BoltAI scores highest at 7.7/10. A feature-rich Mac AI hub; the $59 sale is appealing, but updates and stability deserve scrutiny.