What general AI chatbots tools are for
General AI chatbots let you ask questions, develop text and examine files through a conversation. They suit people whose work moves between writing, understanding information and preparing practical tasks. You explain what you need, provide relevant context and refine the request as the exchange continues. Previously, turning scattered meeting notes into an email meant rereading everything and building a draft yourself. With a chatbot, you can supply those notes, request a structured draft and review the wording before sending it. Claude can write and edit text, while LibreChat brings several model providers into a shared interface. Available features depend on the service and the access you enable. The practical benefit comes from iteration: you can ask for a clearer explanation, change the tone or revise a passage while keeping the surrounding discussion available for reference.
Example uses:
- Turn your working notes into a structured email, then review its wording before sending it.
- Request an accessible explanation of a technical concept using your background and current task as context.
- Examine an uploaded file to identify topics that need closer reading in the original document.
- Prepare a report draft from supplied material, then check its claims before sharing it with colleagues.
- Ask for an explanation of unfamiliar code and examples related to the problem you are investigating.
The main tools at a glance
Gemini 85/100
Gemini is a chatbot for people who want to ask questions, draft documents, or work on code. It also creates images from descriptions and conducts in-depth research on the Web. Features: Answer questions in conversation; Help write and fix code; Create images from a description. Entry price: $4.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, and Android. Data hosting: Several regions.
ChatGPT 83/100
ChatGPT helps people write texts, search for information, and analyze files and tables. It also supports image creation and editing, voice conversations, explanations of concepts, and study revision. Features: Write and improve texts; Search for information on the Web; Analyze files and tables. Entry price: $8 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, Windows, macOS, iPhone and iPad, and Android. Data hosting: Several regions.
LibreChat 83/100
LibreChat brings multiple model providers into one interface for chatbot users. It supports creating agents connected to external tools, analyzing files, running code, and searching, importing, or exporting conversations. Features: Chat with multiple model providers in one interface; Create agents connected to external tools; Search your previous conversations. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser and API. Data hosting: On device.
Claude 76/100
Claude writes texts, analyzes documents and images, and writes or explains code. It serves people who want to create documents and spreadsheets or search for information on the web. Features: Write and correct texts; Analyze documents and images; Write and explain code. Entry price: $200 per year, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, Windows, macOS, iPhone and iPad, Android, browser extension, and API.
Mistral Vibe 71/100
Mistral Vibe searches for information with source citations and analyzes documents and spreadsheets. It serves people who want to write reports, create presentations or write and test code. Features: Search for information and cite sources; Analyze documents and spreadsheets; Write reports and emails. Entry price: $14.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, and Android. Data hosting: European Union.
Poe 70/100
Poe lets chatbot users talk with multiple AI models and create assistants with their own instructions. It also supports sharing conversation excerpts, accessing models through an API, and group conversations with assistants. Features: Chat with multiple AI models; Create an assistant with your own instructions; Share conversation excerpts. Entry price: $4.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, and API.
Grok 66/100
Grok answers questions, searches the web and X, and analyzes files and images. It serves people who want to generate images and videos or speak with an assistant. Features: Answer questions in conversation; Search the web and X; Analyze files and images. Entry price: $8 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android, and API.
Kimi 65/100
Kimi answers questions, searches the web and analyzes long documents. It serves people who want to create presentations, process documents and tables, or get help writing code and building applications. Features: Answer questions and search the web; Analyze long documents; Create presentations. Free tier available. Runs on: web browser, iPhone and iPad, browser extension, and API. Data hosting: China.
HuggingChat 65/100
HuggingChat is for people who want to chat with different open models or get help writing code. Users can choose a model manually or let a router select a suitable one. Features: Chat with different open models; Choose a model manually; Let a router select a suitable model. Entry price: $9 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser. Data hosting: United States.
Microsoft Copilot 63/100
Microsoft Copilot helps people ask questions, search for information on the web, and generate images. It also summarizes files and accesses connected services when permission is granted. Features: Answer questions; Search for information on the web; Generate images. Entry price: $9.99 per month, with a free tier. Runs on: web browser, Windows, macOS, iPhone and iPad, and Android.
The category in figures
Of the 20 tools in the category, 19 (95%) offer a free tier, 50% have a public API and 12 have a French interface. The median entry price, per month, is $9.5 (across 10 tools with a published price). 11 disclose where data is hosted, 3 of them in Europe or on device.
All general AI chatbots tools
Click a header to sort. Data checked on official sites, October 24, 2026.
| Tool | Free | Entry price | API | Data | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Gemini is a chatbot for people who want to ask questions, draft documents, or work on code. It also creates images from descriptions and conducts in-d | Yes | $4.99 per month | Yes | Several regions | 85 |
| ChatGPT ChatGPT helps people write texts, search for information, and analyze files and tables. It also supports image creation and editing, voice conversatio | Yes | $8 per month | Yes | Several regions | 83 |
| LibreChat LibreChat brings multiple model providers into one interface for chatbot users. It supports creating agents connected to external tools, analyzing fil | Yes | not published | Yes | On device | 83 |
| Claude Claude writes texts, analyzes documents and images, and writes or explains code. It serves people who want to create documents and spreadsheets or sea | Yes | $200 per year | Yes | Not disclosed | 76 |
| Mistral Vibe Mistral Vibe searches for information with source citations and analyzes documents and spreadsheets. It serves people who want to write reports, creat | Yes | $14.99 per month | – | European Union | 71 |
| Poe Poe lets chatbot users talk with multiple AI models and create assistants with their own instructions. It also supports sharing conversation excerpts, | Yes | $4.99 per month | Yes | Not disclosed | 70 |
| Grok Grok answers questions, searches the web and X, and analyzes files and images. It serves people who want to generate images and videos or speak with a | Yes | $8 per month | Yes | Not disclosed | 66 |
| Kimi Kimi answers questions, searches the web and analyzes long documents. It serves people who want to create presentations, process documents and tables, | Yes | not published | Yes | China | 65 |
| HuggingChat HuggingChat is for people who want to chat with different open models or get help writing code. Users can choose a model manually or let a router sele | Yes | $9 per month | – | United States | 65 |
| Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Copilot helps people ask questions, search for information on the web, and generate images. It also summarizes files and accesses connected | Yes | $9.99 per month | – | Not disclosed | 63 |
| Qwen Qwen helps people ask questions in a conversation, write and understand code, and conduct research. It also analyzes images and documents and generate | Yes | not published | Yes | Several regions | 58 |
| Meta AI Meta AI is for people seeking answers using web information or conversations through text and voice. It also supports image creation and editing, remi | Yes | not published | – | Not disclosed | 56 |
| Z.ai Z.ai lets people seeking help with programming or questions requiring multiple steps interact with GLM models. It also offers presentation creation al | Yes | $12.6 per month | Yes | Not disclosed | 56 |
| DeepSeek DeepSeek is for people asking questions in conversation, writing text, or rephrasing existing content. It also offers help with writing code and analy | Yes | $0 pay as you go | Yes | Not disclosed | 53 |
| Dola Dola serves people who want to ask questions through text or voice, write content, and translate texts. It also summarizes files and web pages and cre | Yes | not published | – | Several regions | 53 |
| ERNIE Bot ERNIE Bot serves people who want conversational answers, creative or commercial writing, and content summaries or explanations. It also solves logic a | Yes | not published | – | China | 48 |
| Falcon Falcon lets users chat with Falcon models to write and summarize texts or ask technical questions. Users can also download models to run on their own | Yes | not published | – | Not disclosed | 48 |
| Together Chat Together Chat lets people using AI assistants converse with several language models. It supports web searches with sources, code generation and correc | Yes | not published | – | Several regions | 43 |
| AICamp AICamp lets teams chat with multiple models in one workspace and query internal documents. It supports shared assistants, a reusable prompt library, m | No | $10 per month | – | European Union | 38 |
| 智谱清言 (ChatGLM) 智谱清言 (ChatGLM) lets users ask questions in a conversation and write text or code. It also analyzes documents, creates presentations, and generates ima | Yes | not published | – | Not disclosed | 38 |
Also useful
These tools belong to another category but also cover this need:
- PyGPT PyGPT lets users chat with local or remote models and query their files on Windows, macOS and Linux. It also s
- Jan Jan helps people run models on their computers and chat with local or remote models. It offers model downloads
- OpenRouter OpenRouter calls multiple models through a single API and compares their responses side by side. It serves peo
- GPT4All GPT4All helps people download and run models on their own computer and chat without a cloud service. It suppor
- Msty Msty lets people using local or remote models chat with them and ask questions about their documents. It also
- Sider Sider lets browser users access multiple models in a sidebar, summarize pages and YouTube videos, and ask ques
- Monica Monica lets users chat with multiple AI models, summarize pages and videos, and ask questions about PDFs. It a
- Merlin Merlin helps people query several models through one interface. It summarizes pages and videos, analyzes docum
- Slashspace Slashspace organizes conversations on a canvas and lets users create branches from responses. It serves people
- Pi Pi helps people hold written or spoken conversations with an assistant. Users can explore ideas and topics, pr
- LogicBalls LogicBalls helps people write texts from a request and clarify their needs through questions. It brings severa
- Anakin.ai Anakin.ai lets people build AI applications without programming. It chains processing steps in a workflow, use
Choosing well and avoiding pitfalls
Compare services using your own questions, writing samples and representative files. Look at how well each follows instructions, handles ambiguity and acknowledges missing information. Test French support if your work involves French material. Check accepted file formats, export options and conversation search when you expect to revisit earlier work. Review the integrations you need and the permissions they require. For sensitive material, examine retention, deletion and the use of conversations for model improvement. Finally, compare the charging model with your actual workflow, including file analysis, web access and any features restricted to particular plans.
Fluent answers can include factual mistakes, invented references or assumptions that you did not intend. A chatbot may also overlook context buried in a conversation. Check important claims against original material and ask it to identify uncertainty. Share personal information only when necessary and permitted. Review generated wording for unintended meaning or copied passages. If you connect external tools, restrict their permissions and review consequential actions before allowing the assistant to carry them out on your behalf.
To compare with the cost of using an AI model directly, see the API price calculator.
Free or paid?
Free plans generally let you try conversations and selected writing or file features. Restrictions may affect available models, uploads, usage frequency or access to earlier exchanges. Paying becomes useful when these limits regularly interrupt your work, or when you need shared workspaces, additional data controls or integrations that the free plan does not include.
Tools in the category with a free tier: Gemini, ChatGPT, LibreChat, Claude, Mistral Vibe, Poe, Grok, and Kimi.
For which jobs?
The profiles that use these tools most, based on the use cases documented by publishers: developers, students, content writers, data analysts, researchers, and marketers.
Related categories
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tool to chat with a general-purpose AI?
On our access and transparency grid, Gemini (85/100), ChatGPT (83/100), and LibreChat (83/100) come first. Test two of them on your own examples: output quality depends a lot on your case.
Are there free tools?
Yes, 19 of 20 tools have a free tier, often limited in volume: Gemini, ChatGPT, LibreChat, and Claude.
Can a chatbot replace a web search?
It can help you understand a topic and decide what to search for. For current or verifiable information, use a service with web search and open the linked sources. A conversational answer by itself does not establish whether its information is up to date or accurately attributed.
How do I get an answer that fits my task?
Explain your goal, intended audience and the material the chatbot should use. Specify the output format and any important constraints. You can then correct assumptions or request a focused revision. Supplying an example of a suitable result often makes your expectations easier to understand and follow.
Can I upload work documents?
Check your organisation’s rules and the service’s terms before uploading professional material. Review who can access files, how long they remain stored and whether they may support model improvement. Remove information that the task does not require and use an approved workspace for confidential documents.
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