Practical AI for Everyone

There are so many AI chatbots out there now (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot etc.): Which one to use? Does ChatGPT even have any competition (spoiler: it does)? Figuring this out can be annoying, especially facing tons of jargon and vague marketing promises…

One thing is clear: Recent advances in chatbots powered by GenAI and innovative startups opened doors for individuals and businesses. They now have access to sophisticated tools to enhance all areas of their lives.

Let’s explore the “cream of the crop” of GenAI chatbots – not just OpenAI’s ChatGPT but also other notable options in the market. I’ll explain what makes each one stand out, use cases they’re suited to, their cost and share some firsthand impressions. You can find the summarized results in a handy table cheat sheet at the end of this article, too. 😉

Heads-up: Given the changing nature of this field, this post doesn’t claim “100% completeness”. There may be bots/aspects I missed. Please share such findings in the comments. I’ll periodically update this article (last update is in the title). This article reflects the perspective of individual users and doesn’t serve as a recommendation for organizations (which would need a different analysis).

Table of Contents

OpenAI’s ChatGPT: “The Allrounder”

What it is: ChatGPT is a versatile AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. The advanced GPT-4o model powers it which delivers strong performance. It also offers multimodal capabilities for processing both text and images.

Who it is for: Ideal for both casual and professional users – across a broad audience range. It serves for creative tasks, coding, brainstorming and learning.

What sets it apart: ChatGPT differentiates itself with the GPT-4(o) model. It offers multimodal inputs and outputs and real-time voice interaction. The app is accessible on wide platforms like web, iOS and Android. Features include “custom instructions” or “Custom GPTs” for personalized experiences. You also have an option to turn off the usage of your chat data for model training.

Where it may lack: ChatGPT’s image generation is for paid users and the chatbot can still give plausible yet incorrect responses. Advanced features and availability, especially for free tier users, are limited.

How much it costs: It is free for most useful features, while Plus costs $20/month for priority access and quicker responses. Team subscriptions are at $25/user/month, with enterprise deals on request.

Microsoft Copilot: “Office Powerhouse”

What it is: Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant for the Microsoft Office suite, designed to enhance productivity and creativity. It integrates with apps like Edge, Bing, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

Who it is for: Ideal for professionals in the Microsoft Office environment. Copilot can boost productivity and workflow efficiency, acting as a versatile tool for document and data management.

What sets it apart: Microsoft Copilot’s integration with the Microsoft Office suite is a notable “USP.” It offers many features like generating Excel formulas and designing PowerPoint presentations from simple prompts. It also summarizes email threads in Outlook and drafts documents in Word. It leverages OpenAI’s latest GPT / o series models under the hood for high speed and performance.

Where it may lack: Copilot’s functionality is mostly confined to the Microsoft ecosystem, limiting its utility for users outside this environment. Additionally, a Microsoft Office subscription is required to access its full capabilities. This might not be ideal for users not already committed to Microsoft products.

How much it costs: It has pricing plans starting at $20 per user/month for Copilot Pro, focusing on individuals. For businesses, it costs $30 per user/month with Copilot for Microsoft 365, including broader features and enhanced security features.

Google Gemini (formerly Bard): “Next Level Googling”

What it is: Google Gemini is an AI chatbot developed by DeepMind. It aims to improve your productivity through a sophisticated integration with Google Workspace. It handles a variety of inputs, including text, images, audio and video (multimodal).

Who it is for: Ideal for those entrenched in the Google ecosystem who need sophisticated AI for professional tasks, document analysis and creative endeavors. Gemini serves as a helpful tool for Workspace users.

What sets it apart: Gemini stands out with its unmatched context capacity (Millions of input tokens) which allows for deep analysis across extensive text. It offers seamless integration with Google apps. This integration enables advanced functionalities like Smart Reply and data analysis. Its speech interaction capabilities are notable. Developer-friendly API customization options make it a versatile AI assistant within the Google ecosystem.

Where it may lack: Gemini excels within the Google ecosystem but is less versatile outside of it. Its full benefits need a subscription, potentially limiting appeal for casual users or non-Google users. Additionally, feature availability may vary by region.

How much it costs: It is available in a free basic version; its advanced version is priced at $19.99/month, offering full access to new models and tools. The API uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model and a premium free trial may also be available (at least for now).

Anthropic’s Claude: “The Brain”

What it is: Anthropic’s Claude is an AI model skilled in cognitive and creative tasks. It features high performance in reasoning, coding, vision analysis and multilingual processing with its latest models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Who it is for: Designed for power users needing a highly intelligent AI for complex projects requiring advanced reasoning. These tasks include document processing and code generation.

What sets it apart: Claude offers superior reasoning and context comprehension. It has a large input capacity of 200k tokens. Additionally, it includes multimodal functionalities for handling text and images. It features enhanced analysis and collaboration tools like Artifacts and Projects, setting standards in content generation. Optimized for accuracy/less errors, it’s designed also for professional use cases.

Where it may lack: Claude’s advanced features are mainly accessible through paid plans, which may not be suitable for casual users or limited budgets. Notably, Claude does not have web access (yet) and responds based on its limited training data.

How much it costs: The pricing tiers include a Free plan with daily limits. There is also a Pro plan (for individuals) at $20/month and a Team plan at $30/user/month. It also offers a pay-as-you-go API for variable needs.

Perplexity: “The Academic Researcher”

What it is: Perplexity is an advanced conversational AI search tool. It offers accurate and (fairly) reliable answers. This is achieved by blending GenAI models with search engine capabilities.

Who it is for: Ideal for students, researchers and professionals seeking reliable, comprehensive and well-cited information.

What sets it apart: Perplexity stands out by integrating innovative AI models like GPT-4 Turbo and Claude 3. That enhances research with real-time searches and detailed answers with citations. It’s user-friendly and supports diverse functions like file uploads, tailored for both academic and professional use.

Where it may lack: The free version has limits and there can be issues with citation accuracy. It’s less versatile outside research tasks, too.

How much it costs: Perplexity is available for free, with a Pro plan at $20/month offering advanced features and unlimited uploads. API access comes with variable costs based on use.

Inflection’s PI: The “Empath”

What it is: Inflection’s Pi is a versatile AI assistant. It offers a blend of emotional and intellectual support. It is suitable for a range of tasks, emphasizing both personal and professional applications.

Who it is for: Ideal for those seeking an “empathetic” (as far as it gets) AI for assistance in studies, coding, planning or engaging conversations.

What sets it apart: Pi seeks to differentiate itself with “emotional intelligence”, personalized interactions and “human touch”, backed by the Inflection-2.5 model. It also features real-time web search. It is accessible on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web). Its API development is still WIP.

Where it may lack: Pi’s limitations include text-only inputs, lacking image or video capabilities yet. Despite its “mature impression” it is of course not suited for advice in fields like legal, financial, or medical. Certain advanced features may be restricted to future paid plans and its scope beyond personal assistance could be narrower than the other chatbots.

How much it costs: As of now, Pi is available for free. However, Inflection AI plans to introduce a paid subscription model that will include additional features.

Quora’s Poe: “Jack of All Trades”

What it is: Poe by Quora, combines multiple artificial intelligence models for tasks like text or image generation all in one place.

Who it is for: Ideal for those needing a “multipurpose AI” for varied tasks, from creative endeavors to technical projects. It’s catering to both personal and professional uses.

What sets it apart: Poe sets itself apart as a “hub” for diverse AI models incl. DALL-E 3 for image creation or GPT-4 for text etc. Features like custom chatbot-building and real-time web search capabilities provide useful tools for multimedia and personalized AI experiences.

Where it may lack: Extensive access to premium models like GPT-4 requires a subscription, potentially limiting its appeal for price-sensitive users. It might also lack specialized features compared to other AI tools. Free tier limitations could restrict usage for frequent users.

How much it costs: Poe offers a free tier with basic features and limited access to advanced models. The Pro plan is available for $19.99 per month, providing extensive access to models like GPT-4, Claude etc.

HuggingChat: “ChatGPT’s Open-Source Cousin”

What it is: HuggingChat by Hugging Face, is an open-source platform. It offers access to diverse AI models for text generation, coding, and more – streamlining advanced AI applications.

Who it is for: Targeted at developers, researchers and open-source enthusiasts, HuggingChat offers a versatile AI toolset for various applications. It effectively presents an open alternative to ChatGPT.

What sets it apart: HuggingChat shines with its support for various AI models like Cohere’s Command R+, Meta’s Llama 3 and more. It augments its versatility with capabilities in web search, image generation, document parsing and code assistance. These features are backed by Hugging Face’s comprehensive ecosystem and community resources.

Where it may lack: HuggingChat may face issues of inaccuracy or bias and requires a higher technical expertise for full utilization. This is especially true if you choose to work with more “experimental” models.

How much it costs: It is free, with advanced features and enterprise solutions available starting at $20/month and GPU usage from $0.60/hour.

DuckDuckGo AI Chat: “John Doe’s Best Friend”

What it is: DuckDuckGo AI Chat is a private AI chat service within the DuckDuckGo search engine. It offers anonymous interactions with several AI models. It apparently does not track or store your personal data.

Who it is for: Designed for those valuing privacy. DuckDuckGo AI Chat is for users seeking AI interactions “rather under the radar” without expecting the most advanced features.

What sets it apart: DuckDuckGo AI Chat excels with advanced privacy, anonymizing queries by removing IPs and not storing chat histories for model training. It offers a variety of AI models, like GPT-3.5 Turbo and Claude 3 Haiku. This dedication to anonymity, choice and usability differentiates it from its competitors.

Where it may lack: DuckDuckGo AI Chat may not always provide the latest information. This is due to the absence of real-time web search functionality. Its beta phase can result in less reliable responses and user experiences. Daily limits for the free tier could also restrict usage for some “power users”.

How much it costs: It offers a free tier with usage limits. There are plans to roll out a premium version for increased limits and potentially other benefits. Pricing for this has not been disclosed.

Wrapping it Up: One Size Doesn’t Fit All!

As promised, here’s the comparison of all leading AI chatbots at your fingertips, to find the right one(s) for your needs:

AI Chatbots	What it is	Who it is for	What sets it apart	Where it may lack	How much it costs
ChatGPT	Versatile AI chatbot by OpenAI	Everyday users who want “AI swiss army knife“	GPT-4o model, multimodal, voice chat, customizable	Image generation for paid users, sometimes subpar availability	Free tier with strong features; $20/month Plus
Microsoft Copilot	AI assistant to enrich the Microsoft Office Suite	Similar to above & MSFT Office power users	Seamless Office Integration; multimodality	Outside MSFT ecosystem & Office subscription	Powerful free features; $20/user/month for Pro
Google Gemini	Generalist AI assistant by Google DeepMind	Google Workspace power users looking for generalist AI	Long context window, Google apps integration, multimodal	Limited outside Google ecosystem	Solid free basic version; $19.99/month Advanced
Anthropic’s Claude	AI assistant for cognitive & creative tasks	Power users needing more sophistication	Adv. reasoning, 200k tokens context, multimodal	Premium features mainly paid, no web access	Free with limits; $20/month Pro
Perplexity	AI-powered conversational search tool	Students, researchers, professionals	Real-time web search, detailed answers & citations	Limited outside research, free version limits	Free basic features; $20/month Pro
Inflection’s Pi	AI assistant for empathetic support	Users seeking supportive & “empathetic” AI	High emotional intelligence, real-time web search	Text-only inputs, no image/video capabilities	Currently free, future paid plans planned
Quora’s Poe	AI chatbot platform integrating multiple models	Users needing multipurpose AI for varied tasks	Access to multiple AIs, image generation, customizable chatbots	Adv. features require subscription, limited free tier	Free basic features; $19.99/month Pro
HuggingChat	Open-source AI chatbot platform by Hugging Face	Developers, researchers, open-source enthusiasts	Supports various AI models, extensive tooling	Requires some tech. skill, risks of “experimental” models	Free with adv. features at $20/user/month
DuckDuckGo AI Chat	Privacy-focused AI chat @DuckDuckGo search	Privacy-conscious users needing anonymous AI	Robust privacy, multiple AIs, no data tracking	No real-time web search, beta phase limitations	Free with limits; future premium plan planned

Each chatbot holds its unique value, fitting various aspects of life from work to personal projects. The standout for me personally remains ChatGPT (the “OG”). This is due to its performance and variety of (mostly free) features. Copilot is a close second.

So, what’s next? You could, e.g., check out my other article on 7 easy ways to incorporate such AI tools into your everyday life for better productivity and creativity. Alternatively, bookmark my playbook for prompting these AI chatbots, explaining how to simply elicit the answers you want.

Did I mention any AI chatbots – besides well-known “powerhouses” like ChatGPT – that you weren’t aware of and now want to try? Are there any other cool options you’d like to be covered here? Please drop a comment and share your experiences and preferences.

Cheers,
John