Best AI Chatbots and Assistants in 2026
Updated
AI chatbots and assistants can help with research, questions, and other tasks, with features that may shape how well they fit your workflow. Compared on web search, file uploads, app integrations, and image generation, the entries also vary in mobile apps and team workspaces. Free plans and paid-from pricing offer useful cost context, especially when deciding between individual use and shared access. Perplexity, Claude, and Poe are among the assistants to compare. Consider which capabilities you rely on, how you prefer to access an assistant, and whether your work calls for collaboration.
AI chatbots and assistants, one module each.A lit port is something its maker publishes; 20 of 20 with a known API signal have a public API.
- 01 Perplexity API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.9Free
- 02 Claude API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.8Free
- 03 Grok API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.7Free
- 04 Poe API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.5Free
- 05 Open WebUI API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.4Free
- 06 DeepSeek API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.4Free
- 07 AnythingLLM API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.2Free
- 08 Doubao API yesDOCS 8.1
- 09 LibreChat API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.1Free
- 10 Dust API yesFREE yesDOCS 8.0€24/mo
- 11 Jan API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.9Free
- 12 Cleus API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.9$9.95/mo
- 13 Venice AI API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.9$18/mo
- 14 LM Studio API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.6$20/mo
- 15 Monica API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.6$8.30/mo
- 16 ChatGPT FREE yesDOCS 7.5Free
- 17 GigaChat API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.5Free
- 18 Microsoft Copilot FREE yesDOCS 7.4$8.33/mo
- 19 Atomic Chat API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 20 Gemini FREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 21 Onyx API yesDOCS 7.3$20/mo
- 22 GPT4All API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 23 Meta AI FREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 24 Qwen Chat FREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 25 Open Assistant API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.1Free
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Web search | File uploads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perplexity | 8.9 | Free plan | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | |
| 2 | Claude | 8.8 | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 3 | Grok | 8.7 | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 4 | Poe | 8.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 5 | Open WebUI | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 6 | DeepSeek | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 7 | AnythingLLM | 8.2 | Free plan | Yes | $50/mo | Yes | Yes | |
| 8 | Doubao | 8.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| 9 | LibreChat | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 10 | Dust | 8.0 | Free plan | €24/mo | Yes | |||
| 11 | Jan | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 12 | Cleus | 7.9 | Free plan | $9.95/mo | Yes | $9.95/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Venice AI | 7.9 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | $18/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | LM Studio | 7.6 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | $20/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Monica | 7.6 | Free plan | $8.30/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 16 | ChatGPT | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | $399/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | GigaChat | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 18 | Microsoft Copilot | 7.4 | Free plan | $8.33/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | Atomic Chat | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 20 | Gemini | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 21 | Onyx | 7.3 | $20/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 22 | GPT4All | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | ||
| 23 | Meta AI | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 24 | Qwen Chat | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 25 | Open Assistant | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.