10 Best AI Apps Like ChatGPT to Try in 2025
- Leanware Editorial Team
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
ChatGPT has been widely used since its release, with over 700 million weekly active users by mid-2025. But it’s not the only option out there. There are other AI applications that handle specific tasks well, and you may have tried some of them or should be aware of them.
Let’s take a look at the 10 best AI apps like ChatGPT in 2025, examining their capabilities, limitations, and the types of work they handle effectively.
Quick Overview
App | Company | Key Strength | Free Tier |
Google Gemini | Google Workspace integration | Yes | |
DeepSeek | DeepSeek AI | Cost-efficient reasoning | Yes |
Grok | xAI | X platform, real-time data | Limited |
Perplexity | Perplexity AI | Research with citations | Yes |
Claude | Anthropic | Deep reasoning | Yes |
Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft | Office 365 integration | Yes |
Meta AI | Meta | Llama models, free | Yes |
Mistral | Mistral AI | European, GDPR | Yes |
Qwen | Alibaba | Multimodal, free | Yes |
Pi | Inflection AI | Conversational | Yes |
Why We Selected These
These apps were selected based on three practical factors:
Proprietary models: Most operate their own large language models, which shapes how they handle tasks.
User adoption: Apps like Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek have active users, which informs incremental improvements.
Task effectiveness: Each app performs reliably in specific areas, such as coding, research, or writing, making them useful for defined tasks.
10 AI Apps Alternative to ChatGPT

1. Google Gemini
Gemini processes text, images, and audio natively rather than stitching separate systems together. The 1 million token context window handles extremely long inputs without splitting documents.
If you use Google Workspace, Gemini connects directly to Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Drive. Query your documents, analyze spreadsheets, or summarize email threads without leaving Google apps. Real-time Search access pulls current information when needed.
Pros: Native Google integration, 1M token context, multimodal capabilities, strong coding performance, real-time search
Cons: Requires Google account, privacy concerns for some users, creative writing less refined than Claude
Pricing: Free tier. Gemini Advanced: $19.99/month with 2TB storage.
2. DeepSeek
DeepSeek, developed in China, provides reasoning at lower training costs. DeepSeek-R1 uses step-by-step reasoning like o1, improving accuracy on math and coding. This takes longer - seconds to minutes - but reduces errors.
Pros: Strong math and coding performance, reasoning mode, free chatbot, open-source model weights.
Cons: Chinese content regulations apply, privacy concerns, less polished interface, and reasoning mode is slower.
Pricing: Free-to-use chatbot; paid API for developers; developers can download and run DeepSeek-V3.2 models for free.
3. Grok
Grok accesses real-time data from X (formerly Twitter), providing context on current events and trends. xAI has released Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast as the latest versions, improving performance and response speed compared to earlier models.
Pros: Real-time X data access, strong coding benchmarks, less restrictive policies, image generation.
Cons: Advanced features expensive, limited integrations, content moderation concerns.
Pricing: Free tier available; Premium starts at $30/month for individual users
4. Perplexity
Perplexity functions as an AI search engine rather than a chatbot. Answers include citations with source links. It searches the web in real time and synthesizes results. Different search modes balance speed and depth.
Pros: Real-time search with citations, multiple search modes, clean interface, transparent sourcing
Cons: Not designed for creative tasks, limited context retention, free tier restricts Pro searches
Pricing: Free tier; Perplexity Pro: $20/month for unlimited Pro searches.
5. Claude
Anthropic’s Claude handles long and complex documents efficiently, making it well-suited for reasoning tasks, coding, and professional writing that requires precise tone and clarity. The model is designed to refuse harmful requests while remaining helpful, which adds a layer of reliability for sensitive or high-stakes tasks.
Pros: Handles complex reasoning, coding, and professional writing; strong tone control; safety guardrails; Claude Projects.
Cons: Conservative with creative prompts; cannot generate images; no persistent memory across sessions.
Pricing: Limited free chats; Pro for everyday productivity: $17/month.
6. Microsoft Copilot
Copilot integrates directly into Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365 apps. It uses OpenAI models optimized for Microsoft’s ecosystem, letting users summarize emails, generate reports from Excel data, or explain Word documents inside the applications.
Pros: Native Office integration, enterprise security, GPT-4 in free tier, Bing search.
Cons: Requires Microsoft ecosystem for full value, costly for small teams, some features require Windows 11.
Pricing: Free versions available on web, Windows, iOS, and Android; paid versions (Copilot Pro and Microsoft 365 Copilot) unlock premium features
7. Meta AI
Meta AI uses Llama models and integrates into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Llama 4 supports text and image generation. Open-source nature allows anyone to download, modify, or run it independently.
Pros: Integrated into social apps, free, image/video generation, open-source.
Cons: Cannot analyze spreadsheets or run code, limited for technical tasks, privacy concerns.
Pricing: Completely free.
8. Mistral (Le Chat)
Mistral AI, a French startup, focuses on European data compliance. Le Chat provides web search with citations, image generation, and code interpretation. Responses are fast (up to 1,000 words per second) and grounded in verified journalistic sources.
Pros: GDPR compliance, fast responses, web search with citations, image generation, lower price.
Cons: No voice mode, free tier limited, free users cannot opt out of training.
Pricing: Free tier; Pro: $14.99/month
9. Qwen
Alibaba’s Qwen handles text, images, audio, and video in a single model. Upload a video, ask questions about frames, and get answers referencing both visual and audio content. Supports over 1 million tokens for extended context.
Pros: Multimodal understanding, 1M token context, real-time search, image/video generation, free.
Cons: Less known outside Asia, potential data concerns, limited English training.
Pricing: Free, with open-source models; paid pay-per-token API available.
10. Pi
Inflection AI built Pi for empathetic conversations rather than task-specific work. It offers voice interaction, remembers context across sessions, and focuses follow-up dialogue. It is not designed for coding or data analysis.
Pros: Free, empathetic style, voice chat, remembers context, useful for brainstorming.
Cons: Not for technical tasks, limited productivity use, few integrations.
Pricing: Completely free.
Which One to Choose
If you want something that handles most tasks well - text, images, coding - Google Gemini is the easiest to use. Real-time search and Google Workspace integration make it fast for general work.
If your focus is deep reasoning, coding, or professional writing, Claude is the strongest choice. It handles complex tasks better than most, but chat limits can be restrictive.
For step-by-step problem solving, especially math or coding, DeepSeek is solid. Grok works best for current events and trends, Perplexity for research with clear citations, and Qwen if you need multimodal understanding across text and images.
Copilot fits naturally if you work mainly in Microsoft 365 apps. Meta AI is useful for social or multimedia tasks, Mistral gives fast, GDPR-compliant responses, and Pi is helpful if your goal is conversation or brainstorming rather than technical work.
ChatGPT still has the largest user base, but every app on this list has a specific strength. Not all of them do everything, so it can help to have two or three on hand for different tasks.
You can also connect with our AI integration experts to streamline your workflows and make the most of multiple AI tools together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AI is better than ChatGPT?
It depends on the task. For general queries and real-time web access, apps like Gemini perform efficiently. For reasoning, coding, or handling complex tasks, Claude or DeepSeek are strong choices. No single app outperforms ChatGPT across all areas - each has strengths for specific use cases.
Are there free alternatives?
Yes. Many apps on the list offer free tiers or fully free access. Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI, Qwen, and Pi provide usable features without payment. Some apps like DeepSeek or Mistral offer both free access and paid tiers for advanced capabilities.
Who competes with ChatGPT?
Competitors include Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, Mistral (Le Chat), and Qwen. Each focuses on different strengths such as reasoning, integration, multimodal processing, or professional writing support.