Best AI Chatbots and Assistants in 2026
Updated
In short: ChatGPT is ranked #1 of 54 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Perplexity. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Microsoft Copilot at $8.33/mo.
AI chatbots and assistants can support everything from quick questions to research, file-based tasks and image creation. Compare app integrations, file uploads and web search to see how an assistant could fit the way you work; mobile apps and team workspaces may matter if you need access across devices or with colleagues. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing alongside those capabilities. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude are among the options to consider, with Microsoft Copilot and Gemini also included. The listed features give you a practical way to weigh different kinds of assistance, access and collaboration against your needs.
54 AI chatbots and assistants ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 ChatGPT iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.7Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 2 Perplexity iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.7$20/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 3 Microsoft Copilot iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.5$8.33/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 4 Gemini iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.4Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 5 Poe iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.4Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 6 Grok iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.3Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 7 Merlin iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 9.1Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 8 DeepSeek iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.8Free Web search: YesFile uploads: Yes
- 9 Amazon Q Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.8Free Web search: NoFile uploads: YesImage generation: No
- 10 LobeChat iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.8$9.90/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 11 Kimi iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.7 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 12 Lumo iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.7Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 13 AnythingLLM Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.6Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 14 Meta AI iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 15 Sider iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 16 Venice AI iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5$18/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 17 Doubao iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.4 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 18 Qwen Chat iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 19 Wenxiaoyan iPhone only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 20 Vibe iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.3$14.99/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 21 Open WebUI iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.2 Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 22 Gemini Notebook iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.2$9.99/mo Web search: YesFile uploads: Yes
- 23 ChatBox AI iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Web search: YesFile uploads: YesImage generation: Yes
- 24 Atomic Chat iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Web search: YesFile uploads: Yes
- 25 Gab AI Research Assistant iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$16.67/mo File uploads: Yes
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Web search | File uploads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | 9.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | $399/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Perplexity | 9.7 | Free plan | $20/mo | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Microsoft Copilot | 9.5 | Free plan | $8.33/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Gemini | 9.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Poe | 9.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Grok | 9.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Merlin | 9.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | DeepSeek | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Amazon Q | 8.8 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 10 | LobeChat | 8.8 | Free plan | $9.90/mo | Yes | $12.90/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Kimi | 8.7 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Lumo | 8.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | AnythingLLM | 8.6 | Free plan | — | Yes | $50/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Meta AI | 8.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Sider | 8.5 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Venice AI | 8.5 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | $18/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Doubao | 8.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Qwen Chat | 8.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | Wenxiaoyan | 8.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | Vibe | 8.3 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Yes | $14.99/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | Open WebUI | 8.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | Gemini Notebook | 8.2 | Free plan | $9.99/mo | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | ChatBox AI | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 24 | Atomic Chat | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 25 | Gab AI Research Assistant | 7.8 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which AI chatbots and assistant is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
ChatGPT is ranked #1 of 54 with a score of 9.7. Perplexity is second and Microsoft Copilot third.
How many of these have a free plan?
18 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Microsoft Copilot has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.