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The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other interesting alternatives to try
Whether unlocking your phone through face recognition or telling Alexa to play a song, artificial intelligence has filtered into our everyday lives. Now, you can harness the power of AI to do your writing, too. At your command, AI chatbots can write that paper you have been dreading to start, write code, compose emails or even pass your MBA exam.
In Depth: These experts are racing to protect AI from hackers. Time is running out
Although ChatGPT has made quite the buzz, its popularity has made it unreliable for everyday use since it's often at capacity. The good thing is there are plenty of AI chatbots that are just as capable, and available whenever you need them. We put together a list of the best AI chatbots and AI writers on the market and detailed everything you need to know before choosing your next writing assistant.
- Writing skills
- STEM knowledge
- Conversational
- Not always available
- Not connected to the internet
Features:
- Uses OpenAI's GPT-3
- Can do text generation, solve math problems, and does coding
- Offers conversation capabilities
- Price: Completely free to the public right now
ChatGPT is a conversational AI chatbot that is able to produce text for you based on any prompt you input, generating emails, essays, poems, raps, grocery lists, letters and much more.
In addition to writing for you, it can chat with you about simple or complex topics such as "What are colors?" or "What is the meaning of life?" ChatGPT is also proficient in STEM and can write and debug code, and even solve complex math equations. The best part is that the service is completely free to the public right now because it is still in its research and feedback-collection phase.
The big downside is that the chatbot is often at capacity due to its immense popularity. However, OpenAI is in talks of releasing a professional version, which would be quicker and always accessible, at a monthly cost.
Also: How to use ChatGPT
- Access to internet
- Links back to sources
- Up-to-date on current events
- Limited preview
- Query cap
Features:
- OpenAI's large language model in the GPT-3 and -3.5 series
- Has access to the internet
- Works like a search engine with information on current events
- Price: Free
In early February, Microsoft unveiled a new AI-improved Bing, which runs on a next-generation OpenAI large language model customized specifically for search. Bing's chatbot is currently in a limited preview while Microsoft tests it with the public, but ZDNET was able to get early access.
Also: I tried Bing's AI chatbot, and it solved my biggest problems with ChatGPT
From testing the chatbot, ZDNET found that it solved two major issues with ChatGPT including having access to current events and linking back to the sources it got its answer from. The chatbot is free and easy to use, making it a convenient alternative to a regular search engine. Although Bing's chatbot isn't available to the public yet, there is a waitlist you can join.
Also: The new Bing waitlist is long. Here's how to get earlier access
- 50 different writing templates
- Copyediting features
- Plagiarism checker
- Focuses on written text
- Steep cost
Features:
- Uses OpenAI's GPT-3
- Can summarize texts and generate paragraphs and product descriptions
- Checks for plagiarism and grammar
- Price: Starts at $49 per month
Like ChatGPT, Jasper also uses natural language processing to generate human-like responses. Jasper even uses the same language model as ChatGPT, OpenAI's GPT-3, which was created by the AI research company behind ChatGPT.
With Jasper, you can input a prompt for what you want to be written and it will write it for you, just like ChatGPT would. The major difference with Jasper is that it has an extensive amount of tools to produce better copy. Jasper can check for grammar and plagiarism and write in over 50 different templates including, blog posts, Twitter threads, video scripts, and more.
If you need to generate written copy every day for your business, Jasper is the tool for you. However, at a $49-a-month cost, it is an investment.
- Readily available
- Free
- Source Citing
- UI lacks aesthetic appeal
- In beta stage
Features:
- Uses OpenAI's GPT-3
- But lists sources for the text it generates
- It even uses Google sources (unlike most other AI chatbots)
- Price: Free
YouChat also uses OpenAI's GPT-3, like ChatGPT and Jasper. With Jasper, you can input a prompt for what you want to be written and it will write it for you, just like ChatGPT would for free. The chatbot outputs an answer to anything you input including math, coding, translating, and writing prompts. A huge pro for this chatbot is that, because it lacks popularity, you can hop on at any time and ask away.
Another major pro is that this chatbot cites sources from Google, which ChatGPT does not because it doesn't have internet access. For example, if you ask YouChat "What is soda?", it will produce a conversational text response, but also cite sources from Google specifying where it pulled its information from. The chatbot is just as functional, without annoying capacity blocks, and has no cost.
- Up-to-date
- Variety of use cases
- Free trial
- Subscription cost
- Can't do math
Features:
- Supported by Google
- Aware of current events (ChatGPT stops at 2021)
- Offers voice dictation, AI image generation, and more
- Price: The monthly cost starts at $12 per month
Chatsonic is a dependable AI chatbot, especially If you need an AI chatbot that is up-to-date on current events. Because Chatsonic is supported by Google, it is aware of current news and can provide you answers and stories that relate to it, which ChatGPT can't do since its database doesn't go past 2021.
Chatsonic also has some other cool features like voice dictation, which lets you speak prompts as you would with Alexa, and AI image generation. If you want to try it, you get a convenient free trial for 2,500 words with no credit card required. The monthly cost starts at $12 per month but goes all the way up to $650 per month depending on the number of words needed.
- Free
- Educational
- Easy to use
- Doesn't write text
- No desktop version
Features:
- From Google
- Type in any question to generate a response
- Has fun graphics
- Supports scanning worksheet to get a specially curated answer
- Price: Free
If you want your child to also take advantage of AI to lighten their workload, but still have some limits, Socratic is for you. With Socratic, children can type in any question they may have about what they are learning in school and Socratic will generate a conversational, human-like response with fun unique graphics to help break down the concept.
The app, available on the App Store and the Google App Store, also has a feature that lets your kid scan their worksheet to get a specially curated answer. The app does have some limitations; for example, it will not just write an essay or story when prompted. However, this could be a positive thing because it curbs your child's temptation to get a chatbot, like ChatGPT, to write their essay for them.
What is the best AI chatbot?
The best overall AI chatbot is ChatGPT because it is free and encompasses a wide range of skills that go beyond writing including coding, conversation, and math equations.
AI chatbot | Price | Key features |
ChatGPT | Completely free to the public right now |
|
Microsoft's Bing ChatGPT | Free |
|
Jasper | Starts at $49 per month |
|
YouChat | Free |
|
Chatsonic | The monthly cost starts at $12 per month but can shoot up depending on your needs |
|
Socratic | Free |
|
Which AI chatbot is right for you?
While ChatGPT is our personal favorite, your use case may be hyper-specific or have certain demands. If you need a constant, reliable AI chatbot, there are other alternatives that might be better suited for you. If you just want an AI chatbot that produces clean copy, for example, then Jasper is for you. If you want to play around with an AI chatbot that isn't always at capacity, YouChat might be the best option.
Also: OpenAI's ChatGPT is scary good at my job, but it can't replace me (yet)
Lastly, if there is a child in your life, Socratic might be worth checking out. See our breakdown below:
If you want… | Then choose this AI chatbot… |
The best AI chatbot overall | ChatGPT |
The best AI chatbot that works like a search engine with current events | Microsoft's Bing ChatGPT |
The best AI chatbot for businesses and marketers | Jasper |
The best ChatGPT alternative | YouChat |
The best AI chatbot for news content creators | Chatsonic |
The best AI chatbot for kids and students | Socratic by Google |
How did we choose these AI chatbots?
In order to curate the list of best AI chatbots and AI writers, we looked at the capabilities of each individual program including the individual uses each program would excel at. Other factors we looked at were reliability, availability and cost. Once we gathered all of this data, and tried them out for ourselves, we identified which AI chatbot would be best for the needs of different individuals and included them in the list.
What is an AI chatbot?
An AI chatbot (also called AI writer) refers to a type of artificial intelligence-powered program that is capable of generating written content from a user's input prompt. AI chatbots are capable of writing anything from a rap song to an essay upon a user's request. The extent of what each chatbot is specifically able to write about depends on its individual capabilities including whether it is connected to a search engine or not.
How do AI chatbots work?
AI chatbots use language models to train the AI to produce human-like responses. Some are connected to the web and that is how they have up-to-date information, while others depend solely on the information they are trained with.
How much do AI chatbots cost?
AI chatbot programs vary in cost with some being entirely free and others costing as much to $600 a month. ChatGPT and YouChat are entirely free to use since both are still in their testing phases. Services like ChatSonic can cost up to $650 a month for 2,000,000 words and 15 seats.
What is the difference between an AI chatbot and an AI writer?
The main difference between an AI chatbot and an AI writer is the type of output they generate and their primary function.
In the past, an AI writer was used specifically to generate written content, such as articles, stories, or poetry, based on a given prompt or input. An AI writer's output is in the form of written text that mimics human-like language and structure. On the other hand, an AI chatbot is designed to conduct real-time conversations with users in text or voice-based interactions. The primary function of an AI chatbot is to answer questions, provide recommendations, or even perform simple tasks, and its output is in the form of text-based conversations.
While the terms AI chatbot and AI writer are now used interchangeably by some, the original distinction was that an AI writer was used for generating written content, while an AI chatbot was used for conversational purposes. However, with the introduction of more advanced AI technology, such as ChatGPT, the line between the two has become increasingly blurred. Some AI chatbots are now capable of generating text-based responses that mimic human-like language and structure, similar to an AI writer.
Are there alternative AI chatbots worth considering?
Yes! Despite ChatGPT's immense popularity, there are some major downsides to the AI chatbot, including that it is not always available. If you want to give the world of AI chatbots and AI writers a try, there are plenty of other options to consider. We deep-dived into five alternatives above, and some more below.
Read more about the best tools for your business and the right tools when building your business!