What these tools do and who needs them
AI general assistants let you type any question and get a useful answer. They draft emails, tidy notes, translate text, explain news, write code and plan trips. If you have never used an AI tool before, this is the easiest starting point: nothing to install, no commands to learn, just open a browser tab.
This category centres on the 7 general assistants below; the price table also lists tools from other categories with similar features. ChatGPT is the world’s most-used AI assistant covering chat, search, image generation and voice, from US$8/month. Claude excels at long documents and writing quality; the paid tier adds engineering tools, from US$20/month. Gemini integrates deepest with the Google ecosystem and has a generous free tier, from US$4.99/month. Grok connects with X (Twitter) for real-time information, from US$10/month. Microsoft Copilot is built into Windows and Office; office integration is its core advantage, from US$19.99/month. DeepSeek is a Chinese open-source model: free on the web and extremely cheap via API. Mistral AI is a European open-source model provider; its personal Pro plan is US$14.99/month (education plan US$5.99/month), and its API is billed by usage.
Three common free-tier traps
1. “Limited” often means no number at all. Many pricing pages say “limited” without publishing a daily count. ChatGPT has never stated a free message limit on its official page; Grok’s free usage is also unpublished. AMPM does not estimate figures without an official source, so “not published” on a tool page means we really looked and found nothing.
2. The free tier usually does not include the best model. Flagship models are almost always paid-only; the free plan gets a lighter or older version. Gemini’s official page says free access to its Pro model “may change.” For short questions and emails the free tier is fine; the gap shows on long documents and complex reasoning.
3. Credit systems run out faster than a monthly message allowance. Aggregator platforms bill by credits, and different models cost different amounts. Poe’s daily free credits dropped from about 3,000 to about 300 in March 2026, so a few calls to an expensive model can empty the day’s allowance. Claude free uses a rolling 5-hour window, not a fixed daily reset, which catches users off guard at peak hours.
How to choose: three plain rules
- Decide whether you need cited sources. For chatting and drafting, a general assistant is enough. For facts and reports, pick a tool that links to its sources.
- Use the free tier for two weeks first. Every tool here currently has one (see the Free column in the table). Run your real daily tasks through it and upgrade only when you actually hit the limit.
- Check whether you are paying a subscription or per use. Most tools here are fixed monthly subscriptions. DeepSeek, OpenRouter and Groq bill by usage, which suits occasional users who do not want a recurring monthly fee.
