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Best Free LLMs 2026: 6 Options Compared
Best free LLMs compared: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini app, Le Chat and 2 more, with free-plan limits, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•AI Coding & Local LLMs
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free (Free plan at $0/month); paid from $8 per month (Go; Plus $20/month; availability varies by region) | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | A general-purpose default | Docs only |
| Claude | Free (Free plan at $0); paid from $17 per month, billed annually (Pro; $20 billed monthly) | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | Writing, editing and careful reading | Docs only |
| Gemini app | Free (Free with a Google account); paid from $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus) | Web, iOS, Android | People who live in Google apps | Docs only |
| Le Chat | Free (Free plan); paid from $14.99 per month (Pro) | Web, iOS, Android | Users who prefer a European provider | Docs only |
| Microsoft Copilot | Free (free tier with lower usage than the paid plans); paid from $9.99 per month (Microsoft 365 Personal, includes higher Copilot usage) | Web, Windows, iOS, Android | Microsoft 365 users | Docs only |
| Grok | Free (Free tier at $0 per month with usage limits; xAI does not publish exact caps); paid from $30 per month (SuperGrok) | Web | People who already use X | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
See the tools in action
Explore the interface and watch a workflow before choosing.
Good fit if
- You want one assistant for everything (ChatGPT is the pick)
- You write or edit long documents (Claude is the pick)
- You work in Google Docs and Gmail (Gemini app is the pick)
- You use Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Copilot is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You need paid-tier features, uptime guarantees or support that these free plans leave out
Free LLM access comes in two forms: hosted chat apps with a free tier, and models you run yourself. This list covers the hosted apps. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Le Chat, Microsoft Copilot and Grok all offer a free plan with usage limits, and the vendors do not always publish exact caps, so expect to be switched to a lighter model or asked to wait after heavy use. In practice the difference is less about raw intelligence than about what is attached. Gemini ties into a Google account, Copilot ties into Microsoft apps, and Grok is tied to X. Le Chat is from a European company, which can matter for data residency. Free tiers also tend to train on or retain your chats unless you change settings, so check the privacy controls before pasting anything sensitive. If you need unlimited use, an offline setup is the other route: open models you run with a local app have no usage caps, but they need decent hardware and are generally weaker than the top hosted models. Many people use two free chatbots side by side and send the same hard question to both. Treat any free model as a draft generator, and verify names, numbers and code before you rely on them.
ChatGPT
Free plan at $0 a month. The most widely used assistant, but free usage has limits and falls back to a lighter model; Plus is $20 a month.
Price: Free (Free plan at $0/month); paid from $8 per month (Go; Plus $20/month; availability varies by region) (ChatGPT pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: A general-purpose default.
Worth knowing: Go is listed at $8/month and Plus at $20/month. Pro tiers are $100, $200 and $500/month. Plan availability and usage vary.
Compare: ChatGPT alternatives
Claude
Free plan at $0. Strong at writing and long documents, but with usage limits; paid plans start at $17 a month billed annually.
Price: Free (Free plan at $0); paid from $17 per month, billed annually (Pro; $20 billed monthly) (Claude pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: Writing, editing and careful reading.
Worth knowing: Max starts at $100/month; Team standard seat is $20 per seat billed annually ($25 monthly).
Compare: Claude alternatives
Gemini app
Free with a Google account. Connects to Google services, though it is a hosted app with usage limits; paid Google AI Plus starts at $4.99 a month.
Price: Free (Free with a Google account); paid from $4.99 per month (Google AI Plus) (Gemini app pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: People who live in Google apps.
Worth knowing: Google AI Pro is $19.99/month; Ultra starts at $99.99/month.
Le Chat
Free plan from Mistral. A European-built assistant; paid Pro is $14.99 a month. Check the provider for current free limits.
Price: Free (Free plan); paid from $14.99 per month (Pro) (Le Chat pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Users who prefer a European provider.
Microsoft Copilot
Free tier with lower usage than the paid plans. Fits users who work in Windows and Microsoft 365; paid access comes through plans from $9.99 a month.
Price: Free (free tier with lower usage than the paid plans); paid from $9.99 per month (Microsoft 365 Personal, includes higher Copilot usage) (Microsoft Copilot pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, Windows, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Microsoft 365 users.
Compare: Microsoft Copilot alternatives
Grok
Free tier at $0 per month with usage limits; xAI does not publish exact caps. SuperGrok is $30 a month. Closely tied to X.
Price: Free (Free tier at $0 per month with usage limits; xAI does not publish exact caps); paid from $30 per month (SuperGrok) (Grok pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.
Best for: People who already use X.
Compare: Grok alternatives
Which one to pick
- You want one assistant for everything: ChatGPT
- You write or edit long documents: Claude
- You work in Google Docs and Gmail: Gemini app
- You use Microsoft 365: Microsoft Copilot
Limits of this review
Docs-only for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini app, Le Chat, Microsoft Copilot, Grok: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini app, Le Chat, Microsoft Copilot, Grok. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.