Free AI in 2026: what each chatbot gives you without paying
Last verified: — every figure checked against the official page linked next to it.
Every major AI chatbot has a free plan, and they are more different than they look. Some give you their mid-range model with a large context window; others give you image or video tools but a small memory. This is what each free plan includes according to the provider’s own plan page.
Key findings
- Claude’s free plan has the largest context window listed for a free tier (up to 1M tokens, depending on the model). ChatGPT Free lists 27K and Gemini without a plan 32K.
- Gemini without a plan includes Deep Research, image generation, audio overviews and slide generation. ChatGPT Free includes limited image creation and limited deep research.
- The cheapest paid step up is Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, which doubles Gemini’s limits and raises its context window from 32K to 128K tokens.
What each free plan includes
From each provider’s plan page. “Limited” is the provider’s own word; none of them publishes exact numbers for free use.
| Service | Models and usage | Main features | Context window | Trains on chats | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | GPT-6 Luna and GPT-5 Thinking Mini; unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails | Limited uploads, image creation, deep research and memory | 27K tokens | Yes, opt-out | |
| Claude Free | Sonnet and Haiku; “covers everyday questions” | Web search, file creation with code execution, memory, connectors, Artifacts, up to 5 projects. No Research or Claude Code | Up to 1M (varies by model) | Your choice | |
| Gemini (no plan) | Standard limits | Deep Research, image generation (Nano Banana 2), Canvas, audio overviews, slides, music, quizzes. No video generation | 32K tokens | Yes, opt-out | |
| Grok Free | “Limited” | Chat and Imagine image generation, limited | Not published | Yes, opt-out | |
| Microsoft Copilot | “AI usage limits apply” | Copilot Chat with image creation; higher limits with Microsoft 365 | Not published | Yes, opt-out | |
| Perplexity Free | Basic AI models | Limited web answers, file uploads and asset generation | Not published | Yes, opt-out | |
| Mistral Vibe Free | Limited messages and web searches | Basic image generation and editing, limited uploads | Not published | Yes, opt-out | |
| DeepSeek | Free web chat; the site lists no paid chat plan, only API pricing | Chat | Not published | Yes; data stored in China |
The cheapest paid plans
If you hit the free limits every day, these are the lowest-priced upgrades. Full prices on our AI pricing page.
| Plan | Price / month | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | 2× Gemini limits, 128K context, video generation, daily brief | |
| ChatGPT Go | $8 | More messages with tools, more uploads and images, 54K–256K context; may include ads | |
| Grok Plus | $8 | “Basic” usage instead of “limited”, Imagine included | |
| Mistral Vibe Pro | $14.99 | Up to 6× Free messages, up to 40× image generation, 15GB uploads; training opt-out | |
| Claude Pro | $20 ($17 billed annually) | At least 5× Free usage, Opus models, Research, Claude Code |
When the free plan is enough
For occasional writing, summaries and questions, the free plans are enough, especially if you spread work across two services. Where people hit the wall is long documents (small context windows on ChatGPT and Gemini free), heavy image or research use, and long conversations that keep growing.
Before paying, it is worth getting more out of each message. A prompt with the context, format and length you want usually gets a usable answer at the first attempt, which means fewer messages against the same limit.
IacuWise turns a rough idea into a complete prompt for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is best for free?
It depends on the task. Claude Free lists the largest context window for long texts, Gemini without a plan includes Deep Research and image generation, and ChatGPT Free gives unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails. All of them limit uploads and heavy features.
Is ChatGPT free?
Yes. ChatGPT Free includes GPT-6 Luna and GPT-5 Thinking Mini, unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails, and limited uploads, image creation, deep research and memory. Its context window is 27K tokens.
Is Gemini free?
Yes, with standard limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap. Without a plan you get Deep Research, image generation and a 32K-token context window. Video generation starts with Google AI Plus.
Is DeepSeek free?
DeepSeek’s web chat is free, and its site lists no paid chat plan, only API pricing. Its privacy policy says data is stored in the People’s Republic of China and inputs may be used for training.
What is the cheapest paid AI plan?
Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, followed by ChatGPT Go and Grok Plus at $8. ChatGPT Go may include ads.
More AI references
Official sources
- ChatGPT — Plans and pricing
- Claude — Plans and pricing
- Gemini Apps Help — Limits and plan features
- Google AI plans
- Gemini Apps Privacy Hub
- xAI — Grok pricing
- xAI — Consumer FAQs
- Microsoft 365 Premium — compare plans
- Microsoft Support — Privacy FAQ for Copilot
- Perplexity — Pricing
- Perplexity Help — Data collection at Perplexity
- Mistral — Pricing
- Mistral Help — Do you use my data to train your models
- DeepSeek — Home
- DeepSeek — Privacy Policy