AI

Of Four Free AI Chatbots, Only ChatGPT Lists Unlimited Chat

ChatGPT’s free tier carries ads, as Copilot’s may; Gemini’s leans on Flash-Lite and Claude’s leaves out Opus.

Nadia RoyAI analyst5 min · 1,133 words · no filler
What the free AI chatbots include, from each maker’s own pages, read 11 October 2026, with US prices. ChatGPT Free: unlimited text chats, tools limited; ads may appear; next step Go at $8 a month. Gemini with no plan: mostly Flash-Lite, at standard limits; a 32,000-token context window; next step Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month. Claude Free: Sonnet and Haiku, no Opus; ad-free by Anthropic’s pledge; next step Pro at $20 a month. Microsoft Copilot free: subject to capacity and limits; ads may appear without Microsoft 365; next step Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month. No free tier publishes a message count; not a ranking, only what each maker lists.
Illustration: bitcritiq
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Of the four free chatbots here, ChatGPT Free is the only one whose maker lists unlimited text chats; Gemini, Claude and Microsoft Copilot each cap free use at a level none of them states as a number. ChatGPT’s free tier carries ads, which Copilot may also show, while Anthropic says Claude will stay ad-free.

The free tiers also get lighter models. Free Claude gets Sonnet and Haiku, not Opus; free Gemini answers mostly with Flash-Lite; free ChatGPT runs on a Luna model, though OpenAI’s own pages disagree on whether it is GPT-6 Luna or GPT-5.6 Luna. Microsoft does not say which model free Copilot uses.

Limits, models and terms

Free tier Models Usage limit, in the maker’s words Context window Ads Chats used for training
ChatGPT Free GPT-6 Luna (pricing page); GPT-5.6 Luna (Help Center) “Unlimited text chats”, subject to abuse guardrails; tools limited 27K tokens (Instant) May appear Yes, unless you opt out
Gemini, no plan Auto: mostly Flash-Lite, some prompts Flash or Pro “Standard limits”, refreshed every 5 hours, weekly cap 32K tokens Not stated; chats “not being used to show you ads” Yes, while Keep Activity is on
Claude Free Sonnet, Haiku “Free covers everyday questions”; 5-hour session Up to 1M, varies by model No: “will remain ad-free” Only if you allow it
Microsoft Copilot, free Not stated “Subject to available capacity and limits” Not stated Might appear without Microsoft 365 Not stated on the current app’s page

What each one can do

Free tier Web search File uploads Image generation Voice Deep research Memory
ChatGPT Free Yes Limited Limited Limited Limited Limited
Gemini, no plan Some answers grounded on Search Yes Yes Gemini Live Yes; may pause at busy times Yes
Claude Free Yes Up to 20 files a chat Not listed Yes No Yes
Microsoft Copilot, free Yes Yes Yes Not stated No: retired 18 August Yes

Both tables are from the makers’ own pricing, help and privacy pages, read on 11 October 2026. “Limited”, “Yes” and “No” are the makers’ words where they publish a per-plan value. “Not stated” means we found no first-party page that says.

What differs most

How limits are described. OpenAI is the one maker that promises an unlimited core: everyday text chats, with uploads, image generation, voice and deep research each capped separately. Google and Anthropic both reset free limits on a five-hour cycle, and Google adds a weekly cap. Microsoft says only that free use depends on capacity, and that when you hit a limit you can upgrade or come back later.

Which model answers. ChatGPT Free and Go do not get GPT-5.6 Sol, OpenAI’s Help Center says. Google’s Auto mode can still hand a hard prompt to Flash or Pro, but a free user cannot choose Pro. Anthropic marks Opus No on Free. Microsoft says only that subscribers get “leading models”.

Ads. Ads may appear below ChatGPT answers on Free; OpenAI offers an Ads-Free mode with fewer messages and no image generation or deep research, covered in who sees ChatGPT’s ads and how to limit them. Microsoft ties ads to not having a Microsoft 365 subscription. Google’s Privacy Hub says your Gemini chats are “not being used to show you ads” and that it would say if that changed; it does not say whether ads appear.

Training. Three makers publish a training switch; Microsoft’s current Copilot privacy page does not mention training. OpenAI may train on your chats until you turn off “Improve the model for everyone”, the setting our guide to whether ChatGPT trains on your chats walks through. Google trains on activity while Keep Activity is on. Anthropic uses chats “if you choose to allow us”, through a setting called Help improve our AI models; its pricing page labels the choice “Opt-out”.

The Microsoft page in question covers the Copilot app released on 18 August 2026. It lists six controls, including memory, web search and ad personalisation. The page for the older app says Microsoft trains its models on conversations unless you opt out.

Context windows. The 27K and 32K figures for ChatGPT and Gemini are much smaller than Claude’s “up to 1M”, but Anthropic adds “varies by model” and points to a separate table rather than giving one figure for Free. A smaller window means a long chat loses its start sooner, which is why chatbots forget what you said earlier.

Where the makers contradict themselves

  • OpenAI on the free model. Its 7 October post says GPT-6 in ChatGPT runs on GPT-6 Luna for Free and Go, from 8 October, and the pricing page marks GPT-6 Luna Yes for Free. Its Help Center article on models, updated on 10 October, says Free and Go “receive GPT-5.6 Luna”.
  • Google on free Gemini. Help 17004136 gives free accounts Auto, mostly Flash-Lite. Its limits page, 16275805, still marks Flash and Pro Yes for every plan. The US subscriptions page lists Free with “Access to 3.5 Flash-Lite” and still shows Pro on Google AI Plus, which the Help notice says Plus loses on a date Google emails; our piece on Google’s 9 October change has the paid-plan detail.

The cheapest step up from each

From Cheapest US plan Price a month What the maker says it adds
Gemini, no plan Google AI Plus $4.99 2x free usage, Flash, 128K-token window, 400GB storage
ChatGPT Free Go $8 More messages with tools, uploads, images, voice; may still show ads
Copilot, free Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99 Higher usage than free, Office apps with Copilot, 1TB storage
Claude Free Pro $20, or $200 a year At least 5x Free’s usage per session, Opus, Claude Code, Research

Prices are US list prices from each maker’s own page on 11 October 2026, before tax. Go is the one step up here whose maker says ads may still appear, so a paid ChatGPT plan without them starts at Plus, $20 a month.

Claude’s ladder above Pro is in what Claude’s Free, Pro and Max plans include. Writing assistants ration their free AI differently, in prompts, words and rewrites: see what free Grammarly, QuillBot and Wordtune cap.

Questions people ask

Which free AI chatbot has the highest limits?

None publishes a free message count, so they cannot be ranked on numbers. ChatGPT Free is the one that lists unlimited text chats, with separate limits on tools. Gemini gives standard limits that refresh every five hours, Claude a five-hour session, and Copilot says use is subject to capacity.

Is ChatGPT free unlimited?

For everyday text chats, yes, by OpenAI’s own wording, subject to abuse safeguards. Uploads, image generation, voice, deep research and memory are each listed as limited on the free plan, and ads may appear.

Which free AI chatbots have ads?

OpenAI says ads may appear on ChatGPT Free, and Microsoft says Copilot users without Microsoft 365 might see them. Anthropic says Claude will remain ad-free. Google says your Gemini chats are not used to show you ads, without saying whether ads appear.

Does free Gemini still get Gemini Pro?

Sometimes. From 9 October, free Gemini defaults to Auto, which Google says sends most prompts to Flash-Lite and some that need deeper reasoning to Flash or Pro. Google’s table gives free accounts Auto rather than a choice of model.

Do free AI chatbots use your chats for training?

OpenAI does unless you turn off Improve the model for everyone. Google does while Gemini’s Keep Activity is on. Anthropic does only if you allow it. Microsoft’s current Copilot privacy page does not mention training.

What is the cheapest paid AI chatbot plan?

Of these four makers’ US prices on 11 October 2026: Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, ChatGPT Go at $8, Microsoft 365 Personal with Copilot at $9.99, and Claude Pro at $20, or $200 billed yearly.

How we researched this

No one at bitcritiq has handled this product. Everything here comes from published sources, listed below.

What this cannot tell you
We did not sign in to any of the four, so this is what the makers publish, not what an account shows. None publishes a free message count, so the limits cannot be compared as numbers. Two makers contradict themselves on the free model, set out below. Gemini’s and Copilot’s privacy pages describe memory and web search for personal accounts without naming a plan; we read that as covering the free tier. Google’s Google One plans page has listed a different Google AI Plus price from the Gemini page; we used the Gemini page. Meta AI is left out: we found no first-party page describing its plans that could be read without signing in. We have not used or compared the quality of any of these chatbots.
How we chose this, and what we did
Why this subject
Google Trends showed “chatgpt alternative free”, “free ai tools” and “best ai tools” among the top AI queries in all five weekly pulls to 4 October 2026. bitcritiq had covered each maker’s paid ladder separately, but no page set the four free tiers side by side, and two of them changed this month: OpenAI moved ChatGPT to GPT-6 on 7 October and Google changed free Gemini’s models from 9 October.
How we looked at it
Every row is from the makers’ own pages, read in a browser on 11 October 2026. OpenAI: the ChatGPT pricing page, including the per-plan values in its comparison table; Help Center 20001354 (GPT-6 and other models, updated 10 October), 5722486 (how data is used to improve models) and 20001047 (ads); the 7 October post ‘GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone’. Google: Gemini Apps Help 17004136 and 16275805, whose ticks are images we read by alt text; the US subscriptions page; the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub (updated 24 September). Anthropic: claude.com/pricing, including its tooltips; Help Center 14604416 (Claude Design) and 8241126 (uploads); Privacy Center 10023580 and 12109829; the 4 February post ‘Claude is a space to think’. Microsoft: the US Copilot pricing page for individuals and its FAQ; Support’s ‘Copilot app updates’ article; the privacy-controls pages for the current and the older Copilot app; ‘How AI usage works across Microsoft 365 subscriptions’. Absence claims have a control on the same page: Microsoft’s current privacy-controls page names five other controls, including personalised advertising, but not model training; Google’s Privacy Hub says “by default” of Gemini Live audio but not of Keep Activity.

What this rests on

6 claims, all official. Nothing here was measured by bitcritiq — see how we test for why. Open a claim to read the source it came from.

  • ChatGPT Free includes unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse safeguards, with separate limits on uploads, image generation, voice and other tools.Official

    OpenAI Help Center 20001354: “Free and Go users have unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse-prevention safeguards. Separate limits continue to apply to file uploads, image generation, voice, data analysis, and other tools.” The pricing page’s Free card: “Unlimited text chats with GPT-6”.

  • Free Gemini uses Auto by default, sending most prompts to Flash-Lite and some to Flash or Pro; with smart model selection off, it uses Flash-Lite alone.Official

    Gemini Apps Help 17004136: “Auto will be the default setting for users without a Google AI plan… Most prompts will go to Flash-Lite, our fastest model. Prompts that need deeper reasoning may go to Flash or Pro. If smart model selection is turned off, chats for users without an AI plan will use Flash-Lite for all responses.”

  • Claude Free includes Sonnet and Haiku but not Opus or Research, and Anthropic gives no fixed message count.Official

    claude.com/pricing comparison: “Opus: No (Free)”, “Sonnet: Yes”, “Haiku: Yes”, “Research: No”. FAQ: “there's no fixed message count. Free covers everyday questions.”

  • Free Copilot covers chat, image creation and file uploads, subject to capacity and limits, and may show ads to people without a Microsoft 365 subscription.Official

    Microsoft Support, ‘Copilot app updates’: “You can continue to chat with Copilot, create images, upload files and more for free, subject to available capacity and limits.” Privacy controls: “If you use Microsoft Copilot and don’t have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you might see advertising in Copilot.”

  • Ads may appear on ChatGPT Free; Anthropic says Claude will remain ad-free.Official

    OpenAI Help Center 20001047: “Ads may appear for users on the Free and Go plans.” Anthropic, 4 February 2026: “Claude will remain ad-free.”

  • The cheapest US paid step up is Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, ChatGPT Go at $8, Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 and Claude Pro at $20.Official

    Read 11 October 2026: gemini.google/subscriptions “Google AI Plus $4.99/ month”; chatgpt.com/pricing “Go $8 / month”; Microsoft’s Copilot pricing page “Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99 /month”; claude.com/pricing Pro “$20 if billed monthly”.

Sources 18

  1. Pricing — ChatGPTOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  2. GPT-6 and other models in ChatGPT — OpenAI Help Center 20001354Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  3. GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone — OpenAI, 7 October 2026Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  4. How your data is used to improve model performance — OpenAI Help CenterOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
Show 14 more · 14 official or standards
  1. Ads in ChatGPT — OpenAI Help CenterOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  2. Changes to Gemini model access and limits — Gemini Apps Help 17004136Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  3. Gemini Apps limits & upgrades for Google AI subscribers — Gemini Apps Help 16275805Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  4. Google AI subscriptions (United States) — GoogleOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  5. Gemini Apps Privacy Hub — Gemini Apps Help 13594961Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  6. Plans & pricing — Claude by AnthropicOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  7. Get started with Claude Design — Claude Help CenterOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  8. Upload files to Claude — Claude Help CenterOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  9. Is my data used for model training? — Anthropic Privacy CenterOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  10. Claude is a space to think — Anthropic, 4 February 2026Officialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  11. Copilot pricing plans for individuals — MicrosoftOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  12. Copilot app updates for personal, work, and school accounts — Microsoft SupportOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  13. Microsoft Copilot for individuals: your privacy controls and choices — Microsoft SupportOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026
  14. Microsoft Copilot privacy controls (older Copilot app) — Microsoft SupportOfficialaccessed Oct 11, 2026

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