Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots simulate human-like conversations by combining context awareness, personalization, and natural language understanding. The best AI chatbots enhance operational efficiency by offering 24/7 support, automating tasks, and processing large data sets in real-time.
AI chatbots come in various forms, each tailored to specific AI models and use cases. Explore their unique strengths to determine which one best suits your industry and AI goals.
- ChatGPT: Best overall for complex, multifaceted tasks
- Gemini: Best for web productivity
- Claude: Best for content creation
- Perplexity: Best for deep research
- DeepSeek: Best open-source access
- Breeze: Best for personalized customer support
- Copilot: Best for Microsoft power users
Our methodology
Drawing from years of hands-on experience evaluating AI-driven office solutions, I’ve identified the most effective AI chatbots based on both industry leadership and user adoption across business and individual use. I developed a comprehensive scoring rubric that rigorously evaluates each platform against key performance indicators, including pricing structure, core and advanced functionalities, usability, user sentiment, and the quality of customer support.
Understanding AI chatbots: Benefits & industry use cases
AI chatbot for business uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to effectively interpret user input and provide intelligent responses. Let’s take a further look at the key benefits and real-world applications of chatbots as an AI solution.
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AI chatbots are transforming industries with tailored applications that boost efficiency, engagement, and scalability. It delivers a unique value across customer service, ecommerce, finance, and healthcare. Here’s how businesses leverage chatbots and what AI contributes to operational efficiency.
- Ecommerce: If you run an online store, managing high volumes of customer interactions can quickly become overwhelming. AI chatbots help lighten the load by assisting shoppers with personalized product recommendations, answering frequently asked questions, and even handling returns. You can also use them to boost revenue by upselling at checkout.
- Healthcare: In a busy medical practice, time and compliance matter. Chatbots make it easier for your team to schedule appointments, send follow-up reminders, and share important care details with patients. They help you stay compliant with privacy regulations while improving the patient experience.
- Finance: If you’re in the finance or banking space, chatbots can enhance your customer support without sacrificing security. You can guide users through routine transactions, provide quick access to account balances or loan details, and even flag suspicious activity, all while keeping sensitive data protected.
- Travel and hospitality: When you’re managing travel bookings or hotel reservations, responsiveness is key. Chatbots can help your business share real-time itinerary updates, process bookings, and suggest local attractions.
- Human resources: Whether you’re hiring or managing internal communications, chatbots can simplify HR processes. You can use them to automate onboarding steps, schedule interviews, and answer employee questions about benefits, policies, or payroll.
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Top AI chatbots at a glance
Best AI chatbots
Monthly starting price
Key features
Our score
$20
- Content generation
- Voice mode
- Deep research
4.81 out of 5
$19.99
- Personalized responses
- Image generation
- Google Workspace integration
4.74 out of 5
$20
- Multilanguage processing
- Visual image analysis
- Project knowledge base
4.28 out of 5
$1
- Document analysis
- Multimodal AI
- Shopping assistant
4.06 out of 5
$0.07
- Mathematical reasoning
- Complex coding tasks
- Multilingual support
3.89 out of 5
$30
- Web form optimization
- Customer AI agent
- Buyer intent data
3.81 out of 5
$31.50
- Microsoft 365 integrations
- Podcast generator
- Business process automation
3.7 out of 5
ChatGPT: Best overall for complex, multifaceted tasks
Overall Score:
4.81/5
Pricing:
2.63/5
General features:
5/5
Advanced features:
4/5
Support:
3.75/5
Ease of use:
3.75/5
Expert score:
5/5
Pros
- Supports voice, image, and video inputs
- Directly integrates with web browsers
- Offers free usage credits for image generation
- Uses multiple language models for various tasks
- Allows the storage of files and conversations within projects
Cons
- Has frequent lags when deploying updates
- Relies on repetition instead of generating unique insights
Why I chose ChatGPT
ChatGPT stands out as the overall best AI chatbot for managing varied workflows. It lets you toggle between AI models, including GPT-4o (for multimodal input), o3-mini (for advanced reasoning), and 4.5 (for writing). This flexibility works for you if you’re looking for a virtual assistant that handles everything from writing and coding to data analysis and research, all within one interface.
What sets ChatGPT further apart is its multimodal capabilities. With GPT-4o, you can input text, voice, images, and even video, making it easier to depend on AI to interpret different types of content.
However, ChatGPT can sometimes lean on repetitive phrasing, lacking deeper, unique insights, especially in highly analytical tasks. If you’re looking for more nuanced reasoning and detailed output, Claude by Anthropic is a great alternative. It excels in long-form writing and detailed problem-solving with fewer hallucinations.
- Custom instructions: Configure how ChatGPT responds to your queries by setting your preferences and requirements for every conversation.
- Projects: Create a personal or collaborative workspace where you can keep chats, files, and custom instructions and share them with team members.
- Sora: Works as ChatGPT’s video generation model that can produce complex scenes, multiple characters, and accurate background details.
- Text rendering: Gone are the days of AI images with garbled letters and illegible fonts. In its latest update, ChatGPT can now produce accurate, text-heavy graphics.
- Canvas: Goes beyond the traditional chat interface by providing a separate window where you and ChatGPT can collaborate.
| Free | Plus | Team | Pro | Enterprise | |
| Starting fee | $0 | $20 per month | $30 per month | $200 per month | Custom |
Gemini: Best for web productivity
Overall Score:
4.74/5
Pricing:
5/5
General features:
4.5/5
Advanced features:
2.5/5
Support:
2.5/5
Ease of use:
4.38/5
Expert score:
4.69/5
Pros
- Processes texts, voice, and image inputs
- Integrates seamlessly with Google products
- Included in all Google Workspace plans
- Can handle coding, data analysis, and deep research
Cons
- Lacks a standout feature that sets it apart from other models
- Requires further development to compete with ChatGPT
Why I chose Gemini
Gemini is ideal for professionals who work heavily in Google’s suite of apps to research, write, and communicate. It’s designed to enhance day-to-day productivity by automating writing, organizing information, and streamlining workflows within Docs, Gmail, and Sheets. If your work lives inside a browser, Gemini brings AI right to where you need it most.
In addition to its deep integration with Google tools, Gemini supports multimodal inputs like text, voice, and images. It’s great at summarizing emails, generating reports, and even helping you build visual presentations using AI-generated images.
One downside is that Gemini’s effectiveness can feel limited if you’re working outside of Google’s ecosystem. For more flexibility across tools and tasks, ChatGPT offers a broader range of use cases with integrations beyond Google apps.
- Real-time web access: Pulls live data from Google Search to deliver up-to-date, source-backed answers.
- Workspace integration: Works directly in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides to automate productivity tasks.
- Image generation: Creates visuals inside Google apps using simple text prompts.
- Context-aware summaries: Recaps meetings, documents, or emails with a strong grasp of tone and details.
- Multimodal inputs: Understands text, voice, and images, making it easy to work across formats.
| Gemini | Gemini Advanced | Gemini for Workspace | |
| Monthly | Free | $19.99 | Starts at $24 per user |
| Annually | N/A | N/A | Starts at $20 per user |
Gemini (Free) lets you chat, ask questions, create content, and get help across Google apps. You can also try Gemini’s voice assistant and build mini AI tools (Gems) to help with tasks.
Gemini Advanced is the upgraded version with more powerful features, like handling long-form documents (up to 1,500 pages), smarter coding assistance, and upcoming tools for making videos and animations. You’ll also get more in-depth research support, 2TB of cloud storage, and better integration with Google Workspace.
Gemini for Workspace is for business and enterprise teams, with admin controls for better security and management. It has two pricing options: a flexible plan where you pay per active user each month, and an annual/fixed plan that offers lower rates when you commit to a set number of users for a full year.
Claude: Best for content creation
Overall Score:
4.28/5
Pricing:
3.75/5
General features:
3.5/5
Advanced features:
3/5
Support:
2.75/5
Ease of use:
3.75/5
Expert score:
5/5
Pros
- Combines rapid responses with step-by-step reasoning
- Supports comprehensive document analysis
- Has robust multilingual capabilities
- Responds more naturally than other AI models
Cons
- Limits availability in certain regions
- Requires a fact-checking mechanism
Why I chose Claude
Claude is a top choice for anyone producing long-form content, from blogs and newsletters to scripts and strategic docs. It delivers polished, thoughtful writing with a calm, human-like tone, making it great for marketers, writers, and comms teams. Its ability to stay consistent across voice and structure really sets it apart.
Claude also handles large context windows, so it can analyze and summarize long documents with ease. It supports file uploads, lets you ask questions about documents, and excels at nuanced reasoning and step-by-step logic. It’s also designed with safety and ethical use in mind through Anthropic’s Constitutional AI.
However, Claude isn’t as strong when it comes to real-time web access or handling diverse tasks outside of writing. If you need a more well-rounded assistant with broader functionality, ChatGPT offers a better all-in-one experience.
- Massive context window: Can understand and work with really long text (up to 200,000 words), perfect for reviewing large files without losing context.
- Natural, human-like tone: Writes with clarity, empathy, and structure, ideal for client-facing or content-heavy work.
- File analysis: Lets you drop in PDFs, CSVs, or docs to get useful insights or summaries.
- Consistent reasoning: Excels at step-by-step logic, making it great for writing, planning, or decision support.
- Privacy-first design: Trained with Constitutional AI to deliver safe, respectful, and business-friendly responses.
| Subscription type(per person) | Free | Pro | Team | Max | Enterprise |
| Monthly | $0 | $20 | $30 | $100 | Custom |
| Annually | $0 | $17 | $25 | N/A | Custom |
Claude offers plans for individuals, teams, enterprises, and developers. The Free plan includes core features like writing, coding, and data analysis on web and mobile, while the Pro plan adds more usage, advanced models, and project organization tools.
The Max plan boosts limits up to 20 times more than Pro and includes early feature access and Claude’s Research tool. Team and Enterprise tiers offer admin controls, support, and compliance for business use. Developers can also access Claude via an application programming interface (API) to integrate its models into their own apps.
Perplexity: Best for deep research
Overall Score:
4.06/5
Pricing:
2.13/5
General features:
4.5/5
Advanced features:
2.5/5
Support:
3.75/5
Ease of use:
5/5
Expert score:
3.44/5
Pros
- Supports collaborative knowledge sharing
- Lets you search across personal and organizational files
- Enables guided exploration of topics
- Delivers faster responses than ChatGPT
Cons
- Has limited customization options
- Experiences occasional hallucinations
Why I chose Perplexity
Perplexity is built for users who rely on accurate, source-backed answers, like researchers, analysts, and curious professionals. Whether you’re comparing trends or diving into niche topics, it’s particularly good at breaking down complex topics and citing real-time sources.
One standout feature is the ability to switch between AI models like GPT-4, Claude, and Mistral to view different perspectives. You can also use Pro Search for guided deep dives or upload files for smart summaries and insights. Its sleek interface and citation-first approach make it a favorite among power users.
That said, Perplexity offers fewer creative tools and less customization for writing and workflow automation. If you’re looking for more versatility in content creation and advanced tools, Claude may be a better fit.
- Model switching: Lets you toggle between GPT-4, Claude, and Mistral for different perspectives.
- Web-sourced answers: Backs up responses with clickable citations pulled in real time.
- Pro Search: Breaks complex queries into smaller parts for deeper, more structured exploration.
- Personal Spaces: Saves and organizes research threads like a smart knowledge base.
- File uploads: Analyzes documents, extracts key points, and answers questions with clarity.
| Model type | Search mode | Input tokens (per million) | Output tokens (per million) | Search cost(per 1,000 requests) |
| Sonar(Fast answers) | Low / medium / high | $1 | $1 | Starts at $5 |
| Sonar Reasoning (Quick reasoning) | Low / medium / high | $1 | $5 | Starts at $5 |
| Sonar Reasoning Pro(Deep logic) | Low / medium / high | $2 | $8 | Starts at $6 |
| Sonar Pro (Advanced search) | Low / medium / high | $3 | $15 | Starts at $6 |
| Sonar Deep Research(In-depth reports) | N/A | $2 | $8 | $5 |
| + Reasoning dokens | N/A | $3 | N/A | N/A |
| R1-1776(Offline model) | N/A | $2 | $8 | N/A |
Perplexity charges on how much you use its platform to process and generate text, plus how deeply it searches the web for answers. You pay separately for input tokens (your prompt), output tokens (the AI’s response), and search requests (how much effort the AI puts into finding accurate info). Models like Sonar are faster and cheaper, while Sonar Pro and Deep Research cost more but give you deeper, more detailed results.
If you’re using Perplexity for casual Q&A, you’ll likely spend very little, especially at the Low or Medium search levels. For heavier tasks like deep research, long reports, or technical writing, you may use Pro or Reasoning models, which are priced higher due to their complexity. The more tokens or deeper searches you use, the more it costs, but it’s flexible, so you only pay for what you need.
DeepSeek: Best for open-source access
Overall Score:
3.89/5
Pricing:
4/5
General features:
3/5
Advanced features:
3.5/5
Support:
2/5
Ease of use:
3.75/5
Expert score:
3.13/5
Pros
- Allows extended usage without extra fees
- Boasts competitive pricing for API
- Breaks down reasoning into logical steps
- Readily integrates with development tools
Cons
- Faces government scrutiny as a Chinese AI firm
- Has random ads on its website and free AI platform
Why I chose DeepSeek
DeepSeek is perfect for developers and tech teams looking for transparent, customizable AI they can fine-tune or self-host. It’s known for strong reasoning and math skills, making it ideal for academic, scientific, or logic-heavy tasks. Plus, it’s completely open-source under the MIT license, which gives you total control.
This AI chatbot supports large context windows and reasoning modes like CoT (Chain of Thought), which breaks down complex problems into detailed steps. It’s multilingual and cost-effective, with models like DeepSeek-V3 and R1 offering competitive performance at a lower compute cost. It’s also gaining traction for its transparency and developer-friendliness.
Its main drawback is a lack of user-friendly features for non-technical users. For a more polished, no-code interface with wide use-case coverage, Gemini offers an easier experience out of the box.
- Open-source flexibility: Freely available models that developers can customize, fine-tune, or self-host.
- Math and logic strength: Excellent at solving complex equations and step-by-step technical problems.
- Multiple modes (K1, K2): Choose from fast general tasks or deeper analytical responses.
- Transparent reasoning: Shows detailed thinking steps, making it easier to trust the process.
- Multilingual support: Offers broad language handling, ideal for global or academic use cases.
| Model | Type | Input cost (per million tokens) | Output cost (per million tokens) |
| DeepSeek-V3 | General purpose | Starts at $0.07 (cache hit) / $0.27 (miss) | Starts at $1.10 |
| DeepSeek-R1 | Reasoning focused | Starts at $0.14 (hit) / $0.55 (miss) | Starts at $2.19 |
DeepSeek offers two models: V3 for general tasks and R1 for complex reasoning, both with a 64K context window and up to 8K output tokens. Pricing is based on token usage, with lower costs for cache hits and higher for cache misses, while the reasoner model is slightly more expensive due to its advanced capabilities. During off-peak hours (UTC 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.), you get up to 75% off, making both models significantly more budget-friendly.
Breeze: Best for personalized customer support
Overall Score:
3.81/5
Pricing:
1/5
General features:
4.5/5
Advanced features:
2.5/5
Support:
5/5
Ease of use:
4.38/5
Expert score:
3.13/5
Pros
- Integrates multiple AI customer agents
- Works natively within the HubSpot platform
- Leverages customer data for valuable insights
- Automates workflows for customer support
Cons
- Primarily caters to HubSpot users
- Most advanced features are still under development
Why I chose Breeze
Breeze by HubSpot is tailored for marketing, sales, and support teams that want to offer personalized, automated service without leaving the HubSpot platform. It can summarize contact activity, prep you for meetings, and even help generate or edit emails and blog content. For teams with an existing HubSpot subscription, it’s a productivity win.
As a sales chatbot, Breeze shines with CRM-native AI tools like company research, contact insights, and smart content suggestions inside HubSpot’s sidebar. It also enhances knowledge base management, giving support teams quick access to helpful information during customer interactions.
Its limitation is that it’s primarily useful only within the HubSpot ecosystem. If you need an AI assistant that works across more platforms and handles a broader range of tasks, Claude or ChatGPT may serve you better.
- Contact summarization: Instantly generates a quick overview of a contact’s activity, history, and engagement.
- Company research: Gathers key company insights to support outreach or meeting preparation.
- Meeting preparation: Compiles relevant contact and company data to help you get ready for calls or presentations.
- Content enhancement: Assists with writing, translating, or polishing content directly within HubSpot’s editor.
- CRM integration: Works seamlessly within HubSpot’s interface to enhance productivity without switching tools.
| Credit tiers | Breeze Intelligence |
| 100 credits | $30 per month |
| 1,000 credits | $150 per month |
| 10,000 credits | $700 per month |
Access to Breeze requires an existing paid subscription to any HubSpot plan. New users can avail of the Starter Customer Platform at $50 per month, which includes 100 Breeze Intelligence credits and HubSpot’s Starter edition of Marketing, Sales, Service, Content, Operations, and Commerce hubs. Discounts for high-volume credits are available.
With Breeze Credits, you can enrich contact and company records with verified data, such as job titles, industries, and revenue. You can also unlock insights like buyer intent signals and streamline form experiences by auto-filling known information.
Copilot: Best for Microsoft power users
Overall Score:
3.7/5
Pricing:
3.38/5
General features:
2.5/5
Advanced features:
3/5
Support:
3.44/5
Ease of use:
3.75/5
Expert score:
3.44/5
Pros
- Interacts using visual capabilities
- Natively integrates with Microsoft products
- Learns from user preferences and routines
- Provides early access to experimental features
Cons
- Limits features to certain regions
- Can be less useful outside the Microsoft ecosystem
Why I chose Copilot
Copilot is the go-to AI for professionals working in the Microsoft 365 suite, from Word and Excel to Teams and Outlook. It automates document creation, data analysis, and meeting summaries, boosting productivity without disrupting your existing workflow. If you’re deeply embedded in Microsoft’s ecosystem, Copilot feels like a natural extension of your daily work.
Its strengths include generating content in Word, analyzing and visualizing data in Excel, and offering AI-powered summaries and suggestions during Teams meetings. It’s designed with enterprise-level compliance and security, making it a solid choice for large organizations. You also get context-aware prompts based on what you’re working on in real time.
However, Copilot is limited to Microsoft tools and isn’t as flexible for non-Office workflows. If you want a more cross-platform experience with coding, voice, and image support, ChatGPT is a more versatile alternative.
- App-wide assistance: Embedded across Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams to streamline daily tasks.
- Data visualization: Analyzes spreadsheets and generates charts or summaries on command.
- Content generation: Drafts proposals, emails, or documents based on your existing files and notes.
- Live collaboration: Summarizes meetings and actions in Teams so everyone stays on track.
- Enterprise-grade security: Built with Microsoft’s compliance and privacy standards for safe deployment at scale.
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Microsoft 365 Copilot | |
| Cost | Free | $31.50 monthly |
The Free Copilot Chat plan provides basic access to GPT-4o, focusing on secure conversations and limited agent access on a metered basis. The Microsoft 365 Copilot plan includes full integration across Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Teams, plus access to Copilot Studio for building custom AI agents. It also offers enterprise-grade security, privacy, and deeper functionality grounded in business data.
Factors to consider when choosing an AI chatbot
Choosing the right AI chatbot starts with understanding your specific needs, workflows, and existing tools. Whether you’re focused on writing, customer support, or automation, the right fit will depend on the features that matter most to you. Key factors to evaluate include:
- Functionality: Consider if you need help with content creation, coding help, data analysis, or customer interaction.
- Integration: Determine if you want the chatbot to work well with your current tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or HubSpot.
Customization and access: Consider whether you need open-source flexibility for full control or a secure, plug-and-play solution built for enterprise environments. - Pricing and scalability: Look at how cost-effective the platform is based on your team size, usage patterns, and long-term growth potential.
- AI model performance: Evaluate whether the chatbot delivers advanced reasoning, creative output, or real-time web search to support your specific workflows.
When it comes to choosing the right AI chatbot, each platform brings something different to every user. ChatGPT stands out for complex, multifaceted tasks, while Gemini supports web-based productivity with Google integration. Claude leads in content creation, Perplexity excels at deep research, and DeepSeek offers open-source access for developers. Meanwhile, Breeze streamlines customer support in HubSpot, and Copilot is the go-to for Microsoft 365 power users.
When deciding on what is the best AI chatbot, it’s essential to look beyond popularity and focus on how well the tool supports your specific goals. Ultimately, the right chatbot is the one that not only fits your needs today but also helps you work smarter, faster, and more effectively over time.
FAQs
