Not everyone has $20/month for ChatGPT Plus. Here's what you can use for free.
Completely Free
Claude (Free Tier)
Anthropic's Claude offers a generous free tier. Slower than Pro, but the same model. Best free chat experience.
Perplexity
Real-time web search with AI synthesis. Five free searches per day. Perfect for research.
Google Gemini
Gemini Pro is free in the Gemini app. Solid all-around performance.
Hugging Chat
Open-source models, no account required. Try Llama, Mistral, and more.
Freemium (Generous Free Tiers)
ChatGPT
GPT-4o-mini is powerful and free. The full GPT-4o requires Plus.
GitHub Copilot (Students)
Free for verified students. The best coding assistant at no cost.
Notion AI
Free trial credits. Excellent for writing and organization.
Local (Free Forever)
Ollama + Open Models
Run Llama 3.2, Mistral, or Qwen locally. Completely free, completely private.
LM Studio
Beautiful UI for local models. Download, run, no internet required.
Quick Picks
| Use Case | Best Free Option |
|---|---|
| Chat | Claude Free |
| Research | Perplexity |
| Coding | Copilot (student) |
| Local | Ollama |
| Writing | Gemini |
The Bottom Line
You can build an entire AI workflow without spending a cent. Start free, upgrade when you outgrow it.