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Best Claude Alternatives in 2026

6 alternatives to Claude, the chatbots & agents tool priced from $20/mo and scored 8.3/10 by our editor.3 of them are cheaper on the entry plan, 5 have a free plan. Every price below was checked on the vendor's pricing page and dated.

Use the table to compare Claude attribute by attribute, then read the head-to-head notes for each alternative.

Quick answer

ChatGPT is the strongest Claude alternative overall, scored 8.7/10. Pick Perplexity for search specialist, or Gemini for cheapest at $4.99/mo.

  1. ChatGPTStart here
  2. PerplexitySearch specialist
  3. GeminiCheapest at $4.99/mo
  • 6alternatives compared
  • 3of 6cheaper than Claude
  • 5of 6with a free plan
  • $19/momedian entry price
  • Aug 26last pricing check
Why switch

Why look for a Claude alternative

The limits our editor noted on the Claude listing. Each alternative below addresses at least one of them.

Read the Claude review
  • Usage caps reset on a five-hour window and bite on heavy days
  • No image generation and no voice mode
  • Consumer chats feed training unless you opt out

Claude vs the alternatives at a glance

Score, entry price, free plan, API, platforms and privacy terms side by side. Green marks the best value on each row.

AttributeClaudeReferenceChatGPTPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft 365 CopilotNotion AI
Editor score 8.3/10 8.7/10 8.6/10 8.6/10 7.3/10 7.7/10
Category Chatbots & agents Chatbots & agents Search Chatbots & agents Productivity Productivity
Entry price $20/mo $20/mo $20/mo $4.99/mo $18/mo $24/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Free trial No No No No 30 days No
API Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Platforms Web app, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, CLI, VS Code Web app, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web app, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Chrome extension Web app, iOS, Android, Chrome extension Web app, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web app, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Trains on your data Yes (opt-out) Yes (opt-out) Yes (opt-out) Yes (opt-out) No No
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA SOC 2, GDPR SOC 2, GDPR, ISO 27001, CCPA SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, CCPA SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001
Best for Writers, analysts and developers who need careful, instruction-following output Anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding Researchers, students and analysts who need verifiable answers quickly Anyone already working in Gmail, Docs and Drive who wants one assistant across them Companies already standardized on Microsoft 365 that want AI inside Office Teams that run their docs and wikis in Notion and want AI on that content
Head to head

Each Claude alternative, compared

  1. 1

    ChatGPT

    Chatbots & agents    8.7

    OpenAI's general-purpose assistant for writing, analysis, images and code

    Price
    $20/mo
    Free plan
    Yes
    API
    Yes
    Pricing checked Aug 25

    ChatGPT vs Claude

    Choose ChatGPT if you are anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding.

    • Same entry price, $20/mo
    • Scores higher: 8.7 vs 8.3
    • Not available on CLI, VS Code

    Not ideal for: Teams that need on-premise deployment or strict data residency

    Full ChatGPT listing
  2. 2

    Perplexity

    Research    8.6

    Answer engine that searches the web and cites every source

    Price
    $20/mo
    Free plan
    Yes
    API
    Yes
    Pricing checked Aug 25

    Perplexity vs Claude

    Choose Perplexity if you are researchers, students and analysts who need verifiable answers quickly.

    • Same entry price, $20/mo
    • Scores higher: 8.6 vs 8.3
    • Also on Chrome extension
    • Not available on CLI, VS Code
    • Search specialist rather than a direct clone

    Not ideal for: Long creative writing or coding sessions

    Full Perplexity listing
  3. 3

    Gemini

    Chatbots & agents    8.6

    Google's assistant across the Gemini app, Gmail, Docs and Android

    Price
    $4.99/mo
    Free plan
    Yes
    API
    Yes
    Pricing checked Aug 26

    Gemini vs Claude

    Choose Gemini if you are anyone already working in Gmail, Docs and Drive who wants one assistant across them.

    • Cheaper entry plan: $4.99/mo vs $20/mo
    • Scores higher: 8.6 vs 8.3
    • Also on Chrome extension
    • Not available on Windows, macOS, CLI

    Not ideal for: Teams that need their data kept out of Google's ecosystem

    Full Gemini listing
  4. 4

    Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Productivity    7.3

    AI inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams

    Price
    $18/mo
    Free plan
    No
    API
    Yes
    Pricing checked Aug 26

    Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Claude

    Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if you are companies already standardized on Microsoft 365 that want AI inside Office.

    • Cheaper entry plan: $18/mo vs $20/mo
    • No free plan, unlike Claude
    • Scores lower: 7.3 vs 8.3
    • Not available on CLI, VS Code
    • Does not train on your data

    Not ideal for: Individuals and teams without a Microsoft 365 subscription

    Full Microsoft 365 Copilot listing
  5. 5

    Notion AI

    Productivity    7.7

    AI writing, meeting notes and search built into your Notion workspace

    Price
    $24/mo
    Free plan
    Yes
    API
    Yes
    Pricing checked Aug 25

    Notion AI vs Claude

    Choose Notion AI if you are teams that run their docs and wikis in Notion and want AI on that content.

    • Pricier entry plan: $24/mo vs $20/mo
    • Scores lower: 7.7 vs 8.3
    • Not available on CLI, VS Code
    • Does not train on your data
    • Productivity specialist rather than a direct clone

    Not ideal for: Anyone not already working in Notion

    Full Notion AI listing
  6. 6

    NotebookLM

    Research    8.3

    Research notebook that answers only from the sources you upload

    Price
    $4.99/mo
    Free plan
    Yes
    API
    No
    Pricing checked Aug 26

    NotebookLM vs Claude

    Choose NotebookLM if you are researchers and students working through a defined set of documents.

    • Cheaper entry plan: $4.99/mo vs $20/mo
    • No public API
    • Not available on Windows, macOS, CLI
    • Does not train on your data
    • Research specialist rather than a direct clone

    Not ideal for: General questions that need the open web rather than your own sources

    Full NotebookLM listing
Questions

Claude alternatives FAQ

Short answers on free, cheaper and privacy-friendly alternatives, generated from the listings' data.

What is the best alternative to Claude?

ChatGPT ranks first among Claude alternatives on Webanas with an editor score of 8.7/10. It is best for anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding.

Is there a free alternative to Claude?

Yes. ChatGPT has a free plan (limited access to advanced models, image generation and file uploads with usage caps), and so do Perplexity, Gemini, Notion AI, NotebookLM.

What is the cheapest Claude alternative?

Gemini, with paid plans from $4.99/mo against $20/mo for Claude. Prices are checked on each listing's pricing page and dated.

Which Claude alternative does not train on my data?

Microsoft 365 Copilot states that it does not train on user data. Claude may, unless you opt out; team and business plans usually exclude your data.

For makers

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