20 Alternatives to ChatGPT at a Glance

The growing popularity of ChatGPT has led to increased interest in generative AI tools. Although ChatGPT is widely used, numerous useful alternatives have established themselves on the market, as shown in the table, the best-known of which are Gemini, Claude and Perplexity. Let’s take a closer look at the alternative tools available on the market!

How do I find the right ChatGPT alternative for my specific needs?

Not every AI is suitable for every objective, so the choice should be based on the area of application in order to avoid damaging the brand’s reputation. The choice of tool depends heavily on the area of application and could, for example, be made as follows:

• For customer service: The focus here is on EU data protection and AI-driven systems (e.g. moinAI)
• For research: Tools offering real-time web access and source citations are in demand (e.g. Perplexity)
• For coding and software: Specialists are needed to provide genuine software development support and coding functionalities (e.g. GitHub Copilot)

Among the most popular options are, first and foremost, Google Gemini, which offers comprehensive integration with Google products, as well as Microsoft Copilot for users within the Microsoft ecosystem, which is integrated into Office applications. Claude, known for its highly human-like and creative text generation, and Perplexity AI, an AI model specialising in source-cited answers, are also widely used tools.

Why open source is the answer to the problem of data sovereignty

Reliance on closed systems – so-called proprietary AI – represents a cost driver for businesses and a risk to data sovereignty. When sensitive customer data is transferred to external servers in third countries, the business loses both physical and legal control. Open-source models offer a crucial solution here:

• On-premises hosting: Models can be run in the organisation’s own cloud or on local infrastructure
• No vendor lock-in: Companies are not exposed to price increases or sudden API changes by individual tech giants
• Customised fine-tuning: Open source allows AI models to be trained on, for example, internal knowledge databases

1. Anthropic: Claude

Claude is an AI tool developed by Anthropic, a security laboratory founded by former OpenAI employees. The AI handles conversational tasks with a high degree of reliability. According to benchmarks such as SimpleQA, Claude models are less prone to hallucinations than ChatGPT and are more likely to leave questions unanswered when uncertain. Claude is available in several model versions; since 22 September 2026, Claude Opus 5.5 has been the first model in the Claude 5.5 family. According to Anthropic, it matches the performance of Claude Fable 5.1 on most tasks and is more affordable than Opus. Sonnet is being rolled out as a second model for coding, documents and office tasks, whilst the next version of Haiku has also been announced. Thanks to its Constitutional AI, Claude remains a particularly stable model for data-sensitive sectors.

The new generation has marked the leap to autonomous process control. Thanks to the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and a powerful Files API, the AI acts as a strategic agent that plans complex tasks, executes code natively and remembers global contexts. This eliminates inconsistent responses and enables the automated execution of entire business processes. You can find more information about MCP in our article.

2. Google: Gemini 

In 2026, Google is positioning itself as a key provider of AI applications with Gemini. Google is seamlessly integrating its multimodal models into the entire Cloud and Workspace ecosystem. This enables productive use of AI, from individual users right through to large enterprises. The current Flash model is Gemini 3.8 Flash (since September 2026). Gemini 3.5 Pro was never released; instead, Google announced Gemini 4 Argon at the end of September. All models are based on a large language model, with each version featuring improved capabilities for multilingualism, reasoning and coding. Thanks to their multimodal nature, text, audio, video and code are supported. Google also announced that Gemini Skills will replace Gems.

As of 2026, Gemini is available worldwide in over 230 countries and in more than 70 languages, including German. Google offers various subscription models: a free version with basic features, as well as paid tiers (Google AI Plus, Pro, Ultra) with extended access to more powerful Gemini models, optimised for complex tasks, deep research features and agent-based workflows. Google AI Ultra is the high-end package offering maximum computing power, the specialised coding agent Jules, and prioritised access to the most powerful infrastructure.

3. MetaAI

Meta AI is Meta’s AI assistant, based on its own Llama model series, currently Llama 4. Llama continues to divide the models into Scout and Maverick, with the latter representing Meta’s largest production-ready open-weight model for general AI applications. Since the end of September, Muse Spark 1.3 has been Meta’s current model, featuring improvements in agent and coding tasks. Meta no longer relies on open Llama models, but instead sells access to proprietary models. Muse Glimmer, a smaller open-weight model, was released in early August.

The main difference compared to ChatGPT is that Meta AI is integrated directly into WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. There is no need for a separate login or to switch apps. For anyone already using Meta’s ecosystem, it therefore offers a low-threshold AI alternative. Since March 2025, Meta AI has been available in Germany and over 40 other European countries, completely free of charge, in more than 40 languages.

Meta AI can answer questions, summarise chat messages, draft texts and suggested replies, analyse and edit images, generate AI-generated images directly within the chat, and provide recommendations (e.g. restaurants for the whole group). However, unlike Claude or ChatGPT, it still lacks depth when it comes to complex analysis or research tasks.

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4. Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is an AI productivity platform deeply integrated into Microsoft 365. This makes it easier to carry out research and analyse data directly within Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams. ‘Copilot Pages’ also provides an interface for collaborative work, where chat results can be converted into editable content. The system utilises multiple model sources in a context-based manner via multi-model routing. Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT-6 Sol are being rolled out in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Chat, Cowork and Copilot Studio. GPT-6 Astra is available in Cowork and Copilot Studio for larger delegated tasks. Microsoft has also incorporated Grok models from SpaceXAI into Copilot.

Thanks to internet access, the bot provides accurate answers to questions on current topics. Of particular note is the on-device AI for Copilot+ PCs, which enables local text processing without an internet connection. Copilot requires a Microsoft account and is available free of charge or as a subscription service (Copilot Pro for home users, Microsoft 365 Copilot for businesses) with advanced features.

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5. PerplexityAI: Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI research tool that combines web search with language models and provides answers alongside the source references. Unlike ChatGPT, the focus is less on creative writing and more on accurate, real-time information retrieval.

In 2026, Perplexity is an intelligence platform – a hybrid of a search engine and a chatbot – designed for fast, verifiable research. Perplexity is currently developing only one in-house LLM, Sonar; all other selectable models are provided by third parties. Subscribers can flexibly choose between models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and NVIDIA. The Sonar Deep Research feature analyses hundreds of sources within minutes and generates comprehensive reports that can be downloaded as PDF files. This is ideal for complex analyses in finance or technology. The company’s own AI browser, Comet – which has been free since 2025 – rounds off the ecosystem.

The Free plan offers unlimited basic searches and limited access to Pro Search. The Pro and Max plans are aimed at frequent users of AI and unlock unlimited Pro Searches, daily Deep Research queries and access to advanced models. Two Enterprise plans are available for businesses, offering higher Deep Research quotas and dedicated support. This makes Perplexity an ideal tool for fact-based research.

Fancy some more information? In the article ‘Perplexity or ChatGPT’, we compare the two tools in detail.

6. Mistral AI: Vibe (formerly Le Chat)

Vibe is the AI assistant developed by the French company Mistral AI, which was founded in 2023 by former researchers from Google DeepMind and Meta. The key difference compared to ChatGPT is that Mistral operates its infrastructure entirely within the EU and is therefore directly subject to the GDPR – a decisive factor for companies with strict data protection requirements. In addition, Mistral releases some of its models (including Mistral Small and Codestral) as open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, meaning they can also be run on users’ own hardware. Mistral Large 3 is the flagship model for general AI applications, whilst the newer Frontier model, Medium 3.5, is designed for agent-based and coding tasks.

Since its rebranding, Vibe – an AI assistant and agent platform – has been organised into three modes: Vibe Chat for traditional conversation, Vibe Work for multi-step tasks with integration into Google Workspace, Outlook, SharePoint, Slack and GitHub, and Vibe Code for autonomous programming, including the creation of pull requests in cloud sandboxes. Image generation currently still takes place via a partnership with Black Forest Labs (Flux). It should also be noted that, for highly complex reasoning tasks involving many intermediate steps, Mistral Medium is considered to be somewhat weaker compared to Claude or GPT models. The plugin and app ecosystem is also significantly smaller than that of ChatGPT. Vibe can be used via the web app chat.mistral.ai, the mobile app (iOS/Android) or, for developers, via the “La Plateforme” API. A free plan is available, whilst subscription plans start at around €15 per month.

7.  SpaceXAI: Grok

GrokAI is a language model developed by xAI that has been trained on a mix of publicly available data and real-time information (via X/Twitter). The current Frontier model is Grok 4.7 (as of 21 September 2026); the app’s Expert and Heavy modes still run on Grok 4.6. The model is characterised by direct, often sarcastic or humorous responses and is explicitly positioned as an alternative to ChatGPT. The focus is on transparency and efficiency. Grok is frequently the subject of public debate, more so than many other AI assistants: its close integration with X and data from the network, its claim to be an AI with as few restrictions as possible, and the high level of public attention surrounding SpaceXAI and Elon Musk have drawn sharp criticism, particularly in the EU.

Users who prefer quick, uncensored answers and rely on real-time data from the X ecosystem can make good use of this tool. For scientific depth or specialised tools (e.g. image generation), however, other models are significantly better suited. Grok can be used via the official website grok.com (beta) or as a premium feature within X; developers can also request API access.

8. DeepSeek

DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company specialising in particularly efficient open-weights models. The models utilise architectural approaches such as MLA (Multi-head Latent Attention) and are optimised for high efficiency at comparatively low cost. The model families include further developments of the DeepSeek-V series, as well as reasoning-oriented variants optimised for complex inferences and mathematical tasks.

In benchmarks, these models often rank among the top open-source and open-weights systems and can compete with proprietary systems in certain task areas, though they do not consistently match their performance. DeepSeek is known for its highly cost-effective API infrastructure and is frequently used as an alternative for scalable AI applications, particularly where cost per token is a key consideration.

9. moinAI

moinAI is an agent-based AI platform based in Hamburg for customer service and marketing. AI agents do not merely answer enquiries; they resolve them comprehensively through deep integration with CRM, ERP and ticketing systems, drawing on a well-maintained knowledge base and utilising guardrails that safeguard every incoming and outgoing message. Whilst ChatGPT is a general-purpose AI chatbot for a wide range of applications (text generation, coding, research, creative tasks), moinAI, as an enterprise solution, specialises in the automation of customer enquiries, lead generation and the optimisation of support processes. The benefits include:

• Controllable: Guardrails and editorial control over every response
• Traceable: source-based replies via RAG, every reply traceable back to its source
• Actionable: AI Actions for tasks such as cancellations or status enquiries
• Legally compliant: GDPR-compliant, EU AI Act-ready, developed and hosted in Germany
• Customer insights via Dreaming: automatically identify knowledge gaps and topics‍
• Fixed prices regardless of conversation volume

moinAI is not a replacement for ChatGPT as a general-purpose assistant, but rather the Agentic AI platform for businesses that want to retain control over their customer communications.

10. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered assistant for software development that can be integrated directly into development environments, such as Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs or Neovim. It assists with writing and revising code and works with many popular programming languages, such as Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C++ and Go.

Over the years, Copilot has evolved from a simple autocomplete tool into a sort of ‘co-developer’ within the editor. As well as offering traditional code suggestions, it provides chat functions within the context of the project and can assist with refactoring larger sections of code or entire files. Copilot is a multi-model platform. Currently, options include OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra and Google’s Gemini 3.8 Flash, as well as Claude models from Anthropic and Microsoft’s MAI code models.

Copilot is available as a paid product, with a limited free version as well as discounts for students and open-source contributions. The tool is now used by many development teams to speed up routine tasks.

10 more Alternatives to ChatGPT

The candidates listed above represent just a selection of the wide range of AI tools available on the market. Additional providers offering alternatives to ChatGPT and the options mentioned previously are listed here briefly. Here are 10 more helpful tools, including details of their functions and the models they use: