Top 15 ChatGPT Alternatives in 2026 (Free + Paid)

Last updated: September 17, 2026.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month. OpenAI trains on your chats by default. To stop training, switch off "Improve the model for everyone" in Settings, then Data Controls (OpenAI help).

The right option depends on why you are leaving. Cost, usage limits, data training, Mac support, or offline work each point to a different tool.

The 15 ChatGPT alternatives in 2026 below are compared on free plans, paid prices, whether they train on your chats, Mac apps and offline use.

Quick answer

• Claude is the best overall option for most users, with a context of up to 1M tokens depending on the model, no training unless you opt in, and Pro at $20/month.
• Duck.ai is the best free option instead of ChatGPT, offering access to Claude, Mistral and GPT models with no account required and no training on user data.
• Perplexity is the best alternative to ChatGPT for research with citations, with every answer linking to source pages and Pro plans from $17 per month billed yearly.
• Ollama is the best local or offline option, running models entirely on your Mac with nothing leaving the device, though speed and model size depend on your hardware.
• Choose Elephas on a Mac to keep the big cloud models without sending private details to them, plus built-in local LLM models for offline work, with a free version, a free trial, and paid plans from $19/month.

ChatGPT alternatives at a glance

Every price and policy was checked in September 2026. The vendor link for each figure sits in that tool's Pricing line below.

1. Claude: Best ChatGPT alternative for long documents and careful writing

Best for: Writers and analysts who need long context and precise, well-sourced responses.

Claude is Anthropic's tool for careful reasoning across long documents. The free plan includes web search, a context of up to 1M tokens depending on the model, and usage limits that reset every 5 hours on a rolling window (Claude pricing).

Claude Sonnet 5 became the default model for Free and Pro on June 30, 2026. Claude does not use your chats for training unless you switch on "Model Improvement" in Privacy Settings. Incognito chats are never used for training, even with that setting on (Claude training policy).

Key capabilities:

• Long context window of up to 1M tokens depending on the model, for long PDFs
• Web search in free and paid plans
• Incognito mode keeps chats out of training
• Mac desktop app for the same chats you have on the web
• Team and Enterprise data excluded from training

Pricing: Free: web chat, search, context up to 1M tokens depending on model, limits reset every five hours. Paid from $20/month (Pro, monthly billing) (Claude pricing).

• Trains on your data: Opt in. Off by default. Only if you switch on "Model Improvement" in Privacy Settings. Incognito chats never used for training (Claude training policy).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes · Works on Intel Macs: yes · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: Free users face 5-hour rolling limits that can run out after extended conversations.

Why we picked Claude: Claude is strong for writing and long documents. A context of up to 1M tokens depending on the model holds full reports in one conversation. Chats are not used for training unless you opt in. Pro is $20 per month. Readers leaving Claude as well can use our Claude alternatives guide.

2. Google Gemini: Multimodal AI platform from Google, best for Workspace users

Best for: Teams already using Google Docs, Google Drive and Google Workspace for daily work.

Google Gemini runs on web, Mac, iOS and Android. The free plan includes 3.6 Flash, varying access to 3.1 Pro, image generation and editing, Gemini Live, Canvas and 15 GB storage. On August 11, 2026 Google said the Gemini app passed 1 billion monthly users (Google announcement).

Workspace customers get additional data protections; Google confirms it does not use their data for training (Google privacy page).

Key capabilities:

• Image generation and editing included on the free level, a common reason people compare Gemini and ChatGPT for images (Google plan page)
• Multi-step research returns cited answers
• Live mode for real-time voice conversation
• Canvas for collaborative writing and coding
• Workspace integration with Docs and Drive
• Keep Activity toggle controls training use

Pricing: Free: 3.6 Flash, varying access to 3.1 Pro, Live, Canvas, 15 GB. Paid from $4.99/month (Google AI Plus, price cut June 2026 per 9to5Google) (Gemini plans).

• Trains on your data: Opt out via Keep Activity toggle; 72-hour retention when off (Gemini privacy help).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes · Works on Intel Macs: no (Apple Silicon only) · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: No local inference or offline capability; the free level's access to 3.1 Pro is limited.

Why we picked Gemini: Native integration with Google Docs, Drive and Gmail means less copy-pasting. AI Plus at $4.99 per month is the cheapest paid tier from a major provider.

User feedback: An Elegant Themes reviewer wrote that "Gemini has helped me with personal efficiency by helping me get things done quicker with the knowledge I don't necessarily have" (Elegant Themes review).

3. Elephas: Private AI knowledge assistant for Mac that works with every major model

Best for: Mac users who want all major models and offline privacy in one app.

Elephas is a private AI knowledge assistant for Mac. You can run Elephas with built-in local LLM models that run on your device. Nothing is shared with the cloud, which suits confidential documents. For heavy or complex tasks you can also use cloud models from ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude through their API keys.

Even with cloud models, Elephas protects you through automatic PII redaction. Elephas removes names, emails, phone numbers and other sensitive details on your Mac before sending. The cloud model only sees cleaned text. Elephas restores details on your Mac so identifying information never leaves the device. The same applies to Grok, Perplexity or any other cloud model. Zero data retention policy means your content never trains AI models, never sits on a vendor's server, and never passes through a third-party reviewer's screen. The image below shows how the redaction works.

Super Brain is Elephas's knowledge base. Super Brain is similar to ChatGPT Projects and Claude Projects. Super Brain has no document limits like they do. Every answer is cited back to the source document, so you can see which document it came from.

Key capabilities:

• Super Brain knowledge base from 20+ file formats (PDF, Word, Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, YouTube, audio)
• Choose any model per task (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity) or built-in local LLM models
• Smart Redaction on every plan including Free
• Works inside every Mac app, plus iPhone and iPad
• Answers only from your own documents, with citations

Pricing: Free plan available, and every new download includes 7 days of Pro. Paid plans start at $19/month (Elephas pricing).

• Trains on your data: Never. Elephas has a zero data retention policy, and sensitive details are redacted on your Mac before any cloud call, so they are never sent (Elephas privacy).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes · Works on Intel Macs: not stated by Elephas · Local inference: yes (built-in local LLM models) · Works offline after download: yes (Mac only; iPhone and iPad need a connection).

Limitation: Elephas runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad today. Offline mode is Mac only. A Windows version is coming soon, with a Windows waitlist.

Why we picked Elephas: People switching from ChatGPT for privacy can keep the cloud models ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for hard tasks, then use built-in local LLM models offline for everything else. Elephas redacts sensitive details on your Mac before any cloud call and never trains on your data.

User feedback: "Elephas is a great AI product; It provides a new way to interact with your notes, ideas and documents. Personally, my favorite feature of elephas was the quick summon for the LLM of my choice." (Capterra review)

Try Elephas free on your Mac

Download Elephas now to run built-in local LLM models on your Mac, or use cloud models after redaction.

• Free plan with 20 credits a month, no credit card needed.
• Every new download includes 7 days of Pro.
• Works offline with built-in local LLM models or online with redaction.
• Elephas never trains on your data.

Download Elephas free for Mac

4. Perplexity: Best ChatGPT alternative for research with inline citations

Best for: Researchers and fact-checkers who need every claim backed by a linked source.

Perplexity AI is a search tool returning answers with inline citations. The free option offers practically unlimited basic searches and three Pro Searches per day; Pro subscribers get higher limits and file uploads (Perplexity plans).

Pro costs $17 per month billed yearly (Perplexity pricing), with Education Pro at $10 per month. On Pro you can opt out of AI training. Only Enterprise plans guarantee data is never used for training (Perplexity plans).

Key capabilities:

• Every answer includes inline source citations
• Pro Search performs multi-step research
• File uploads and projects for workspaces
• Choice of leading models for Pro users
• Education Pro at $10 per month

Pricing: Free: practically unlimited basic searches, 3 Pro Searches/day; paid from $17/month billed yearly (Pro) (Perplexity pricing).

• Trains on your data: You can opt out on Pro. Only Enterprise plans guarantee no training (Perplexity plans).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes (macOS 14 or later) · Works on Intel Macs: not stated by Perplexity · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: The free plan limits Pro Searches to three per day, and training is only guaranteed off on Enterprise plans.

Why we picked Perplexity: Best for research when you need cited sources. Inline citations make claims verifiable for academic work, legal research and fact-checking. The free level is generous. Perplexity is the AI search pick and one of the best ChatGPT alternatives for research.

5. Microsoft Copilot: ChatGPT replacement for Microsoft 365 workflows

Best for: Microsoft 365 users who want Copilot in their apps.

Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant. You can use it on the web, in Windows, in the Edge browser, on phones, and in a Mac app. Signing in costs nothing and adds history, images, and voice.

Copilot Pro is no longer sold. Microsoft ended support for it on August 1, 2026 (Copilot Pro notice). Paid Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium instead of a $20 add-on.

Key capabilities:

• Write, brainstorm, and summarise in free Copilot chat
• Get answers from live web search
• Summarise the page you have open in Edge
• Create images after you sign in at no cost
• Use voice chat after signing in without paying

Pricing: Free chat covers writing, brainstorming, summarising, web answers, and Edge summaries. Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99/month (Microsoft pricing).

• Trains on your data: Default with opt-out. Turn off "Training on conversation activity" under profile icon then Privacy in Copilot privacy controls.
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes, macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon · Works on Intel Macs: no, web only (Tom's Guide) · Local inference: no · Works offline: no

Limitation: Microsoft does not publish the free usage cap, and the training switch is on by default.

Why we picked Microsoft Copilot: Pick Microsoft Copilot if you work in Windows, Edge, or Microsoft 365 and want one assistant across those apps. Skip it if you need an Intel Mac app, offline use, or a stated free cap.

User feedback: A Capterra reviewer wrote that Copilot "significantly boosts productivity", while another complained that it "cannot receive text inputs greater than 10240 characters" (Capterra reviews).

6. DeepSeek: Budget-friendly option instead of ChatGPT with low-cost API access

Best for: free chat users and developers who need a cheap API

DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company. The company makes a free chat app for the web, iPhone, and Android, plus a low-cost API, a way for developers to plug DeepSeek into their own apps.

People leaving ChatGPT in 2026 can switch to a free chat app and a cheap developer API. DeepSeek named its newest model, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, on the DeepSeek site in September 2026.

Key capabilities:

• Chat for free on the web, iPhone, and Android
• Use the cheap deepseek-flash API in your own apps
• Use the larger deepseek-v4-pro model through the API
• Try DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, the newest chat model
• Run DeepSeek models on your own computer with Ollama

Pricing: The chat app is free, with no in-app purchases (DeepSeek App Store listing). No paid consumer plan. A normal API request costs $0.15 per million input tokens (text chunks) at off-peak hours (VentureBeat price report).

• Trains on your data: Default. DeepSeek's policy says it may use personal data to train its models. The opt-out is framed around the privacy laws that apply where you live and may depend on your country (DeepSeek privacy policy).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: no · Works on Intel Macs: yes, in a browser · Local inference: not in the official app · Works offline: no

Limitation: DeepSeek stores data in China and uses it for training unless you opt out, and publishes no usage limit for free chat.

Why we picked DeepSeek: Pick DeepSeek if you want a free chat app and a cheap API. Skip it if you cannot send data to China, need a native Mac app, or need a published usage cap on free chat.

7. Grok: Chatbot with real-time X access, unlike ChatGPT

Best for: people leaving ChatGPT who want live X search.

Grok is the chatbot from xAI, Elon Musk's AI company. People use it at grok.com, in iPhone and Android apps, and inside X. Unlike ChatGPT, people can search live X posts while they chat.

People leaving ChatGPT in 2026 get a model for jobs that take a long time. Grok 4.6 launched on August 12, 2026. Grok Build reached every plan on August 19, 2026, per xAI news.

Key capabilities:

• Search the live web and X while you chat
• Talk with Grok using voice mode
• Connect Grok to other apps
• Generate images and videos on SuperGrok
• Keep a chat out of training with Private Chat

Pricing: Free plan is $0 per month. SuperGrok starts at $30 per month. SuperGrok Plus is $100 per month. X Premium+ at $40 per month includes SuperGrok per the X Premium FAQ. Prices are on the xAI pricing page.

• Trains on your data: Default with opt-out. Turn it off on grok.com under Settings, then Data, then "Improve the Model", per the xAI data FAQ.
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: No · Works on Intel Macs: Yes, in a browser · Local inference: No · Works offline: No

Limitation: Training is on by default on grok.com and on X, and the free limit is not published.

Why we picked Grok: We picked Grok for people who want live X search that ChatGPT does not have. Pick it if you already use X and want answers that include current posts. Skip it if you need a native Mac app, offline use, or a published free limit.

8. Mistral Vibe: European-hosted alternative to ChatGPT formerly known as Le Chat

Best for: Users who want a European-hosted chat with multi-model access and regional inference.

Mistral Vibe was called Le Chat until August 12, 2026. The French company offers a free plan with limited messages, searches, coding, image generation, $10 API credits and 100+ connectors. Pro is $14.99/month or $5.99/month for verified students for up to 12 months (Mistral pricing).

On August 11, 2026 Mistral introduced regional inference, letting users choose where their data is processed (Mistral announcement). Mistral's pricing page lists a training opt-out on Free, Pro and Team (Mistral pricing).

Key capabilities:

• Regional inference lets users choose data location
• Free plan includes $10 API credits
• Image generation at no cost
• Training opt-out through settings
• Multi-model access with coding and search

Pricing: Free: limited messages, searches, coding, image generation, $10 API credits. Paid from $14.99/month (Pro), or $5.99/month for verified students (Mistral pricing).

• Trains on your data: Opt out on the Free, Pro and Team plans (Mistral pricing).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: no · Works on Intel Macs: yes, in a browser · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: No native Mac app; the free level's message and search limits are not specified.

Why we picked Mistral Vibe: Strong for European-hosted AI with regional inference controls. Free plan includes $10 in API credits and 100+ connectors; Pro at $14.99 undercuts most competitors. Compared to ChatGPT, it offers European hosting.

9. Meta AI: Casual conversational tool like ChatGPT from Meta

Best for: free chat inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.

Meta AI is Meta's own chat assistant inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. Meta also offers it at meta.ai, in iPhone and Android apps, and in a Mac desktop app.

People leaving ChatGPT in 2026 get a free chat tool. Meta said on September 15, 2026 the core Meta AI experience has always been free, in the Meta One announcement.

Key capabilities:

• Chat inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger
• Open Meta AI at meta.ai in a browser
• Chat from iPhone and Android apps
• Work with other apps on your Mac
• Create more images and videos on Meta One

Pricing: Free for everyday use. Meta One Core is $7.99 a month in the Meta One announcement.

• Trains on your data: Default with opt-out. Meta trains on your chats and public posts by default, and EU and UK users object through a form per the Meta training notice and TechRadar.
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes, Apple Silicon · Works on Intel Macs: app no, browser yes · Local inference: no · Works offline: no

Limitation: Meta does not publish the free daily limit, and the objection form is only for the EU and UK.

Why we picked Meta AI: Pick Meta AI if you already use WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook and want free chat there. Skip it if you refuse Meta training on chats or need a published free limit and Intel Mac app.

User feedback: A Trustpilot reviewer wrote in April 2025: "I didn't put it on my phone and I can't get rid of something I really don't want" (Trustpilot review).

10. Pi: Friendly conversational companion for casual chat

Best for: talking things through with a calm personal companion

Pi is a chat companion from Inflection AI. Inflection calls it a personal intelligence partner built to be empathetic. You use it to talk things through, not for research or office work.

People leaving ChatGPT for a calmer talk partner still find Pi free on web, iPhone, and Android. In August 2024 TechCrunch reported Inflection would cap free use as the company moved toward business customers after Microsoft hired its founders.

Key capabilities:

• Talk things through with a personal chat companion
• Open Pi in a browser at pi.ai
• Chat from the free iPhone app
• Chat from the free Android app
• Turn off training in your account settings

Pricing: Pi is free. The App Store listing shows Free with no in-app purchases. Inflection publishes no paid plan and no message limit.

• Trains on your data: Default with opt-out. Conversations train Inflection's models unless you opt out in your account settings, per the Inflection privacy policy updated August 11, 2026.
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: none listed by Inflection (use the browser) · Works on Intel Macs: yes, in a browser · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: Inflection now focuses on business customers, so free Pi access can change without notice.

Why we picked Pi: Pick Pi if you want a calm talk partner, not a work tool. Skip it if you need research, office help, a native Mac app, or a ChatGPT replacement that will stay free. Pi is not for crisis, health, or relationship support.

User feedback: The January 2026 Tom's Guide roundup gives Pi its most personal slot and calls it the reviewer's favourite model to talk to.

11. Duck.ai: Free no-account multi-model chat

Best for: Privacy-conscious users who want free use of multiple models without creating an account.

Duck.ai is DuckDuckGo's free chat service, offering Claude, Mistral and GPT variants without an account. Chats are stored locally and prompts are anonymized. Models include Claude 4.5 Haiku, Mistral Small 4, GPT-5.4 nano/mini and Gemma 4 31B.

Duck.ai is free with no account. DuckDuckGo also sells a subscription that raises the limits. Plus costs $9.99 a month. Pro costs $19.99 a month. Pro adds stronger models such as Claude Opus and twice the usage of Plus (DuckDuckGo blog).

Key capabilities:

• Free multi-model access without account
• Models include Claude, Mistral, GPT, Gemma
• Chats stored locally, prompts anonymized
• DuckDuckGo does not train on user data
• Browser-based access on Mac

Pricing: Free with no account, limits not published. Paid: DuckDuckGo subscription, Plus $9.99/month, Pro $19.99/month (DuckDuckGo blog).

• Trains on your data: Not used by default; prompts are anonymized (Duck.ai help).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: no (browser only) · Works on Intel Macs: yes, in a browser · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: DuckDuckGo publishes no usage limit for the free level, and Duck.ai has no desktop app.

Why we picked Duck.ai: You do not need an account. Several models from different companies sit in one place. Duck.ai removes your identity from prompts and does not use chats for training (Duck.ai help). Pick it if you want a free chat with no sign-up. Skip it if you need a desktop app, file uploads for long work, or published limits.

User feedback: TechRadar's July 2026 review praised Duck.ai as a privacy proxy with no-account access, though usage limits remain undisclosed (TechRadar review).

12. Proton Lumo: Privacy-first encrypted chat from Proton

Best for: people who want encrypted chats Proton cannot read.

Proton Lumo is the AI assistant from Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. Proton launched Lumo in July 2025 and says it has gained 10 million users since, per the Lumo 2.0 post.

Lumo 2.0 launched on June 30, 2026, per the Lumo 2.0 post. People leaving ChatGPT get stronger reasoning on the web, iPhone, and Android. Proton's Lumo downloads page lists no Mac or Windows app.

Key capabilities:

• Recognize images you send in a chat
• Generate images from your prompts
• Search the web and get cited sources
• Control the assistant's memory yourself
• Create custom assistants for your tasks

Pricing: Free: limited messages, limited chat history, one project, no credit card, on Lumo plans. Lumo Plus is $12.99 per month or $9.99 per month yearly per the TechRadar review.

• Trains on your data: Not used. Proton says "Lumo doesn't use your chats to train the AI models," and only you can read saved chats, per Lumo privacy.
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: no (browser) · Works on Intel Macs: yes, in a browser · Local inference: no · Works offline: no.

Limitation: Lumo has no desktop app, and the free plan limits messages and keeps only one project.

Why we picked Proton Lumo: Pick Lumo if you want encrypted chats Proton cannot read, models on Proton's European servers, and a Plus plan cheaper than ChatGPT. Skip it if you need a native Mac app or offline use. Teams can use Lumo Professional.

User feedback: The TechRadar review compares Lumo Plus at $12.99 per month with ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro at $20.

13. LM Studio: Local model experimentation tool for Mac users

Best for: Technical users who want to run models locally on their Mac for privacy and experimentation.

LM Studio is a free Mac app that runs open models on your own machine through a normal chat window. Nothing leaves the Mac unless you switch on its optional cloud models, which changes where your data goes.

Speed depends on your Mac's memory, since the models run entirely on your hardware. Bionic, released July 16, added a cloud option with zero data retention for users who prefer hosted models (LM Studio Bionic).

Key capabilities:

• Runs models fully on your Mac, tuned for Apple Silicon
• Supports GLM 5.2, Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4 Pro
• Bionic added Zero Data Retention cloud
• New open models added regularly, such as Muse Glimmer on August 10
• Native Mac app for local experimentation

Pricing: Free: full local inference (LM Studio).

• Trains on your data: Local only; no data sent externally unless using cloud (LM Studio Bionic).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes · Works on Intel Macs: no (Apple Silicon only) · Local inference: yes · Works offline: yes.

Limitation: Performance depends on your Mac's memory; cloud option changes the data path.

Why we picked LM Studio: Good for technical users who want control over local models. The LM Studio Bionic release in July 2026 added an optional cloud mode, while local use keeps data on your Mac, as our LM Studio review notes.

14. Ollama: Fully local unlimited option for privacy-focused Mac users

Best for: Users who want fully local, unlimited inference with nothing leaving their Mac.

Ollama is a free tool that downloads and runs open models on your Mac, requiring macOS 14 or later. Prompts you type locally never leave the machine, so your data stays private.

A paid Pro plan at $20 per month with $60 of usage, announced August 31, adds hosted cloud models. That cloud path is separate from the local setup, so your data rules change (Ollama pricing).

Key capabilities:

• Fully local inference, nothing leaves your machine
• Free unlimited local use, open-source code
• A June 11, 2026 update gave Ollama its fastest Apple Silicon performance yet.
• Claude Desktop gateway added August 25
• Ollama Pro cloud offers hosted access

Pricing: Free: unlimited local inference; paid $20/month (Pro cloud) (Ollama).

• Trains on your data: Local only; local prompts never tracked, cloud requests transient (Ollama privacy).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes (macOS 14+) · Works on Intel Macs: yes · Local inference: yes · Works offline: yes.

Limitation: Performance depends on your Mac's memory; the paid cloud plan is a hosted product.

Why we picked Ollama: We named Ollama our top pick for fully local use with no usage cap. The open-source app is free. A paid Pro plan adds hosted cloud models, which Ollama explains on its pricing post. Read our Ollama review.

15. Jan: Open-source local chat with 6.6 million downloads

Best for: Users who want a free, open-source local chat tool with MCP connectors and autonomous coding.

Jan is a free, open-source chat app with 6.6 million downloads (Jan). The app runs AI models on your own Mac, so your chats never leave the computer. Jan looks and works like a normal chat window.

Jan only runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 13.6 or later. Intel Macs are not supported (Jan Mac install). Anyone can read the code, which is public under the Apache 2.0 licence (Jan on GitHub).

Key capabilities:

• Fully local inference, open-source code
• Over 6.6 million downloads
• MCP connectors for local tool integration
• Jan Agent for autonomous coding
• Tokamak, Jan's team backend, routes local and cloud models from one endpoint.

Pricing: Free: full local inference (Jan).

• Trains on your data: Local only; local models keep all data on your device (Jan privacy policy).
• Mac app / local / offline: Native Mac app: yes · Works on Intel Macs: no (Apple Silicon only) · Local inference: yes · Works offline: yes.

Limitation: Performance depends on your Mac's memory.

Why we picked Jan: Completely free and open source with MCP connectors and autonomous coding. All inference stays on your Mac. The chat window feels similar to ChatGPT, with no account and no cost.

Which ChatGPT alternatives are free?

Eleven hosted tools offer free plans, and three local apps are free to download. No hosted free level is unlimited. The only option without a usage cap is a local model after download, limited by your hardware and memory.

Pick the best free AI software based on the job. Claude's free plan handles long documents. Perplexity's free plan gives answers with cited sources. Ollama runs on your own Mac with no usage cap. Duck.ai needs no account. Elephas has a free plan with 20 credits a month and automatic redaction of sensitive data (pricing).

Which alternatives keep your data private?

The default setting matters most, because it is what applies until you change it. Some tools train on your chats unless you turn that off. Others do not train on your chats at all. A few keep every prompt on your own Mac.

• Trains by default: ChatGPT (OpenAI help), Microsoft Copilot (Copilot privacy controls), Grok (xAI data FAQ), Pi (Inflection privacy policy), DeepSeek (DeepSeek privacy policy) and Meta AI (Meta training notice) train on your chats by default. ChatGPT, Copilot, Grok and Pi give you a switch to turn training off.
• Does not train: Proton Lumo does not train on your chats and stores them with zero-access encryption so only you can read them (Lumo privacy). Duck.ai removes your identity from prompts before passing them to the model maker (Duck.ai help).
• Where it is stored: DeepSeek stores personal data on servers in China (DeepSeek privacy policy). Proton runs Lumo on European servers it controls (Lumo privacy).
• How long it is kept: Pi keeps inputs for at most 15 days after you delete them (Inflection privacy policy). Grok's Private Chat deletes a conversation within 30 days (xAI data FAQ).
• Stays on your Mac: LM Studio, Ollama, Jan and the built-in local LLM models in Elephas run on your own computer, so there is nothing for a company to train on.

For confidential work, Elephas redacts 28 types of sensitive data, such as names, emails, phone numbers and card numbers, on your Mac before a prompt reaches a cloud model. Use the longer list of private AI tools for confidential work, and read ChatGPT and confidential documents on what is safe to paste into ChatGPT.

Which options have a Mac or desktop app?

Nine of the 15 tools have a native Mac app: Elephas, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Meta AI, LM Studio, Ollama and Jan. The other six run in a browser, so they work on any Mac. ChatGPT's Mac app needs macOS 14 and runs on Apple Silicon or Intel (OpenAI requirements).

A Mac app can still send every prompt to the cloud. Check the local inference column. Older Intel Macs are the catch. Claude and Ollama support them. Gemini, Copilot, Meta AI, LM Studio and Jan need Apple Silicon Macs.

A longer list of Mac options is in alternatives for Mac. Readers who want an AI chat app on a Mac without a subscription can follow a separate guide for that setup. For phone and web options, see the best ChatGPT apps roundup.

Mac and Intel details come from each vendor's download or requirements page: Claude, Gemini, LM Studio, Ollama and Jan. Copilot's Apple Silicon requirement comes from Tom's Guide, and Meta AI's from 9to5Mac.

Which ChatGPT alternatives run locally or offline?

LM Studio, Ollama, Jan and Elephas built-in local LLM models run locally. Hardware and memory decide the model you can run.

• LM Studio: local app with a chat window, tuned for Apple Silicon
• Ollama: local model runner, free and unlimited for local models
• Jan: open-source local chat app
• Elephas: built-in local LLM models with a full offline mode on Mac

For offline models, local inference keeps data on your device.

Offline unrestricted AI means no usage cap once the model is downloaded, not the removal of a model's safety rules.

Which options are open source?

People searching for open-source AI GitHub want Jan or Ollama. Both publish their full code on GitHub. LM Studio is free but closed source. Open weight is not the same as open source.

• Jan is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, with its code on GitHub (Jan on GitHub).
• Ollama is open source under the MIT licence, with 181,000 stars on GitHub (Ollama on GitHub).
• LM Studio is free, including for work (LM Studio for work), and its app is proprietary, not open source (XDA Developers).
• DeepSeek and Mistral release open-weight models. You can download and run the model, but the training code and data stay private, so open weight is not the same as open source.

Which AI is best to talk to?

Four of the 15 tools on this list stand out for conversation. The best conversational AI tools for you depend on whether you want AI companions, a careful thinker, or a voice you can talk to out loud.

• People searching for a top rated AI companion usually land on Pi, built by Inflection AI to be empathetic and made for talking things through rather than office work. Tom's Guide's January 2026 roundup calls it the reviewer's favourite model to talk to (Tom's Guide).
• Claude gives careful, long replies and can hold very long conversations, with a context window of up to 1M tokens depending on the model (Claude pricing).
• Meta AI already sits inside WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, so there is nothing new to install (Meta newsroom).
• Grok includes voice mode on its free plan, so you can talk out loud (xAI pricing).

Companion chat is not crisis, health or relationship support.

What about coding, images, 3D and studying?

The 15 tools above are chat assistants. Neighbouring tools for coding, images, 3D, video and language practice sit outside the list. Keep them for those jobs, not as stand-ins for the chat apps.

• Coding: Claude Code and GitHub Copilot.
• Images: Midjourney, and Gemini for free image generation.
• Image to 3D model: Meshy.
• Video: Google Flow is free to try with 50 credits a day. A Google AI Pro plan adds 1,000 credits a month (Google Flow help).
• Language practice: Speakology is an AI language tutor built for schools, not a ChatGPT replacement (Speakology).

For a study helper in the style of a study GPT, any free tool above works, and Perplexity adds cited answers. The best laptops for AI need more memory to run larger models. LM Studio requirements recommend 16GB or more of memory, and say 8GB Macs should stick to smaller models.

What changed between June and September 2026?

• June 30: Claude Sonnet 5 became default (Anthropic announcement)
• June 30: Proton Lumo 2.0 added reasoning, image generation and cited search (Proton)
• July 16: LM Studio Bionic with zero data retention (LM Studio Bionic)
• August 1: Microsoft ended support for Copilot Pro (Microsoft)
• August 12: Mistral renamed to Vibe; Grok 4.6 launched (xAI news)
• August 18: Microsoft retiring consumer deep research (Microsoft support)
• August 20: Meta AI arrived as a Mac app (TechCrunch)
• August 25: Ollama Claude Desktop gateway (Ollama blog)
• September 15: Meta launched paid Meta One plans from $7.99 a month (Meta)

How to choose the right ChatGPT alternative?

Every ChatGPT alternative in 2026 on this list is a hosted chat, a privacy-first chat that offers several models, or an app that runs on your own computer. Image generators and developer-only tools are left out.

Each tool was checked on the five points below against vendor pages and named press reports where a vendor page gave no figure.

Jasper AI and Notion AI are AI writing tools rather than general-purpose AI chatbots, so they sit outside this list, as do AI coding editors.

• Free plan: what each no-cost option includes
• Paid AI plans: individual monthly billing
• Training policy: default setting and opt-out availability
• Mac app and offline: native Mac app, local inference, offline use
• Best for: the specific use case where the tool outperforms ChatGPT

Lawyers can start with the alternatives for lawyers guide, which applies the same checks to client data

Why look for a ChatGPT replacement today?

ChatGPT is still the most widely used AI chatbot. Usage limits, privacy worries and the $20 a month Plus price push people to look elsewhere.

Stanford HAI's 2026 AI Index report found that the quality gap has almost closed (Stanford AI Index). As of March 2026, the top four AI companies scored within 25 points of each other.

Cisco released the 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study on January 26, 2026 (Cisco press release). Its survey of more than 5,200 professionals found that 90% said AI expanded their privacy programs, while 23% lacked a dedicated AI governance committee (Cisco study).

OpenAI trains on your ChatGPT conversations by default until you switch it off. In July 2026, Tom's Guide compared the privacy settings of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Meta AI and Grok and found there is no industry standard for AI privacy (Tom's Guide).

• Usage limits: ChatGPT Free has a 27K-token context; Plus at $20 per month still faces rolling caps (ChatGPT pricing).
• Price: ChatGPT Plus is $20 per month (ChatGPT pricing), the same as Claude Pro (Claude pricing). Google AI Plus costs $4.99 per month (9to5Google).
• Training: OpenAI trains by default unless toggled off (OpenAI help).
• Mac app: ChatGPT's Mac app needs macOS 14 and runs on Apple Silicon or Intel Macs (OpenAI requirements).
• Cited research: Perplexity grounds every answer in live web sources with inline citations (Perplexity hub).

Conclusion

Start with Duck.ai or a local app such as Ollama if cost is the problem. Pick Proton Lumo, a local app, or a tool that redacts before the cloud call if privacy is the problem. Pick Perplexity if you need sources.

Four takeaways:

• No hosted free level is unlimited. Local models after download are the only option without usage caps.
• Training defaults matter. ChatGPT trains by default unless toggled off. Claude, Perplexity Pro and local apps offer clearer controls.
• Mac app does not mean offline. Check local inference and offline columns.
• Privacy switchers keep several cloud models in Elephas, which removes sensitive details on the Mac first, with built-in local LLM models for offline use. Try it free, and paid plans start at $19/month.

Research methodology and sources

Vendor pages were checked in September 2026. Where a vendor page gave no figure or blocked access, a named press report was used and linked in the text. Named studies are linked where cited.

• OpenAI ChatGPT pricing
• Anthropic Claude pricing
• Claude training policy
• Google pricing
• Perplexity pricing
• Microsoft Copilot
• Mistral Vibe pricing
• DuckDuckGo Duck.ai
• Proton Lumo
• Microsoft 365 pricing
• Copilot privacy controls
• DeepSeek prices, via VentureBeat
• DeepSeek privacy policy
• xAI pricing
• xAI data FAQ
• Meta One announcement
• Inflection privacy policy
• Proton Lumo 2.0
• Lumo privacy
• DuckDuckGo subscription
• LM Studio
• Ollama
• Jan
• Stanford HAI AI Index 2026
• Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark Study