ChatGPT is probably the most well-known large language model generative AI app. Much of its power comes from the variety of applications it has and how customisable it is with the ability to develop innovative and customized solutions to your problems.
However, ChatGPT has limitations and as you use different LLMs, you quickly realise they all have their nuances. So, you might want to consider an alternative to ChatGPT.
The generative AI space is changing quickly with a variety of large language models and new competitors entering. Some are based on different data sets, some are developed for more specific applications, and some LLMs are built into search engines. Some models build on one or more other base models to serve more specific or limited use cases.
If you’ve ever found that ChatGPT is too broad, there are too many steps to get it to do what you want, or you simply want to discover what’s possible with different data sets, you should try alternative large language models. Here are a few suggestions for alternatives.
Why Should You Use A ChatGPT Alternative?
While OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the biggest player in the AI text generation tools market, with over 400 million weekly users, it’s not the only option. Various alternatives present unique user experiences and features not covered by ChatGPT.
For example, these alternatives may utilize different large language models (LLMs), offer video translation capabilities and prompt assistance, or have superior document organization features, aiding businesses in achieving their goals more effectively.
The ease of use among these ChatGPT alternatives varies; many feature intuitive user interfaces, facilitating a quick start without requiring prior coding knowledge.
User-friendliness and additional functionalities can make these tools better suited for certain use cases.
Now, let’s explore these nine ChatGPT alternatives for anyone who wants to experiment and find ways to introduce AI into their workflow.
1. DeepSeek-R1
DeepSeek-R1 is an open source AI model that is now considered ChatGPT’s Chinese-made direct competitor. Founded in 2023, the Chinese company released DeepSeek-R1 In January 2025 and is noted for being more cost-effective than ChatGPT. Upon its launch it caused disruption in the AI Market with NVIDIA stock plunging by 17% in just one day.
The disruption was mostly from DeepSeek reporting that it was trained on a budget of under $6 million, although this is now being widely contested. DeepSeek also claims to ‘rival the most advanced closed-source models globally’.
Whatever it cost, DeepSeek’s token-based pricing structure is highly competitive in comparison to its main rivals, making it a valuable consideration for your business.
| Pricing | Details | |
| DeepSeek-V3 |
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| DeepSeek-R1 |
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Screenshot from DeepSeek, February 2025We tested it with this prompt: “When were U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s four daughters—Margaret, Jessie, Elizabeth, and Eleanor—born?”
As DeepSeek-R1 is an open-source model, the real value lies in its self-deployed version, which allows anyone to install and run a highly accurate AI chatbot API, similar to ChatGPT, on their own server without relying on third-party providers.
- This capability accelerates AI-based SaaS development by reducing dependency on external services, lowering operational costs, and enabling businesses to fine-tune models for their specific needs. Companies can now build custom AI applications with full control over data privacy, performance optimization, and scalability.
- This is why DeepSeek is positioned as the #1 competitor to OpenAI on our list, as it directly challenges OpenAI’s API-driven business model by offering a self-hosted alternative.
- Be aware that the terms for online models and the self-hosted version differ with only the self-hosted model ensuring 100% privacy and full control over data. It’s also worth noting that some governments are issuing bans for DeepSeek on the grounds of national security.
What Users Say
Although several users prefer to use ChatGPT in research-related tasks and faster responses to context, other praise DeepSeek for giving them exactly what they need in code generation and debugging . One user mentioned, “In terms of code-related use cases, IMO Claude = DeepSeek = o1 > 4o.”
However, hallucinations are still a concern just like with ChatGPT. A user stated, “DeepSeek seems to not know about many subjects and hallucinates.”
On YouTube, Bernard Marr notes that “coders, technical researchers and someone who needs speed and precision, DeepSeek may be a great fit. But for creativity, flexibility, and multitasking, ChatGPT remains a strong contender.
2. Google Gemini
Screenshot from Google Gemini, February 2024Google Gemini ((Formerly Bard) is Google’s answer to ChatGPT. It is an experimental AI conversational service powered by Google’s Gemini Pro 1.0.
Simply put, Gemini is another AI chatbot that is like ChatGPT.
Google Gemini is entirely free and allows for unlimited questions. It also has the advantage of being integrated with Google search, thus providing real-time information.
| Pricing | Details | |
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| Google Gemini | Free, with unlimited questions. |
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| Google Gemini Advanced | $19.99/mo |
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I tested how Gemini answers based on real-time data and how it compares to “ChatGPT browse with Bing.”
I tested the same questions by trying to fool chatbots and got the right answers from Gemini and ChatGPT. The questions I’ve asked:
- This month, [a] big stone has dropped in Mexico from the sky. Tell me more about it, where it did drop, and [the] damages it caused.
- This month, [a] big comet has dropped in Mexico. Tell me more about it, where it did drop, and [the] damages it caused.
Both Gemini and ChatGPT were able to produce the right answers.
This is one of the simple ways to challenge chatbots and see how accurate they are. I always recommend doing this with questions in your area of expertise to understand to what extent you can trust the output of chatbots.
Finally, I highly recommend that you carefully review Gemini’s privacy policy. It states that your conversations may be stored for up to three years as Gemini app activity is turned on by default, and up to 72 hours if you turn it off.
Most importantly, remember that human reviewers may review your conversations to improve the system. Google explicitly asks not to enter any confidential information (such as passwords, corporate data, API keys, etc.) into Gemini.
Please don’t enter confidential information in your conversations or any data you wouldn’t want a reviewer to see or Google to use to improve our products, services, and machine-learning technologies.
As a general rule, you should avoid sharing private data with chatbots unless the tool explicitly states that it will not use your data for training purposes.
Typically, the paid versions of chatbots offer this level of privacy, but it is still advised to check that before usage.
What Users Say
Some users expressed dissatisfaction from older Gemini versions giving confusing or contradicting answers.
Web app issues also cropped up after a prompt to sign a new terms of service. On the other hand, Gemini Advanced has been praised by users for writing and creativity, along with easy integration of Google services like Workplace.
Their latest release Gemini 2.0 may improve user experience, including newer capabilities to handle different types of inputs and outputs.
3. Microsoft Copilot (Formerly Bing Chat)
Screenshot from Microsoft Copilot, February 2024Microsoft Copilot integrates well with Microsoft products, especially Edge, and is accessible directly from the app menu. It facilitates on-the-go interactions, enabling users to ask questions about web content.
It also claims document summarization features such as PDFs or webpages.
While image generation with ChatGPT is only available to Plus users, image generation with Copilot is available to all users.
Copilot handled the comet test questions well and generated valid responses.
However, when I tried another question – “Why did former 45th USA president Hillary Clinton oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership?” – that contained the false claim “former 45th USA president Hillary Clinton,” Copilot produced a partially wrong answer by stating that Hillary Clinton was 45th president of the United States. She wasn’t.
On the contrary, ChatGPT handled it well by correcting me that Hillary Clinton wasn’t the 45th U.S. president; Google Gemini didn’t answer, but it directed me to use Google search instead.
I added the following context to the above question, hoping it would guide the chatbot to refine its information retrieval dataset and identify the error in my query: “Imagine you know all about the history of the USA elections and [are an] expert in politics…”
But no luck.
Copilot produced the same false claim.
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Copilot’s wrong answer with precise mode.
When you’re conducting research and inadvertently include an error in your question, there’s a chance the chatbot may not identify your error.
This example demonstrates why you can’t blindly rely on AI chatbots for research. Remember to use them critically and cross-check information with other reliable sources.
Chatbots often generate answers based on probability-based predictions – not factual accuracy – and your input may not match with recognizable patterns in its training data.
To conclude, Microsoft Copilot is a viable option for those who are looking to integrate their chat interactions and web browsing experiences, with the option to upgrade to Copilot Pro.
| Pricing | Details | |
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| Copilot | Free to use (Ad-supported). |
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| Copilot Pro | $20/month |
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| Copilot for Microsoft 365 | $30/month per user (annual) or $31.50 (if billed per month) for commercial customers only. |
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What Users Say
CoPilot seems to excel at autocompleting code, which helps productivity for users who are programmers.
Users also praised its integration with the Microsoft 360 ecosystem and some mention a frustrating learning curve with CoPilot especially with users who aren’t as experienced in writing specifications.
4. Jasper.ai
Screenshot from Jasper.ai, February 2024Jasper.ai is a conversational AI engine that uses large language models developed by OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others, including their own customized model.
It is designed for business use cases like marketing and sales. It can also provide writing inspiration and assist marketing or sales teams like ChatGPT.
I tested the same prompt about “comets” on Jaspet.ai chat, and it corrected me when I used the word “comet” but not when I replaced it with the word “stone.”
In this case, the incorrect term “stone” steered Jasper.ai away from the accurate context, leading to a faulty response. It also gave a partially incorrect answer to the prompt on “Hillary Clinton.”
This is another example that underscores the importance of fact-checking AI-generated content, as it may contain misinformation. This doesn’t mean you should avoid using chatbots; rather, it should serve as guidance for correctly using them.
Jasper.ai offers a user interface that allows you to organize your documents into folders and create templates.
| Pricing | Pros | |
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| Jasper.ai |
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What Users Say
According to some Reddit reviews, Jasper.ai is fast in producing quality content, and also has many integrations with Zapier, Grammarly, and more.
However, users like YouTuber Creatoregg said although the output was similar, ChatGPT was easier to use, the user interface was more straightforward and easier to reply to make edits for a blog post. Some users on the subreddit r/JasperAI also think it is too expensive.
5. Claude
Screenshot from Claude, February 2024Claude (by Anthropic) is an AI assistant capable of performing a wide range of conversational and text-processing tasks.
The development of Claude is based on Anthropic’s research into training AI systems to be helpful, honest, and harmless.
Claude can help with use cases such as complex reasoning, summarization, search, Q&A, coding, and more. It is available through a chat interface and API in their developer console.
When I tested it with the prompt about “comets,” it gave a correct answer, understanding the context that I meant “comet,” instead. It also handled the prompt about “Hillary Clinton” well and corrected me in the answer that she was a secretary of state.
However, when I compared the coding capabilities of Calude with ChatGPT, ChatGPT was better as it gave a complete answer.
Anthropic offers three versions of Claude: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, and Claude 3 Haiku with the latter being a lighter, less expensive, and faster option.
| Pricing | Details | |
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| Claude |
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A caveat: Anthropic states in its privacy policy that it will collect any private and personal data (passwords, API keys, etc.) you enter in the chat.
Even though it takes extra steps to de-identify private information, it may still use such data to train its model if it is unable to identify it.
What Users Say
On Reddit, Claude users say its Projects feature and nuance in creative writing give them an advantage, while the downside for many is its message limit and confusion in picking between models.
YouTuber Paul Solt also shares the sentiment, saying that he doesn’t understand the pricing model and the usage limit makes him hesitate.
6. Perplexity
Screenshot from Perplexity.AI, February 2024Perplexity.AI is designed to understand user queries through follow-up questions, summarize relevant findings, and pull information from diverse sources to provide a comprehensive view.
As reported by its CEO, Aravind Srinivas, it already has 10 million monthly active users.
It uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 API and Claude and responds by citing websites and offering users follow-up questions to dive deeper into a particular topic.
It did an excellent job with the “comets” test prompt and produced a valid response. However, it didn’t catch my mistake in the prompt about “Hillary Clinton” being the 45th U.S. president and even confirmed that she was.
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Perplexity’s wrong answer
However, Perplexity.AI is well suited for conversational search and information retrieval.
Its objective is to improve the user’s ability to find accurate information efficiently, and it is a decent alternative to Google as a search engine. As noted, however, you should always double-check the accuracy of outputs.
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| Perplexity |
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What Users Say
Users on Reddit say Perplexity excels in complex answers for research and how you can generate a web page to share on the Pro version.
However, it cannot “draft” documents and according to YouTuber Andy Stapleton, it doesn’t do as well in data analysis as ChatGPT and is better used for academic research.
7. Elicit
Screenshot from Elicit, February 2024Elicit is a platform that calls itself an AI research assistant, claiming it can help with research and other tasks.
Its primary ability is a feature called Literature Review. When you submit a query, Elicit will provide summaries from relevant research papers and documents related to your question.
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Screenshot from Elicit, February 2024
This tool can help you quickly find and view the broad strokes of sources.
However, just like with all LLMs, there’s always the risk of hallucination. You should always verify the information that it pulls from sources and not rely on it primarily for research. It could be a great starting point.
| Pricing | Pro | |
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| Elicit |
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What Users Say
A Redditor praised Elicit as great for data extraction and discovery and also a fantastic tool for finding relevant research papers and summarizing as it cites its sources when answering – an advantage for grad school students.
However, some find the subscription too expensive compared to free alternatives.
8. Learnt.ai
Screenshot from Learnt.ai, February 2024Learnt.ai has been specifically created for the needs of education professionals.
Using the GPT language generation model, it can generate human-like text for learning objectives, icebreakers, assessment questions, and more.
It can help with tedious tasks, like manually creating lesson plans, learning objectives, and assessment questions. Automating these processes can help you save valuable time and effort.
| Pricing | Pros | |
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| Learnt.ai |
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9. Otter
Screenshot from Otter.ai, February 2024Otter.ai can be used to record and automatically transcribe both in-person and virtual meetings.
It can auto-join Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings to record audio, write notes, capture slides, and generate a summary of the meeting.
It is possible to ask questions about meeting discussions, and OtterPilot will answer instantly. This is potentially huge for saving time and improving how you manage meetings.
Here’s the cost associated with using the platform:
| Pricing | Pros | |
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| Otter |
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What Users Say
On the subreddit r/Journalism, Otter gives this reviewer an advantage in their TV and radio work as it can transcribe, play audio from a highlighted line, and give the time. However, the bulk export of your own recordings is a paid feature, as a Redditor laments.
Use AI Tools Responsibly
We should note that generative AI tools, which are based on algorithms and trained on datasets, can often produce inaccurate or outdated content. This is because they generate the ‘most likely’ answer based on statistical likelihood, which may not be correct.
These tools lack real-world experience and emotions and are incapable of interpreting or understanding information, performing subconscious processing, or ethical reasoning.
They can assist in the writing process or help with tedious tasks, but cannot replace human judgment. Users should critically review and fact-check AI-generated content, especially in sensitive or professional areas.
In addition, due to continuing unresolved legal proceedings, SEJ recommends that you do not publish the unedited outputs of generative AI or claim them as original work.
When considering use cases for generative AI chatbots, you must also consider privacy and information security. Not all models and tiers are private.
The Future Of ChatGPT And The AI Marketplace
There are many wide-ranging applications for ChatGPT use and new applications and processes are being released at a lightning pace.
Some have even heralded the rise of ChatGPT as the end of SEO.
While ChatGPT can be used for some things, it cannot replace a real SEO professional. There is still too much analysis and creativity required that a human mind can do, but ChatGPT cannot.
ChatGPT cannot reliably write error-free content.
If you’re writing a piece of content for a specific industry that requires specialized knowledge, you must also possess that knowledge. This enables you to verify and check that ChatGPT is actually correct.
ChatGPT cannot create more sophisticated SEO strategies. It cannot come up with a complete response that answers the question, “What happened to my website when the Google update hit last month?”
Though it might create a rough approximation based on already written articles, it won’t diagnose and figure out that issue for you.
Generative AI is introducing the concept of discovery engines which SEOs are considering for how this will impact on their clients. However. SEO is not dead – it is just evolving as it always has.
More resources:
- Google Bard: Everything You Need To Know
- What is ChatGPT And How Can You Use It?
- ChatGPT Vs. Bard Vs. Bing: What Are The Differences?
Featured Image: 13_Phunkod/Shutterstock
FAQ
Why Chatbots produce wrong answers?
When presented with a prompt, unlike humans who possess contextual awareness, real-life experience, emotions and factual knowledge, LLMs are designed to predict sequences of words based on patterns recognized from training data. This can lead to misinterpretations and inaccurate responses.
How can ChatGPT alternatives benefit digital marketers?
Different ChatGPT alternatives can benefit digital marketers by providing specialized features, user experiences, and data sets tailored to diverse marketing needs. Each alternative offers varied strengths, and marketers may find these tools more aligned with their specific goals, whether it’s content generation, campaign management, or leveraging AI for market analysis and predictions.
What should marketers consider when using generative AI tools?
Marketers employing generative AI tools should consider the following:
- The potential for these tools to generate inaccurate or outdated content due to their reliance on statistical likelihood, necessitating thorough review and fact-checking.
- Privacy concerns and information security, particularly when dealing with private or sensitive data.
- Legal implications related to intellectual property rights and the distinctions in data use policies between free and paid versions of these tools.
- The importance of human oversight to ensure ethical responsibility and maintain brand reputation when using AI-generated content.
How reliable is the information generated by ChatGPT and its alternatives?
As discussed in this article, the information generated by ChatGPT and other chatbots varies and can sometimes produce inaccurate or outdated content due to their probabilistic nature in answering queries based on trained patterns. Thus, it is crucial for users to fact-check and critically analyze AI-generated responses, especially for professional or sensitive contexts. The tools lack human judgment and may not always interpret complex queries correctly.
Users should be cautious about conversational AI’s tendency to present seemingly factual information with confidence, which may not always be accurate. The article emphasizes this point with examples where these models either corrected a misinformation prompt or failed to do so, showing consistency is not guaranteed, and human oversight remains necessary.
