Choose Claude if your work is long-form writing and you want a professional default tone. Choose Gemini if your business already runs on Google's email and documents. Choose Copilot only if your files live in Microsoft 365: it is worthless outside it. Choose Mistral if a European vendor matters to you. Choose Perplexity when the job is research you need to cite.
ChatGPT is the default assistant for a reason: a strong free plan, broad capability and the largest ecosystem around it. Plus costs €23 a month on the French page. People look elsewhere when one of four things matters more than breadth: long-form writing, an office suite they already pay for, a European vendor, or answers that show their sources.
Each tool below wins on one of those. None of them wins on all of them, and if breadth is what you use, ChatGPT is still the sensible place to stay.
The picks that stand out
Claude
Nuanced long-form output, a large context window and a professional default tone are the reasons people switch. Pro is €18 a month billed monthly, €15 billed yearly: less than ChatGPT Plus. It has fewer native plugins than the incumbents, and the free plan has usage limits.
Gemini
It sits inside the tools many small businesses already use, the free tier covers a lot of everyday drafting, and Google AI Plus at €4.99 a month is the cheapest entry price of any assistant we track. That price bundles storage you may not need, and plan names change often.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
It works where the documents already are, and meeting recaps are built into Teams. The Copilot Business add-on is €21.84 a user a month on monthly billing, on top of an existing Microsoft 365 subscription, with no free plan. Outside Microsoft 365 it has nothing to offer.
Mistral
Mistral is a European vendor with a free plan on web and mobile, and Pro at $14.99 a month includes API credits, not only chat. Its third-party ecosystem is smaller than the US incumbents', and product names have moved quickly, so documentation can lag.
Perplexity
It cites its sources, which is the whole point for research work, and the free tier handles occasional lookups. Pro is $17 a month billed annually, no monthly price is published. It is not built for long-form drafting.
At a glance
| Criterion |  ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Mistral | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used mainly for | Content writing, research | Long-form drafting, analysis | Drafting in Gmail and Docs, research and summarising | Everyday assistant work, document analysis | Drafting in Word and Outlook, summarising Teams meetings | Sourced research, fact-checking |
| Entry price | €8.00/mo · Go | €18.00/mo · Pro | €4.99/mo · Google AI Plus | $14.99/mo · Pro | €21.84/mo · Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | $17.00/mo equivalent · Pro |
| Free plan | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✕No | ✓Yes |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ✓Yes | Not stated |
| Works on | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web, Android, iOS | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Documented integrations | API, GPT Store, Third-party apps | API, Third-party apps | Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Android | API, Connectors, Mistral Studio | Word, Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint | Web, Chrome |
| Setup | Easy: minutes | Easy: minutes | Easy: minutes | Easy: minutes | Moderate: 30 min | Easy: minutes |
| Main limitation | Free tier usage caps | Usage limits on free plan | Paid tiers bundle storage you may not need | Smaller third-party ecosystem than the US incumbents | No free plan, and the entry price assumes you already pay for Microsoft 365 | No monthly price published: annual commitment is the advertised path |
| Our evidence level | Vendor documented | Vendor documented | Vendor documented | Vendor documented | Vendor documented | Vendor documented |
| Try it | Try ChatGPT ↗ | Try Claude ↗ | Try Gemini ↗ | Try Mistral ↗ | Try Microsoft 365 Copilot ↗ | Try Perplexity ↗ |
Every cell comes from the tool's record, built from its official documentation and pricing page. The integrations listed are the ones the vendor documents, not tested by us.
Name the job before the tool
Most people who say they want a ChatGPT alternative want one thing ChatGPT does not do well for them. If it is writing, try Claude. If it is the office suite, the assistant already inside it, Gemini or Copilot, saves the copy-paste. If it is research, Perplexity. If none of those is the reason, the switching cost is not worth it.
Compare the unit, not the headline price
These prices do not describe the same product. Gemini's €4.99 buys storage with assistant limits attached. Copilot's €21.84 is per user, on top of Microsoft 365. Perplexity's $17 assumes a year paid up front. ChatGPT and Claude are priced per account, month to month. Read the billing line on each record before comparing figures.
Free plans are enough more often than you think
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral and Perplexity all have free plans. For occasional drafting, two free plans used side by side often beat one paid subscription. Pay when the usage limit stops you in the middle of real work, not before.
Four businesses, four assistants
The right assistant depends on where your work already lives more than on the model.
- An office that runs on Microsoft 365: Copilot Business works inside Word, Outlook and Teams for 262.08 € per user a year on monthly billing, excluding VAT, on top of the Microsoft 365 subscription.
- A business on Gmail and Google Drive: start with Gemini's free tier; Google AI Plus is 59.88 € a year for one person, with storage included.
- Research where every answer needs a source: Perplexity Pro is $204 a year, sold on yearly billing only.
- Long documents and contracts: Claude Pro is 180 € a year paid upfront, excluding tax.
When to stay on ChatGPT
If you use it for many different jobs, rely on its integrations or custom GPTs, and the only complaint is price, no alternative here is a clear upgrade. The cheaper ChatGPT Go plan at €8 a month may be the better change.
Pricing side by side
| Tool | Verified price | Billing condition | Free | Checked | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | €8.00/mo · Go | Monthly billing only: OpenAI offers no annual billing for Go, Plus or Pro | Yes | 03.11.2026 | Visit ↗ |
| Claude | €18.00/mo · Pro | €18/month billed monthly; €15/month billed annually (€180 up front); excluding tax | Yes | 25.10.2026 | Visit ↗ |
| Gemini | €4.99/mo · Google AI Plus | per person/month; the paid tiers are Google One storage plans with Gemini limits attached, not a standalone assistant subscription | Yes | 25.10.2026 | Visit ↗ |
| Mistral | $14.99/mo · Pro | monthly billing, excluding taxes | Yes | 25.10.2026 | Visit ↗ |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | €21.84/mo · Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | €21.84 excl. VAT per user/month billed monthly; €18.20 per user/month paid yearly, shown discounted to €15.60. It is an add-on: you must already hold a Microsoft 365 plan | No | 25.10.2026 | Visit ↗ |
| Perplexity | $17.00/mo equivalent · Pro | USD 17/month shown for annual billing; the public pricing page publishes no monthly-billing figure | Yes | 25.10.2026 | Visit ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to ChatGPT?
For writing, Claude's free plan. For businesses already on Google's email and documents, Gemini's free tier. For sourced research, Perplexity's free tier. Each has usage limits, so the best free option is the one whose limit you hit last.
Is Claude better than ChatGPT?
For long-form writing and a professional tone, many users prefer Claude; for breadth, plugins and ecosystem, ChatGPT does more. Claude Pro is €18 a month billed monthly against €23 for ChatGPT Plus.
Is there a European alternative to ChatGPT?
Mistral is a European vendor. Its free plan works on web and mobile, and Pro is $14.99 a month. Check its documentation for your specific requirements rather than assuming from the vendor's nationality.
Do I need Copilot if I already pay for ChatGPT?
Only if your work lives in Microsoft 365 and you want the assistant inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams. Copilot's value is access to your files where they already are; as a general chat assistant, it is not a reason to pay twice.
Recently at these tools
ChatGPT: Week of 12 October: your dot (the assistant that keeps working between conversations) can be opened from iOS Home Screen widgets and Apple Shortcuts, for accounts with dot access. Source ↗
ChatGPT: Week of 5 October: dots can be created and set up from the ChatGPT mobile app. Source ↗
Claude: Claude Duet opens as a research preview for Pro and Max plans: a separate app where Claude works as a proactive agent. Source ↗
Claude: Claude Haiku 5.5 launches as Anthropic's small, low-cost model, and Max and Team plans now include monthly API credits for the Claude Platform. Source ↗
Gemini: Gemini 4 Argon rolls out worldwide in the Gemini app for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Source ↗
Gemini: Skills (reusable instruction sets) arrive in Gemini chat and are set to replace Gems over time. Source ↗
Mistral: Enterprise accounts start migrating from Le Chat to Vibe; administrators choose when, within about six months. Free, Pro and Teams accounts have been migrating since 14 September. Source ↗
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Copilot Chat sits inside Copilot Search results for follow-up questions, and Copilot Chat on the web can regenerate an answer or switch model. Source ↗
Microsoft 365 Copilot: A License Requests page in the Microsoft 365 admin center gathers Copilot licence requests for administrators. Source ↗
Perplexity: Computer gets Ultrafast model options, a Decisions API classifies and scores content, and administrators can control access to connectors by role. Source ↗
Perplexity: Automations for recurring work and interactive visualisations inside threads. Source ↗
Read on each vendor's official changelog, not tested by us.