You can use AI for free today with all four big providers: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot each have a free plan that lets you chat and search the web. The differences lie in the limits, meaning how much you may use and how much text the AI reads at once, and in privacy: on ChatGPT's free plan, sharing your chats for training is on by default, and on Gemini part of the chats can be reviewed by humans while activity is switched on. None of the four free plans is meant for client data.
For my own work I pay for several Claude accounts. My fourteen AI employees run on Claude Team, some also on open models or through the API. For a first test, a free plan is still enough. The details below come from research on the pricing and help pages of the four providers, with sources checked on 27 October 2026. These details change often, so check them again before you decide. I collect more basics about AI at work on my AI Basics page.
The four free plans at a glance
ChatGPT Free
Claude Free
Gemini without a plan
Copilot (free)
Price
free
free
free
free
Everyday chat
unlimited, subject to abuse guardrails
with a usage limit, no fixed number
"standard limits", refreshing every 5 hours until the weekly limit
yes
How much text at once
27,000 tokens, about 12 pages of input according to OpenAI
up to 1 million tokens depending on the model, according to the pricing table; the help centre gives figures only for paid plans
32,000 tokens
not stated
Web search
yes
yes
yes
yes
Files
uploads limited
create files, run code
uploads possible
not stated for the free plan
Image generation
limited
no, not in the pricing table
yes
yes, with an account
Memory across chats
limited
yes
via the "Memory summary" setting, depending on the account
yes, can be switched off
Ads
possible in certain countries
not mentioned
chats are not used for ads, according to Google
possible without a Microsoft 365 subscription
A token is a word piece the AI computes with, roughly a short word or part of a longer one. I explain this in more detail in What Are Tokens in AI? Simply Explained.
What the free plans can do in detail
ChatGPT Free
OpenAI promises unlimited everyday text chats on the Free plan, with the note that abuse-prevention safeguards apply. Uploads, images, voice chats, deep research, memory and context are limited. New: Codex and ChatGPT Work, the mode for tasks with a finished result, are also included on Free, limited and only in the desktop app. According to OpenAI, ads may appear on the Free plan in certain countries.
Claude Free
According to the pricing page, the Free plan gets you chat in the browser, on desktop and on mobile, web search, creating files and running code, memory across conversations, connections to your apps, and Claude Design, Slides and Docs. Claude Code and the Research feature, among others, are not. Anthropic does not state your allowance as a number; according to the help centre it depends on the length and complexity of your conversations, the features you use, the model and the effort level. What that means day to day is covered in Claude Free Plan: What You Get.
Gemini without a plan
Google describes "standard limits" for users without a plan, based on compute: the length of your prompt, the features you use and the length of the chat. The limit refreshes every five hours until you reach your weekly limit. The context window is 32,000 tokens, much more with a subscription. According to Google's table, Canvas, Deep Research, slide generation and image generation are among the features included without a plan, while video and scheduled actions are not.
Microsoft Copilot (free)
Microsoft describes the free Copilot as ideal for general questions, for people trying AI for the first time and for web-based tasks. Signing in is not required. With a Microsoft account you get chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice, according to Microsoft. Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint, by contrast, comes with a paid Microsoft 365 subscription. Without one, Copilot may show ads.
Privacy: what happens to your chats
I am a developer, not a lawyer; this is not legal advice but an operator's perspective.
Training on your chats
Where to switch it off
What else applies
ChatGPT Free
on by default
Settings › Data controls › "Improve the model for everyone"
temporary chats are not used for training but are kept for up to 30 days
Claude Free
yes, while "Help improve our AI models" is on (opt-out according to the pricing table), and for conversations flagged for safety review
Settings › Privacy › "Help improve our AI models"
incognito chats are never used for training
Gemini without a plan
yes, while "Keep Activity" is on; part of the chats is reviewed by humans
"Keep Activity" setting
chats reviewed by humans are kept for up to three years, even if you delete your activity
Copilot (new app)
not according to Microsoft: prompts, responses and files are not used to train foundation models
not applicable
applies, according to Microsoft, when signed in with a personal Microsoft account in the new app since August 18, 2026; for the older version Microsoft still describes training with an opt-out, so check your app version
Two things stand out:
With Gemini, a human may read along. Google explicitly asks you not to enter confidential information you would not want a reviewer to see. With "Keep Activity" off, your chats are kept with your account for 72 hours and not used for training, as long as you do not send feedback.
Feedback is a gap. Claude stores a rated conversation for up to five years, and Gemini uses feedback even with activity off. Skip feedback on sensitive chats.
None of these plans is enough for data about your clients or staff. If a provider processes such data on your behalf, the GDPR requires a data processing agreement. According to Anthropic and OpenAI, they offer it for business plans and the API, while Google and Microsoft refer professional use to work and school accounts. My three questions before every input are in AI and Privacy: What the AI Gets to See.
An example from everyday office work
A made-up but typical example: a physiotherapist with her own practice wants to try AI for the texts on her website and for replies to general enquiries. She creates a free account, switches off training on day one and works for two weeks only with general texts, never with patient data. When she wants AI to handle appointment cancellations with names, she realises she needs a plan with a contract, and she clarifies that with her data protection adviser first.
What to watch out for
Check the privacy settings on day one. On ChatGPT's free plan, training is on by default according to OpenAI, Anthropic lists it as opt-out in Claude's pricing table, and on Gemini, check whether "Keep Activity" is switched on.
Paying makes sense when you hit limits. If within two weeks you repeatedly notice that you lack allowance, context or a feature, a subscription makes sense. In Germany, the cheapest paid tiers start at €4.99 a month (Google AI Plus) and €8 a month (ChatGPT Go), according to the pricing pages; prices differ by country. For client data you need a business plan.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is free?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot all have a free plan. On top of that there are open models you can run for free on your own computer if the hardware is sufficient.
Is ChatGPT free?
Yes, the Free plan costs nothing. Everyday text chats are unlimited according to OpenAI, while uploads, images, voice and deep research are limited. Training on your chats is on by default on Free; you can switch it off in data controls.
What is the best free AI?
It depends on your task. If you work a lot with Google services, you will find your way around Gemini quickly; if you write longer texts, have a look at Claude. A comparison by task is in Which AI Is Best? ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini.
Is Gemini free?
Yes, Gemini can be used with a Google account without a subscription. According to Google, the free version has standard limits and a context window of 32,000 tokens; paid plans raise both.
Can I use free AI for work?
For general texts and your own notes, yes, with training switched off. For personal data about clients or staff you need a plan with a data processing agreement. This is not legal advice; in individual cases, ask your data protection adviser.
Developer, IT architect, author of technical books (Kubernetes, cloud infrastructures) and speaker. Runs his business with an AI workforce of fourteen AI employees and shows solo business owners in his community how to hire their first AI employee.
