500+ models in one chat
Switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral and Llama models without leaving the conversation, or run them side by side in Model Arena.
Leaving ChatGPT? Where to go depends on why
Most people leave ChatGPT for one of four reasons: better writing, Google apps, sources on every answer, or being stuck with one company's models. Find your reason below and the pick is obvious.
Most people leave ChatGPT for one of four reasons: better writing, Google apps, sources on every answer, or being stuck with one company's models. Find your reason below and the pick is obvious.
Checked 23 September 2026
ChatGPT Plus comparison
ChatGPT gives you OpenAI models only. Krater puts GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and 500+ more in one chat, with image, video and voice tools on the same $20 plan.
Krater pricing · AI model directory · AI image generator · Claude Pro alternative
| Category | ChatGPT Plus | Krater |
|---|---|---|
| AI models | OpenAI models only | 500+ models, switch mid chat |
| Image generation | OpenAI image model, limited on Free | Flux, Nano Banana, Imagen and more |
| Video generation | Video generation, limited | Veo, Kling, Hailuo and more |
| Voice | ChatGPT voice mode | Voice mode plus text to speech voices |
| Compare models side by side | No | Model Arena |
| Pricing | $20 a month Plus, OpenAI only | Pro $20 a month, 1,500 credits, all models |
The short answer
- Better writing and coding: Claude Pro, $20 a month.
- Your work lives in Gmail and Docs: Google AI Pro, $19.99 a month.
- You need sources on every answer: Perplexity Pro, $20 a month.
- You live in Word, Excel and Teams: Microsoft Copilot.
- You want to pay less: Mistral Le Chat Pro, $14.99 a month.
- You want free: Gemini, Copilot, Grok or DeepSeek.
- You want every model, not one company's: Krater Pro, $20 a month.
Why people leave ChatGPT
Usually it is not that ChatGPT got worse. It comes down to two things.
- You are stuck with OpenAI's models. When Claude writes better or Gemini reads an image better, you cannot switch inside the app.
- Your chats train OpenAI's models by default on the individual plans. You can turn it off, but you have to know where.
All eight at a glance
For reference, ChatGPT is Free, Go at $8, Plus at $20 and Pro from $100 a month. Every price below comes from the vendor's own pricing page. Where a vendor hides a number, we say so.
| Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Yes | $20 ($17 yearly) | Writing, coding, long documents |
| Gemini | Yes | $19.99 | Gmail, Docs and Chrome users |
| Perplexity | Yes | $20 | Research with sources |
| Copilot | Yes | $23.50 per user, in Microsoft 365 | Word, Excel and Teams |
| Grok | Yes | SuperGrok, price not published | Live X content |
| Mistral Le Chat | Yes | $14.99 | Cheapest paid plan, EU based |
| DeepSeek | Yes | No paid plan | Free reasoning |
| Krater | No free plan | $20 | Every model plus image, video and voice |
Claude: better writing, same price
Claude is where most people go. It costs the same $20 a month ($17 if you pay yearly) and it is noticeably better at long documents, careful writing and code.
The trade: no image or video generation, and only Claude models. Max starts at $100 a month if you hit the limits.
Gemini: best if your work lives in Google
Google AI Pro is $19.99 a month and puts Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Chrome, with video generation and extra storage.
The free plan is genuinely good: Gemini 3.6 Flash, image generation, Deep Research and Gemini Live, no card needed. The catch is the same as ChatGPT: one company's models.
Perplexity: when you need sources
Perplexity is a research tool more than a chat app. Every answer comes with citations, and Pro ($20) adds Deep Research and lets you pick the model.
It runs models from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic behind the scenes, so it is not tied to one lab. It is not built for long writing or making images and video.
The rest, in one line each
- Copilot: the app is free. Copilot inside Word, Excel and Teams comes with Microsoft 365 business plans from $23.50 per user a month.
- Grok: free on grok.com, with live X content. xAI does not print the SuperGrok price on its page, so treat numbers you see elsewhere with caution.
- Mistral Le Chat: $14.99 for Pro, the cheapest paid plan here, European, with a training opt out on paid tiers.
- DeepSeek: free and the strongest free reasoning model. It is a Chinese company under Chinese data law, so think twice before pasting work into it.
Who trains on your chats
| Tool | Training on your chats |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | On by default on individual plans, opt out available |
| Claude | Opt out on Free, Pro and Max |
| Mistral Le Chat | Opt out on paid plans |
| Krater | Never |
| Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek | Not stated on the pages we checked |
Krater: if the problem is being stuck with one company
Every tool above swaps OpenAI for another single company, Perplexity aside. Krater puts them all in one chat: GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and 500+ more. Switch models mid conversation, or run three at once in Model Arena and keep the best answer.
Images, video and voice live in the same place and come out of the same credits. Pro is $20 a month for 1,500 credits, and Krater never trains on your data.
Stay on ChatGPT if you rely on custom GPTs, projects or Codex. Krater gets OpenAI's models through the API, so features that only exist in OpenAI's own app do not come with them.
Before you cancel
- Export your history: Settings, Data controls, Export data.
- Copy your custom instructions into the new tool. Claude has Projects, Gemini has Gems, Krater has Personas.
- Check the one feature you actually pay for exists elsewhere. Custom GPTs have no exact equivalent.
- Run three real prompts from last week in both tools. Model Arena lets you test several models at once, including the GPT model you are leaving.
Sources
Related reading
Highlights
Image, video and voice included
Image, video, voice and music tools draw from the same credit balance as chat. No separate subscriptions.
Billed per answer, not per seat
Each answer costs credits based on real model usage, so light users are not subsidising heavy ones.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ChatGPT alternative overall?
For a like for like swap, Claude Pro at $20 a month ($17 billed yearly): strong writing and coding, opt out training on individual plans. If your reason for leaving is that ChatGPT locks you to one company's models, Krater Pro at the same $20 gives you GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and 500+ other models in one workspace.
What is the best free ChatGPT alternative?
Gemini, Copilot, Grok and DeepSeek all have free tiers that work without a card. Gemini's free plan includes 3.6 Flash, image generation, Deep Research and Gemini Live. DeepSeek is the strongest free reasoning model. Krater is a paid workspace starting at $20/month.
What is the cheapest paid ChatGPT alternative?
Mistral Le Chat Pro at $14.99 a month, followed by ChatGPT's own Go plan at $8 if you just want higher limits than Free. Google AI Plus is $4.99 but is a light tier with 2x the free limits rather than a full Pro plan.
Which ChatGPT alternative is best for research?
Perplexity Pro, $20 a month. Every answer carries inline citations, it routes across GPT, Gemini and Claude and lets you pick a preferred model, and Deep Research is included. Claude, Gemini and Krater also offer deep research modes.
Which ChatGPT alternative does not train on my chats?
Claude states opt out on Free, Pro and Max, and Mistral states opt out on its paid tiers. Krater does not train on your data on any plan. ChatGPT's individual plans train by default with an opt out. Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok and DeepSeek did not state a default on the pricing pages we checked, so review each tool's data settings.
Can any tool fully replace ChatGPT?
Mostly. Chat, reasoning, deep research, file uploads and image generation exist in most of the alternatives. Custom GPTs, ChatGPT's projects and the Codex integration have no exact equivalent elsewhere. Krater covers the model side more broadly than ChatGPT, since it includes the OpenAI models plus everyone else's, but consumer only OpenAI features arrive later or not at all.
Is Krater cheaper than ChatGPT Plus?
Same price. Krater Pro and ChatGPT Plus are both $20 a month. The difference is what the $20 covers: one company's models on ChatGPT, 500+ models plus image, video and voice tools on Krater, billed per answer from a 1,500 credit balance.