Which free AI should I use? ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, in plain words

3 min readTech help

Checked Oct 24, 2026. These apps change often.

All three are free to start and all three are good at everyday jobs. The best one is usually the one that fits the phone and accounts you already have.

If you're just starting with AI, the names alone can be confusing. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot are three AI chat apps made by three different companies. You type or say what you want, and they write back. Each one has a free version that's plenty for writing a note, explaining a letter, or planning a week of dinners.

ChatGPT (made by OpenAI)

The best known of the three. You make a free account with an email address, or sign in with an account you already have, like Google or Apple. As of Oct 2026, free accounts can send everyday text chats without a daily cap. Uploading photos and files, making pictures, and voice chats have limits, and ChatGPT tells you when they reset. The free version may show ads in some countries. Good for: people who want the app their friends and grandkids already talk about.

Gemini (made by Google)

You sign in with a Google account, the same one you use for Gmail or YouTube. As of Oct 2026, the free version has limits that refresh every 5 hours, up to a weekly cap, and it includes Gemini Live for talking out loud. On many Android phones, Gemini is already built in. Good for: people who live in Google already, like Gmail, Google Photos, or an Android phone.

Copilot (made by Microsoft)

You can try it without signing in at all. Signing in with a free Microsoft account adds saved chat history, longer chats, and voice. It comes with new Windows computers and works in the Edge web browser, and there's a free phone app too. It may show ads if you don't pay for Microsoft 365. Good for: people who use a Windows computer, Outlook, or Hotmail.

How to pick

• Already have a Google account and an Android phone? Try Gemini.
• Use a Windows computer or a Microsoft email? Try Copilot.
• Not sure? Try ChatGPT.
• Better yet, ask all three the same question and keep the one whose answers you like reading. Switching costs nothing.

Example: "I'm 72 and new to AI. Explain in plain words what you can help me with day to day, and give me 5 simple things to try this week. Short sentences, please."

Things to know

• All three can be wrong, sometimes with confidence. Check anything about money, health, or the law with a real person or an official source.
• All three have paid plans. You don't need one to start, and the free versions can do everything in our guides.
• Download only the real apps: ChatGPT by OpenAI, Google Gemini by Google, and Microsoft Copilot by Microsoft. Copycat apps with similar names exist.
• How you ask matters more than which app you pick. Our printable cheat sheet has 8 starter prompts that work in all three.
• More help: our guide to using ChatGPT for the first time and our guide to writing a good prompt.

Also read: How to use ChatGPT for the first time

Also read: How to write a good AI prompt