Best AI chatbot
This is the "which one do I actually open every day" question, answered with scores rather than opinion. Each tool below ran the identical everyday-help suite: explaining things clearly, planning, judgement calls, the awkward practical questions a normal day throws at you. The raw answers and every judge's reasoning are downloadable from each entry.
Our tested score on the 18-task everyday-chat suite — the same tasks for every tool, every answer marked blind by three judges from three rival AI labs.
3 of the 4 chat tools we track carry that score, so 3 are ranked here. The other 1 is listed below the ranking, unranked, with everything we do hold on it. How the testing works →
OpenAI · 18 tasks · 10 Aug 2026 · receipts ↓
You use it to answer questions, write text, create images, and write computer code.
“The response perfectly follows all instructions, accurately ranks the foods with correct approximate figures, and correctly identifies the source type (LCA meta-analysis). It is clear, concise, and highly useful.”
- Cheapest verified plan
- £7/mo (go) · free version confirmed 16 Aug 2026
- What users rate it
- 4.78★ from 61.9m reviews · #4 of 14 we can rank
- Public conversation (90 days)
- Negative — 8 of the 10 posts that took a side (31 scanned)
- Trains on what you type
- They use your conversations to train their AI models, but you can change your settings to stop this. openai.com ↗
Anthropic · 18 tasks · 10 Aug 2026 · receipts ↓
It helps you analyze data, write code, and think through your hardest work.
“Accurate recipe using only listed items plus water; clear timings/temps; highly usable and concise for non-experts.”
- Cheapest verified plan
- $20/mo (pro) · free version confirmed 17 Aug 2026
- What users rate it
- 4.54★ from 895k reviews · #14 of 14 we can rank
- Public conversation (90 days)
- Negative — 11 of the 13 posts that took a side (116 scanned)
- Trains on what you type
- They use your conversations to train their AI models, but you can turn this off in your account settings. anthropic.com ↗
Google · 18 tasks · 10 Aug 2026 · receipts ↓
It helps you with writing, planning, and brainstorming.
“Exactly five items are provided, each with a concise one-line reason. The recommendations are practical and accurate for October Highland conditions, and they respect the assumption that clothes and a toothbrush are already covered.”
- Cheapest verified plan
- £7.99/mo (ai plus)
- What users rate it
- 4.59★ from 43.9m reviews · #13 of 14 we can rank
- Public conversation (90 days)
- Negative — 16 of the 18 posts that took a side (68 scanned)
- Trains on what you type
- They use your chats and interactions with Gemini to train and improve their AI models. policies.google.com ↗
Tracked, not ranked
These are real chat tools we follow — prices, ratings, public reception and data policies — but none has a tested score, so none has a position. Placing them would mean inventing one.
Microsoft Copilot
MicrosoftIt helps you get advice, feedback, and straightforward answers.
No tested score, so it is not ranked here. We do hold 4.69★ from 2.8m reviews.
Questions people ask
What is the best AI chatbot?
ChatGPT — it scored 90/100 on our everyday chat suite (18 tasks, marked blind by three judges from three rival AI labs, 10 Aug 2026), ahead of Claude on 87 and Gemini on 84. We track 1 more chat tool that carry no tested score, so they are listed but not ranked.
How is this ranked?
On our tested score on the 18-task everyday-chat suite — the same tasks for every tool, every answer marked blind by three judges from three rival AI labs. Nothing else is weighted in: not price, not popularity, not how many reviews an app has. Those figures are all on this page because they matter when you choose, but they do not move a position.
Which of these are free?
ChatGPT, Claude publish a free version on their own pricing pages, confirmed on the dates shown beside each one. ChatGPT's cheapest paid plan we could verify is £7 a month; Claude's cheapest paid plan we could verify is $20 a month; Gemini's cheapest paid plan we could verify is £7.99 a month.
Why is Microsoft Copilot not ranked?
Microsoft Copilot: No tested score, so it is not ranked here. We do hold 4.69★ from 2.8m reviews. We score a tool by running the flagship model it ships with through the suite, which is only possible when the tool names that model. Listing it unranked is more honest than guessing a position for it.
No vendor pays for placement, position or inclusion. The order above is computed from the tested scores, and the code that computes it cannot see which outbound links earn us anything. How we make money →
Side by side: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini · Same job, ranked by model: Best AI chatbot for everyday use
Every tool head-to-head → · Every tool we track → · Methodology → · Who runs the tests →
Tested and published by Robert Prime · re-ranks by itself when a new run lands · last run 10 Aug 2026