Compare Microsoft Copilot - AI Assistant, Perplexity - AI Search Assistant, and ChatGPT - AI Assistant: Which App is the Best?
A smart search app that gives you direct answers with sources, instead of just showing you websites to visit. It is a good alternative to ChatGPT. | The official ChatGPT mobile app brings OpenAI's powerful AI assistant to your pocket with voice conversations, image generation, and seamless cross-device sync. | A helpful AI assistant that can chat, create images, and work with Microsoft Office apps. It is a good alternative to ChatGPT. | |||||
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each app. |
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| Our Rating Prod Apps's expert review score for each app, based on hands-on testing and research. | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.5 Winner in this category | ||||
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | — ⭐ | — ⭐ | — ⭐ | ||||
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the app. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free | Free | ||||
| Android User rating and stats for the app on Android browser. |  Downloads | Downloads | Downloads | ||||
| iOS User rating and stats for the app on iOS browser. |  | | | ||||
| Features Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each app. | 9.0 Perplexity has all the features you'd want from an AI search tool, plus some nice extras that make it really useful. What We Like Most:
| 9.5 ChatGPT has a lot of cool features that make it useful for pretty much anyone. It's not just a chat app - it can do a bunch of different things. What ChatGPT Does Best 1. Smart Chatting: This is where ChatGPT really shines. It's better at having natural conversations than any other AI app we've tried. You can ask it anything from "What's the weather like?" to "Help me plan a trip to Japan" and it just gets it. It remembers what you talked about earlier in the conversation, so it feels like talking to someone who's actually listening. You can have long conversations and it keeps track of everything. 2. Voice Chat: This feature is really cool. You just tap the microphone button and start talking. The app shows a little wave animation so you know it's listening. It's like talking on the phone, but with an AI. We tested this a lot and it works really well. It understands what you're saying most of the time, and responds quickly. Great for when you're driving or cooking and can't type. 3. Making Pictures: You can tell ChatGPT to make pictures for you. Just describe what you want to see, and it creates an image. This costs money though - it's only in the paid version. We tried asking it to make pictures of things like:
The results were pretty good. Not perfect, but definitely usable. 4. Works Everywhere: The best part is that your conversations follow you around. Start a chat on your phone, then open it on your computer and it's all there. Really handy when you switch between devices. 5. Photo Help: You can take a picture of something and ask ChatGPT what it is. We tried this with:
It's pretty good at figuring things out. The main downside is that the free version is pretty limited. You only get the older AI model, which isn't as smart as the paid version. A lot of users complained about this - they want the good stuff without paying. Winner in this category | 9.0 Microsoft Copilot has a lot of useful features. The main thing it does really well is chat with you like a helpful friend. You can ask it questions, get help with writing, or just have a conversation. You don't even need to sign up to start using it. What we really liked:
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| Performance Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each app. | 8.0 The app runs smoothly most of the time. We tested it on different devices and network conditions, and it usually responds within a few seconds. The voice recognition works well even with background noise. Search results load quickly, and the app handles complex questions without crashing or freezing. The sync between devices works reliably, so you can switch between your phone and computer seamlessly. We did notice some slowdowns during peak hours, and occasionally the app would take longer to respond to very complex questions. Some users have reported connection issues, but we didn't experience any major problems during our testing. Overall, it performs well for an AI app. The occasional hiccups are minor and don't really affect the user experience. | 8.0 The app runs smoothly most of the time. You can chat with the AI without any delays or problems, and it loads quickly. The voice chat works really well too. There's almost no delay between when you speak and when the AI responds. The voice recognition is accurate, and the conversation feels natural and smooth. However, we did run into some problems during busy times. The app can get slow or even stop working when lots of people are using it at once. This mostly affects free users since paid users get priority access. The sync feature works great - your conversations show up quickly on all your devices. Even with long chat histories, the app stays responsive and doesn't slow down. One area that could be better is the image generation. It can take a while to create images, especially for complicated requests. This makes sense given how much work it takes, but it can be frustrating if you're in a hurry. The app doesn't drain your battery too much, though using voice chat will use more power than just typing. Overall, it runs well and doesn't cause problems with your phone. | 9.0 Microsoft Copilot works really well. The chat responses come back quickly, and the AI usually understands what you're asking for. We didn't experience any lag or crashes while using it. The image creation feature is surprisingly fast. You describe what you want, and within a few seconds, you get a picture. The quality is usually pretty good too. The voice feature works smoothly. It understands what you're saying most of the time, and the responses are clear and natural-sounding. If you use it with Microsoft Office apps, the integration works seamlessly. You can switch between Copilot and your documents without any problems. The app doesn't drain your battery too much, and it doesn't take up a lot of storage space. Overall, it performs really well for an AI assistant. Winner in this category | ||||
| Design Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each app. | 8.0 The app looks clean and modern, which makes it easy to use. We really like how simple the interface is - there's no clutter or confusing buttons.
There have been some recent updates that confused users at first, but the design team seems to be listening to feedback and making improvements. Overall, it's a good-looking app that's easy on the eyes. | 9.0 The app looks clean and simple, which makes it easy to use right away. We really like how it focuses on the conversation instead of trying to look fancy. What we love most is how easy it is to tell who said what:
Simple, but it works really well. The voice chat interface is really nice too. When you're talking, you see a little wave animation that moves with your voice. It's a small thing, but it makes you feel like the app is actually listening. Getting around the app is straightforward. There's a simple menu button that gives you access to settings and your chat history without cluttering up the main screen. Some people said the app looks a bit plain compared to other AI apps. We get that - it's not flashy, but that's actually what makes it work so well. You can focus on talking to the AI without getting distracted by fancy graphics. Winner in this category | 8.0 The app looks clean and modern. It's easy to figure out how to use it, even if you've never used an AI assistant before. The chat interface is simple - just type and hit send, like texting a friend. We liked how the image creation feature works. You just type what you want to see, and the app shows you the picture. It's straightforward and doesn't require any special knowledge. The voice feature has nice visual feedback - you can see when it's listening and when it's processing what you said. This makes it feel more natural to use. Overall, the design is good but not perfect. Some parts could use a bit more polish, but it gets the job done without being confusing. | ||||
| Value for Money Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each app. | 8.0 The free version is surprisingly good. You get most of the core features without paying anything, which is rare these days. We tested the free version extensively and found it works great for everyday use.
What we really like is that the free version doesn't feel like a limited trial. You can use it indefinitely without feeling like you're missing out on essential features. That's refreshing compared to other apps that constantly push you to upgrade. For most people, the free version is all you need. Only upgrade if you find yourself hitting the limits or need the advanced features. Winner in this category | 6.0 ChatGPT has a free version that you can use without paying anything. It gives you basic chat features with the older AI model, which is fine for simple questions and casual conversations. But the $20/month price for the good features is pretty steep. The paid version gives you:
That's a lot of money for an app that many people think should be free. Some users in the reviews were really frustrated about this. They got used to the free features and then found out the good stuff costs money. The paid version is worth it if you use AI a lot for work, school, or creative projects. The better AI model gives much more detailed and helpful responses, and the image generation can be really useful. We think it's most valuable for people who need AI help regularly. If you just want to ask the occasional question, the free version is probably fine. But if you want to do serious work with AI, the paid features are actually worth the money. The voice features and syncing work on both free and paid versions, which is nice. But the way they limit the free version to push people toward paying feels a bit aggressive. | 8.0 Microsoft Copilot offers good value. You can use it for free, which gives you access to chat with AI and create images. This is actually pretty generous compared to some other AI apps. The free version is good enough for most people. You can ask questions, get help with writing, and create images without paying anything. If you want more features, there's Copilot Pro for $20 per month. This gives you:
It's worth it if you use Office a lot for work. The pricing is reasonable compared to other AI assistants. The free tier is quite good, and the Pro version offers real value for people who need the extra features. Winner in this category | ||||
| Ease of Use Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each app. | 9.0 This might be the easiest AI tool we've ever used. You literally just open it and start asking questions - no setup, no learning curve, no complicated menus. We tested it with people who aren't very tech-savvy, and they figured it out immediately. The voice feature is especially intuitive - you just tap the microphone and start talking. The app responds quickly, and the conversation flow feels natural. You can ask follow-up questions without having to repeat yourself, which makes it feel like talking to a real person. Everything is where you'd expect it to be:
That's why we gave it a 9 out of 10. It's so simple that anyone can use it, but it still has enough features to be useful for power users. Winner in this category | 9.0 This might be the easiest AI app to use. It works right away - no complicated setup or learning curve. Downloading it is simple, and it works on both iPhones and Android phones. Once you open it, you can just start typing or tap the microphone to talk. That's it. The voice feature is really easy to use:
The chat interface looks like any other messaging app you've used - WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. So it feels familiar right away. Your conversations are organized clearly, and you can easily find old chats. Even though it has lots of features, nothing feels overwhelming. The advanced stuff like making images is there if you want it, but it doesn't get in the way of basic chatting. The only confusing part is figuring out what's free and what costs money. The app could do a better job of showing you what you're missing out on with the free version. That's why we gave it a 9 out of 10. It's super easy to use, though some of the fancier features take a little time to figure out. Winner in this category | 9.0 This is probably one of the easiest AI assistants to use. You can start chatting right away without any complicated setup. No account needed for basic features, which is nice. Getting started is simple:
We didn't need to read any instructions to figure out how to use it. The voice feature is really well done. You just tap the microphone button and start talking. It understands what you're saying most of the time, and the responses are clear. Creating images is also super easy. You just describe what you want, and the AI makes it for you. No need to learn complicated settings or options. We give it a 9 out of 10 because it's so easy to use. Even people who aren't tech-savvy should be able to figure it out quickly. Winner in this category | ||||
| Security & Privacy Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each app. | 7.0 Security and privacy get a 7 out of 10 from us. The app uses standard security practices like encryption, which is good. The privacy policy is clear about what data they collect and how they use it. You have some control over your data:
However, some users have concerns about how much data is being collected for AI training. The privacy controls could be more detailed and easier to access. We'd like to see more options for users who want to limit data collection. Overall, it seems safe to use, but we'd recommend reading the privacy policy if you're concerned about data collection. | 7.0 We gave ChatGPT a 7 out of 10 for security and privacy. It uses standard security practices, which is good, but there are some things to be aware of. The good news is that OpenAI is pretty open about how they handle your data. You can easily find their privacy policy in the app, and they explain what they do with your information. However, there are some concerns. The app collects a lot of your personal data:
OpenAI says they use this to make their AI better, but that means they're storing and potentially using your private conversations. We noticed that some users were worried about the sync feature. Since your conversations are stored on OpenAI's servers (not just on your phone), they can access everything you've said. This is what makes the cross-device sync work, but it also means your chats aren't really private. The voice chat feature is convenient, but it also means your voice is being recorded and stored. You should know that your voice conversations could be used to train the AI. OpenAI does give you some control - you can delete your chat history and opt out of some data collection. But these options are kind of hidden and not easy to find. | 8.0 Microsoft Copilot gets an 8 out of 10 for security and privacy. Since it's made by Microsoft, it uses the same security measures that protect their other products like Office and Windows. Your conversations and the images you create are encrypted, which means they're protected from hackers. Microsoft has a good track record with keeping user data safe. If you sign in with your Microsoft account, you get extra security features like two-factor authentication. This adds another layer of protection to your account. Microsoft is pretty clear about how they handle your data. They don't sell your information to other companies, and you can control what data they collect. Just remember - like with any AI app, don't share really personal or sensitive information. While Microsoft keeps things secure, it's always better to be careful about what you share. Winner in this category | ||||
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each app. | We've been using Perplexity for a while now and honestly, it's become our go-to when we need quick, reliable answers. It's super easy to use and the fact that it shows you where it got its information from is really helpful. The free version is great for most people, but if you use it a lot, the Pro version is worth considering. If you want a search tool that actually gives you good answers instead of just links, definitely give Perplexity a try. | ChatGPT is still the best AI chat app out there. It's really good at conversations and has lots of useful features. The free version is okay for basic stuff, but if you want the good features, you'll need to pay for the premium version. | We've been using Microsoft Copilot for a while now and really like it. It's great for chatting with AI, creating images, and getting help with work. The free version is pretty good, but if you use Microsoft Office a lot, the Pro version is worth considering. | ||||
| Our Recommendation | |||||||
