With most AI chatbots and AI text generators, the best models sit behind a paywall.
The good news: that's changed significantly. Multiple providers now offer GPT-4-class models and even GPT-5 for free. Some even include internet access.
In this article, I'll show you three ways to get access without paying a cent.
- ChatGPT offers GPT-5 for free (with a message limit). Free users get web search, DALL-E, and the GPT Store
- Microsoft Copilot offers GPT-4-class models completely free with internet access and no registration required
- Perplexity AI offers free AI-powered research with integrated source citations
Why Aren't GPT-4 and GPT-4o Usually Free?
Powerful AI models like GPT-4 or GPT-5 require a lot of computing power and are significantly more expensive to operate than older models like GPT-3.5.
However, a lot has changed since 2024: Prices have dropped massively and OpenAI now offers access to GPT-5 even in the free version.
Here's a quick overview of API costs for a 10,000-word blog article:
- GPT-5 nano: approx. $0.01
- GPT-5: approx. $0.10
- GPT-4.1: approx. $0.20
With millions or billions of generated words per month, this can quickly become expensive for tool and app providers.
Before we dive in, here are the three options side by side.
| Feature | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free model | GPT-5 (default) | GPT-4-class models | GPT-4 + own models |
| Internet access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Source citationsChatGPT: Browsing Mode only | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Limits for free users | limited daily message quota | up to 300 responses/day with account | Pro Search multiple times daily with account |
1. ChatGPT
GPT-4 was always paid in ChatGPT since its introduction in March 2023. Only with ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or higher plans could you access it.
However, this has fundamentally changed since then:
Free users now have access to GPT-5. It's the default model in ChatGPT Free and doesn't need to be specifically selected. OpenAI's current flagship, GPT-5.5 (April 2026), is reserved for paid plans. Since June 26, 2026, OpenAI has additionally rolled out the GPT-5.6 family (Sol, Terra, Luna) as a limited preview, but only via API + Codex to around 20 partners. In ChatGPT (including Free), GPT-5.6 is not yet available.
However:
Usage is limited, though. Free users have a limited message quota per day. When exceeded, ChatGPT automatically switches to a smaller model.
This means:
ChatGPT does offer GPT-5 for free, but with message limits.
| Plan | Price | Features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeFree access to GPT-5 with a daily message quota. | $0/month | GPT-5 as the default model Web search, DALL-E, and the GPT Store Limited daily quota, then falls back to a smaller model GPT-5.5 (current flagship) | For occasional use |
| GoMore messages at a lower price, with ads. | $8/month | Significantly more messages than Free GPT-5.2 Instant unlimited GPT-5 Thinking and Deep Research | Budget option for regular users |
| PlusFull access to the current ChatGPT feature set. | $20/month | GPT-5.5 (current flagship) 25 Deep Research queries per month Audio/video mode, custom GPTs, ChatGPT Agent | For intensive and professional use |
2. Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot (formerly "Bing Chat") is currently one of the best ChatGPT alternatives. And for good reason:
Copilot not only offers GPT-4 for free, but also gives you access to the internet and can generate images.
It also offers access to image generation and various plugins.
The best part:
It's completely free and usable without registration. Not only through the browser, but now also as an app for Android or iOS.
It also offers generous usage limits. Without registration, it allows 5 responses per chat, and with a Microsoft account login, even 30 (300 responses per day are possible with login), having significantly higher limits than ChatGPT.
3. Perplexity.ai
Perplexity is an AI search engine that represents a great and free alternative to ChatGPT or Bing Chat.
It's particularly well suited for conducting intensive internet research on a topic.
Similar to Bing Chat or ChatGPT in Browsing Mode, the sources of generated responses are cited as footnote numbers:
Below the response, similar questions or topics are displayed, and you have the option to ask follow-up questions. By clicking on the underlined links in the response, you can also explore topics further.
I also find the new "Copilot" feature brilliant. Similar to AutoGPT or BabyAGI, it doesn't just give AI-generated responses but executes more complex workflows to answer a question or perform an action for you:
If you're planning a trip, for example, it asks you intermediate questions to find the best possible travel route for you:
Perplexity uses various AI models (including GPT-4 and its own models) for response generation. If you create an account with Perplexity, you can use Pro Search multiple times daily for free.
Usage: How Popular Are These Tools Really?
For context: according to Similarweb data (May 2026), ChatGPT accounted for 52.7% of global AI chatbot web traffic. Microsoft Copilot came in at 2.0%, Perplexity at 1.3%.
