In May 2024, ChatGPT released the GPT 4o model, which is a step up from its advanced GPT 4 model. The GPT 4o model is available on the free plan. However, the model’s usage is limited. If you don’t want limited access to the model, you need to upgrade to the Plus plan to get unlimited access to the 4 and 4o models. But is there a way to access the ChatGPT 4 model for free?
Is ChatGPT 4 free?
The actual GPT 4 model is not free since you need to upgrade to a plan to use this model and the Turbo version.
The Best Way to Use ChatGPT 4 for Free
Currently, there’s one way to use ChatGPT 4 for free!
You can use Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft announced that it will use OpenAI’s model to power its AI for users. It uses the GPT-4 model for search and the Dall-E model to generate images. You don’t need to sign up for a Microsoft account, if you don’t have one. Plus, you can use it for free anytime. Additionally, you can switch between various GPTs like:
- Designer
- Vacation planner
- Cooking assistant
- Fitness trainer
Another advantage of using Copilot is you can switch between conversation styles. This allows the GPT model to generate a creative or more precise response. Plus, it has a “Notebook” feature where Copilot will generate a response. This is ideal for blogs and other long-form content.
Like other ChatGPT and other AI models we’ll introduce below, CoPilot has a Pro version. You can access the faster GPT 4 Turbo during peak times. Plus, get 100 credits to generate images from Designer.
Powerful ChatGPT 4 Alternatives
OpenAI’s GPT 4 model isn’t the only AI model available. That said, we list the best ChatGPT 4 alternatives that are similar to or even better than the model!
1. Claude
One of the most powerful ChatGPT 4 alternatives is Claude. One benefit: it’s free! Claude tested its Opus model against ChatGPT and Gemini, with its benchmarks higher than those of its competitors. However, the Sonnet and Haiku models fared lower than GPT and Gemini. Still, Claude is one generative AI to consider. The Free plan uses the Sonnet model with limited daily usage. If we compare the Claude Sonnet with ChatGPT 4, it’s better in reasoning and math!
2. YouChat
Another alternative to ChatGPT 4 is YouChat. One of its main advantages over other generative AI chat apps is that you can choose the AI model to search for your query. It has a free plan, allowing you to use the GPT 4 model for free, too! However, it uses You’s AI model with GPT 4. This way, your answers will be more accurate and comprehensive. Plus, you can choose from other models, depending on what answers you need. However, if you want to access other well-known AI models, you need to subscribe to their plans.
3. Google Gemini
Google Gemini is a free alternative to ChatGPT 4. Based on benchmarks, Google Gemini excels in most capabilities, except the “Hellaswag” reasoning. GPT 4 is much better at that. Regarding its capabilities, Gemini can generate images, even on the Free plan, while OpenAI requires you to subscribe. However, you are free to subscribe to Google’s Gemini Advanced, which gives you access to its Pro model and exclusive features!
4. Perplexity
Perplexity.ai has a default model that allows users to search for anything. From there, Perplexity will give you the answers in one place. Note that Perplexity is a search engine alternative so that it will answer only your queries. Another reason some use Perplexity is the flexibility of using models like YouChat. This way, you get various responses and see which model will respond to your query better. However, like the other AI alternatives here, you need to subscribe to access the different models.
5. Poe
Poe is another ChatGPT 4 alternative to consider. Like the others on this list, you can use other AI models to get responses. One of its benefits is that you can bring Poe with you via an app. It uses the following models:
- GPT
- Gemini
- Playgram
- Ideogram
- Dall-E 3
- LLaMA
- Claude
- Stable Diffusion
- Mistral
- Snowflake
Not all models are available on the Free plan, so you should subscribe to get access to ALL AI models.
However, it has a default Assistant bot where you can chat with it about anything. Poe has a disclaimer stating that Poe still has flaws and is learning.
Creating a bot can take your Poe experience to the next step. You can also choose from the thousands of bots available to customize your AI experience.
You need to sign up for an account to use Poe chat.
6. Mistral
Mistral is another AI company that has developed its own model. It uses the Mistral model, which is more advanced than LLaMA (Meta’s AI). You can chat with Mistral for free and choose your preferred language model. Here are the models:
- Large – top reasoning capacities
- Next – prototype model
- Small – fast and cost-effective
- Codestral – specializes in code and fast
Mistral also has a disclaimer that its responses are still inaccurate.
Response testing
I tested each model to see which one would give me an accurate answer. I asked them, “which countries are part of the OECD?” According to the organization, there are 38 member states.
Claude, Perplexity, and Poe have listed all of the member states in alphabetical order. You, on the other hand, explained only which members are part of the organization. Meanwhile, Mistral missed two responses. Gemini listed 36 but explained that it added two countries in 2020 and 2021.
Final Thoughts
Accessing ChatGPT 4 via the Open AI website isn’t free for users. However, the GPT 4-o model has limited usage for free users. This could be restrictive for users who need more information or want to use the GPT 4 model for work or educational purposes.
As such, users can opt to use Microsoft CoPilot. This generative AI leverages the GPT 4 model, letting users access it without signing up for a subscription in OpenAI. Alternatively, users can check out other AI models, such as Claude and Gemini, to see how they fare against their competitor models.
