Le Chat is France's answer to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. Built to be fast and compliant with European laws, it's a different way to find answers with the help of AI.
Capable of fielding in-depth queries about everything from coding to recipes, it can generate answers at up to 1,000 words per second. That makes it one of the fastest chatbots around.
It's also one of the most trustworthy, thanks to a partnership with Agence France-Presse. Read on to find out exactly what it can do.
This article was correct as of March 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.
French startup Mistral AI launched Le Chat in February 2024. An alternative to ChatGPT, Mistral's AI chatbot is designed with efficiency and privacy in mind. Pitched as an "AI assistant for life and work", it boasts several features that enhance productivity, as well as fast response times. It's also compliant with European data privacy regulations and sources real-time information from trusted sources.
Mistral itself was established in April 2023 by a trio of French AI researchers. With work for Google DeepMind and Meta on their CVs, they leveraged their expertise to turn Mistral AI into a major player in the AI arena. The firm developed several of its own powerful large language models.
With a paid tier that's more affordable than both ChatGPT and Gemini, plus robust privacy credentials and rapid generative performance, Le Chat has made waves by proving there are different ways to build an AI chatbot.
Like most AI chatbots, Le Chat can give context-aware answers to questions written in natural language. It can help with everything from travel plans to simple summaries of complex topics. If you opt-in to its Memories feature, it will learn your preferences to provide more personalized recommendations.
There are a few ways in which Le Chat is unique. Its Flash Answers feature, which is currently available for all users to preview, generates responses at 1,000 words per second, putting it at the top of the speed charts.
Large language models are trained on huge datasets and Mistral's are no exception. It can also pull in real-time data on news, sports and more. The feather in its cap its a tie-up with Agence France-Presse. Reflecting Mistral's commitment to transparency, this allows Le Chat to provide cited responses based on reliable sources that abide by journalistic principles.
Le Chat can also process documents. It can read and summarize the key points of a file, answer questions on its contents and extract text using optical character recognition. It can translate and proofread, too.
Images are in its wheelhouse as well: powered by Black Forest Labs Flux Ultra, Le Chat can generate photorealistic visuals based on simple text prompts.
For software engineers, Le Chat can not only generate code, but also execute and analyze it in a sandbox simulator. There's also a handy free-form Canvas feature, which allows you to generate and edit web pages, graphs and presentations.
Le Chat's limitations are similar to those of most AI chatbots. It can't provide expert medical, legal or financial advice and, even with its evidence-based reasoning, Mistral can't guarantee the accuracy of Le Chat's responses.
As with other chatbots, Le Chat's abilities naturally have their limits. The more specific or demanding your query, the sooner you're likely to encounter these.
While Le Chat can analyze images and generate visuals from text prompts, it can't edit images directly, whether generated or uploaded. That puts it behind ChatGPT, which supports selective editing. Its also offers less granular control when generating images than the likes of Adobe Firefly.
Users of Le Chat are also governed by Mistral AI's terms of use, which limit the types of content that the chatbot can be used to generate. The platform can't be used to generate misinformation, for example, or anything that promotes hate or violence.
Le Chat has a free tier, which gives complimentary access to many of its core features, including image generation and document uploads. The free tier is subject to usage limits.
Users can upgrade to Le Chat's Pro tier for ā¬14.99 / $14.99 per month (around Ā£12 / AU$24 per month), which offers unlimited access to Mistral's high-performance model. It also gives you an uncapped number of daily messages and increases usage limits for Flash Answers, file uploads and image generations.
If you're an eligible student, Mistral offers a discount of more than 50% on the Pro tier, bringing it down to ā¬5.99 / $5.99 a month (around Ā£5 / AU$10 a month).
Team pricing features higher usage limits and dedicated support for ā¬24.99 / $24.99 per user per month (around Ā£21 / AU$42). Mistral also offers an Enterprise tier with custom pricing and solutions.
Le Chat can be accessed on the web. There are also dedicated apps for iOS and Android devices, which are free to download.
In our head-to-head test of Le Chat and ChatGPT, we were impressed with Mistral AI's chatbot. We found it capable of easily breaking down and summarizing complex information. Despite its European origin, it didn't have any trouble pulling information from US sources.
We did find that some of Le Chat's responses lacked detail, offering more generic advice than ChatGPT. Even so, we praised "just how fast and efficient it is."
We also found Le Chat's language less enthusiastic than ChatGPT's, adopting a flatter, more formal tone. This perhaps reflects Mistral's commitment to neutrality in its technology.
Le Chat also does a good job of generating dynamic images, although it isn't immune to classic AI flaws when it comes to perspective and the arrangement of finer details.
In short, we found Le Chat just as capable as ChatGPT for most tasks. For anyone that wants an AI assistant that won't fall foul of European regulations, it's a strong bet.
You want fast responses
Mistral's low-latency models mean Le Chat is one of the fastest chatbots on the market right now. Flash Answers can generate responses at up to 1,000 words per second, making your interactions more efficient.
You want a more trustworthy tool
Not only does Le Chat comply with European data privacy regulations, but its partnership with Agence France-Presse means it draws on real-time news stories from a trustworthy source that upholds robust journalistic standards.
You're doing detailed research
Le Chat can deliver generalized answers seriously fast, but its responses might lack the level of detail required by some users. The deep research modes of ChatGPT and Gemini are better-suited for academic applications.
You need total accuracy
Although Le Chat draws on robust data sources for its evidence-based reasoning, it's not immune from hallucinations and factual inaccuracies, especially when it comes to information that might have changed in the recent past.
