I don't want to be limited to just one AI chatbot. Sure, you could sign up for a bunch of different AI tools and use them individually. Or you could do what I've done and check out the best all-in-one AI chatbots that bring them all into one app.
5 Poe
Poe offers an extensive playground of AI models in a mature and polished environment. Developed by the question-and-answer site Quora, Poe offers a clean and user-friendly interface that provides seamless access to a wide range of basic and advanced AI chatbots. After every prompt, you'll be given the chance to try out other model responses to see which one you like better.
Poe offers the most extensive list of AI models, including popular ones from OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, and Google. You can access many of them for free using the platform's 3000 daily credit allowance. The credit cost will vary depending on the AI model selected, as well as the tokens spent on generating responses. I particularly like that Poe provides a way to set token limits to chat responses, as it allows me to prevent overspending on credits. However, it does lack the option to use your API keys from other platforms, limiting customization for more advanced integrations.
Poe stands out as a platform primarily geared toward developing, experimenting, and testing AI rather than a full-scale integration tool for businesses and productivity. Though Poe has a premium subscription starting at $4.99 a month, it doesn't seem to be pushing these subscriptions to everyone. Instead, it encourages you to create your own AI bots/apps using the platform and even offers a way to earn by being a top creator.
Overall, Poe is best used to explore and experiment with various AI tools cost-effectively. Its robust features and creative environment ensure that trying and experimenting with AI models remains fun and educational.
4 Monica
Monica is a versatile AI assistant that lets you use many AI models for free. Due to its many features, it has become my top pick for AI Chrome extensions. It is available as a Chrome extension as well as on PC, smartphones, and through a web interface. The tool bundles a comprehensive suite of features, including podcast generators, content summarizers, mind maps, and image generators.
One of Monica's standout features is its generous access to a variety of basic AI models available for free, seemingly without strict limits. Some popular ones include DeepSeek, GPT-4, Claude, Llama, and Gemini. For those requiring more advanced capabilities, it has a premium subscription that unlocks basic and advanced models and a wide range of AI functionalities. However, I do find these features are all over the place, making the interface a bit cluttered.
Based on the platform's features, Monica is one of the best AI tools for solo entrepreneurs, content creators, and virtual assistants. Also, if you're looking to test out AI chatbots, subscribing to Monica is inexpensive at $4.90 a month!
3 Perplexity
Perplexity offers a refined and flexible experience that combines simplicity with powerful AI features. It has a Chrome extension, smartphone app, and main web application, ensuring a seamless experience across devices. Though Perplexity has a desktop app, we recommend sticking to the Perplexity web application until it matures. Perplexity immediately reminded me of ChatGPT but with an expanded level of flexibility by allowing you to use a variety of models, such as GPT-4 Omni, Claude Sonnet, DeepSeek r1, and Sonar.
What I really like about Perplexity is the clean and uncluttered interface it provides. In contrast to Monica's feature-packed approach to AI tools, Perplexity takes a simpler approach that provides a limited but cohesive set of AI tools and features. This factor made my research and daily queries feel effortless, a big plus in my book.
On the downside, Perplexity offers only a limited pool of models, even if you upgrade to the $ 20-a-month Pro version. Though these are some of the best AI chatbots, this might be a deal-breaker if you're looking to explore as many different AI models as possible.
My experience with Perplexity is pretty good. It stands out as a versatile and user-friendly chatbot that builds on the strengths and features of ChatGPT that I really like. Even if it has a few limitations in model variety, I still think Perplexity is worth trying out.
2 Merlin
Using Merlin is one of the ways you can access GPT-4 and other advanced models for free. What I like about Merlin is its ability to perform web searches even for free users -- a feature that many in the AI space find invaluable. This capability allows the app to pull up-to-date information directly from the internet, expanding its utility beyond static, training-based responses. I also like that it allows you to focus these web searches on your current page, a specific domain, or across the broader web.
For an AI Chrome extension, Merlin's UI is refreshingly simple and uncluttered. It offers a good variety of AI models and works smoothly across devices, whether on your desktop or smartphone.
One drawback that I have found with Merlin is that its interface occasionally experiences performance issues. You're also limited by the number of prompts you can do in a day. Though its free 102 daily credits per day may be enough for basic AI models, advanced ones like GPT-4o will spend your credits in as few as three prompts. Still, at least you can test out different advanced models, albeit limited. If you are looking to expand the available models you can use, Merlin offers a Pro subscription at $29 a month. Definitely more expensive than others on this list, but it's still cheaper than buying individual subscriptions for ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Gemini Advanced.
Overall, Merlin excels at providing a good blend of AI capabilities with real-time data retrieval. This makes it an excellent choice if you plan on using it to get the latest information and try out different AI models.
1 ChatHub
ChatHub introduces a distinctive feature by allowing real-time side-by-side comparisons of up to six AI chatbots simultaneously. This setup serves as a live testing platform where the speed and accuracy of various models can be observed concurrently. The platform also supports API key usage, giving you increased control over your experience and the ability to tailor interactions to specific needs.
The design of ChatHub emphasizes direct comparison, allowing you to see differences in response times and output quality without switching between separate apps. This makes it a valuable tool for evaluating which model performs best in given scenarios. Premium features extend the tool's functionality further by incorporating real-time web access, one-click chat summarization, full-text search within chat history, image input, custom chatbot creation, code previewing, and quick access via a Chrome sidebar. It also provides a lifetime subscription option priced at around $60 but still requires you to provide an API key.
However, beyond testing and comparison, ChatHub is pretty limited, especially for free users. So, if you require a fully integrated AI assistant for everyday tasks, ChatHub may not provide all the features needed. Its strength lies predominantly in its ability to compare different models rapidly, making it a specialized tool rather than a general productivity extension.
From comprehensive experimentation to real-time web productivity tools, these five applications provide some of the best ways to test out different AI chatbots without having to subscribe to multiple AI platforms. Try using Monica or Merlin for web productivity, Perplexity as an AI assistant, Poe as a fun AI platform, and ChatHub as a comparison tool for different AI chatbots.
