ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a general-purpose AI assistant from OpenAI, available at chatgpt.com. You type a question or request into a chat window and the assistant replies in a conversational thread, keeping context within the conversation. The homepage positions it as a broad-purpose assistant: answering questions, generating images, searching the web, and handling longer research tasks.

The features visible on the site go beyond plain text chat. There is an image-creation mode, a web search toggle, and a deep research mode that runs multi-step research, compares sources, and saves cited reports you can revisit later. Logged-in users can upload files and images — the page lists supported image formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, BMP, and HEIF — and get responses informed by their saved chats. The interface also references an audio mode and a plugins section.

Access is free after sign-up, with sign-in options for Google, Microsoft, Apple, phone numbers, or email. OpenAI links to a plans and pricing page, so paid tiers exist, though the homepage itself does not list prices. You can try a chat without logging in, but the site warns that the conversation is discarded when you start a new one unless you sign in. A notice on the page states that chats may be reviewed and used to improve OpenAI's AI models.

Best for

• Drafting, editing, and summarizing text in a conversational thread
• Answering questions with the option to search the web
• Multi-step research projects that produce cited, saveable reports
• Creating images from text descriptions
• Uploading documents and images to ask questions about their contents
• Trying an AI assistant without committing to a paid plan

Frequently asked questions

Is ChatGPT free?

You can sign up and use it for free. OpenAI also offers paid plans — the site links to a pricing page — but the homepage does not list specific prices or plan details.

Can I use it without an account?

Yes, the site offers a chat you can try without logging in. However, that conversation is discarded when you start a new chat, and features like saved chats, file uploads, and image creation require signing in.

What can I upload?

The homepage lists image formats: avif, bmp, gif, heic, heif, jpeg, jpg, png, and webp. It also mentions uploading files generally, but does not specify non-image formats on the page shown here.

What is deep research?

It is a mode that runs multi-step research on a topic, compares sources, and saves a cited report you can revisit later. The site requires login to use it.

Does OpenAI use my conversations?

The site's notice says chats may be reviewed and used to improve OpenAI's AI models, with a link to a help article explaining how that data is used.

Can it search the web?

Yes. A web search option appears in the chat interface, and it is available even in the unauthenticated trial view shown on the homepage.

Alternatives

• Afforai — if your main job is searching, summarizing, and translating across hundreds of documents.
• Triplo AI — if you want an AI assistant that works across multiple applications instead of one chat window.
• Brevy — if you mostly need help writing posts, replies, and DMs rather than general-purpose chat.
• Notion — if you would rather have docs, wikis, and projects with AI features in one workspace.