Watercooler
May 30, 2023
10
min read

The Best AI Chatbots: ChatGPT and Other Alternatives

Krissy Davis
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Everyone who uses the internet knows about ChatGPT, one of the most potent and one of, if not the best, AI chatbots in the market. This AI chatbot uses natural language processing technology to analyse and respond precisely as humans would during conversations. What distinguishes it from other bots is its sheer size and power capacity; having been trained with massive amounts of data makes its responses incredibly nuanced and human-like - from answering trivia questions and providing emotional support to writing HTML and debugging code- ChatGPT is undoubtedly one of the best AI chatbots that's revolutionising how we interact with machines. 

Why use a ChatGPT alternative?

ChatGPT has undoubtedly made a significant impact in generating impressive results for coding, crafting stories, articles, and more. However, like any other tool, it has its own limitations. For example, ChatGPT, by default, is not connected to the internet and cannot provide current information. It also can't generate visuals or AI art, take voice commands, or generate voice responses. Another thing to remember is that ChatGPT has a heavy load, so sometimes you'll get an error message saying that it's at capacity or down. 

What ChatGPT alternatives are there? 

While ChatGPT remains undeniably cool and helpful- it doesn't hurt to keep an open eye as other viable options exist depending on your specific needs and preferences. While ChatGPT is definitely a front-runner among AI chatbots, plenty of other compelling alternatives are worth considering. Here's our list of some of the best ChatGPT alternatives:

1. Bard by Google

Bard is an incredible creation by Google that stems from the groundbreaking LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) technology. LaMDA, a transformer-based model, possesses the extraordinary ability to grasp the intricacies of human language through the analysis of trillions of words, enabling it to discern patterns and provide reasonable responses.

Bard has received significant updates recently, including improvements in coding assistance and UI enhancements. Bard now unveils a remarkable drafting feature, allowing users to visually compare diverse code versions while swiftly generating new drafts. As if that weren't enough, what sets Bard apart even further is its seamless connectivity to the internet, a unique attribute that ChatGPT cannot emulate. With all that in mind, is Bard the new best chatbot? 

Bard's pros:

  • Up-to-date information - not limited to knowledge up to any specific year.
  • Access to the latest and greatest language models and technologies. That means you can expect some seriously accurate answers and data from this tool.
  • Has dark and light modes.  

Bard's cons: 

  • Bard's outputs aren't as conversational as ChatGPT.  
  • Sometimes will only give broad generalisations.

Bard's pricing

Like Google's other services, Bard is free to use. 

2. HuggingChat

HuggingChat is an open-source chat model created by Hugging Face, a renowned hub for developers delving into AI and machine learning applications. Powered by the state-of-the-art GPT-3 technology from OpenAI, HuggingChat represents a significant leap forward.

One of the standout features of HuggingChat is its striking resemblance to ChatGPT, making it effortlessly accessible for those already well-acquainted with ChatGPT. The familiarity factor ensures a seamless transition and enables users to quickly leverage their existing knowledge. 

HuggingChat Pros:

  • Can complete most writing tasks with high accuracy
  • Fast outputs 
  • Excells at problem-solving tasks
  • Easy to use 

HuggingChat Cons:

  • Training data is only available up until September 2021
  • Coding capabilities are not as advanced as ChatGPT 3.5's

HuggingChat's Pricing:

Like its main site, Hugging Face, HuggingChat is currently free.

3. Bing AI

Experience the power of Microsoft's groundbreaking collaboration with OpenAI as they unveil Bing AI, fueled by the advanced capabilities of GPT. This exciting development grants users free access to the remarkable ChatGPT 4, accessible through Microsoft Edge across all devices, including iOS.

Choose from three dynamic conversational styles and engage in captivating interactions by posing questions. Bing AI tailors its responses based on the nature of your queries, ensuring a personalised and immersive experience. Bing AI seamlessly combines search and AI chat and effortlessly retrieves relevant URLs, providing a comprehensive experience. Effortlessly switch between chat and search modes, harnessing the full potential of Bing AI's versatility. 

Bing AI's Pros: 

  • Easy to use with prompt engineering 
  • Has follow-up suggestions 
  • Has free access to GPT-4 
  • Live access to the internet - produces relevant information
  • Can cite sources
  • Boasts an exceptional memory

Bing AI's Cons:

  • Query cap
  • Still a work in progress

Bing AI's pricing: 

Bing AI is currently free to use via Microsoft Edge.

4. Sparrow by DeepMind

With the rapid advancement of AI technology, a valid concern arises regarding the accuracy and safety of chatbots that may provide unreliable information and promote risky behaviour. Sparrow has been developed as a dialogue agent dedicated to mitigating the risks associated with inappropriate or unsafe responses commonly observed in Large Language Models (LLMs). Its primary objective is to strike a delicate balance between being informative and helpful while minimising the potential for undesirable outcomes.

Harnessing the power of reinforcement learning and rule-based constraints, Sparrow generates responses that are plausible and firmly rooted in verifiable evidence. While Sparrow has exhibited immense potential, further research is necessary to improve its effectiveness and ensure alignment with human values. The ultimate objective is to create safer and more helpful dialogue agents and enhance our knowledge of training artificial general intelligence.

Sparrow's Pros

  •  Safer dialogue agent

Sparrow's Cons:

  • The research primarily focuses on an English-speaking agent, and further work is necessary to ensure comparable results in other languages and cultural contexts.
  • Has not yet been released. 

Sparrow's Pricing:

There's no talk about pricing as of yet. And it's been said that DeepMind is considering releasing Sparrow for a "private beta" sometime this year (2023)

5. YouChat

YouChat is a tool brought to life by the ingenious minds at You.com, a search engine founded by former Salesforce employees.

YouChat, fueled by the powerful GPT-3, unveils its mastery of conversation. Seamlessly adapting to the context, it artfully weaves insightful answers to your queries, distilling vast oceans of information into bite-sized brilliance. But that's not all! Brace yourself for the pièce de résistance: YouChat effortlessly summons Google's might, citing its knowledge's origins. 

YouChat's Pros

  • Alternative to ChatGPT within a search engine interface.
  • Allows users to ask complete questions in a chat interface and delivers inline responses.
  • Cites sources from Google.

YouChat's Cons:

  • The accuracy of YouChat's answers may be limited, as stated in its disclaimer.
  • The ownership of the content generated by YouChat is unclear.

YouChat's Pricing:

YouChat is currently free to use via You.com. 

6. Chatsonic

Chatsonic, a groundbreaking AI chatbot developed by Writesonic, is a powerful tool that unleashes the potential for lightning-fast data, image, and voice searches. It possesses the extraordinary ability to conjure a diverse array of content, encompassing everything from social media ad copy to elaborate blog posts, merely by providing word prompts. The true essence of Chatsonic lies in its unparalleled capacity to furnish you with the latest data and industry trends, outshining even the capabilities of ChatGPT. Chatsonic harnesses the immense prowess of GPT-3.5, the awe-inspiring GPT-4 and its groundbreaking iteration, the magnificent GPT-4 32K. 

Chatsonic's Pros

  • Produces good quality content
  • understands voice commands and responds just like Siri / Google Assistant
  • Ability to leverage the latest news
  • Can generate AI art

Chatsonic's Cons

  • The need for fact-checking
  • Limitations in word count are dependent on your pricing plan

Chatsonic's Pricing:

Chatsonic has a few pricing plan structures dependent on usability. Premium Pro (GPT-3.5) starts from 12.67 USD for 100,000 words per month, and Superior Pro (GPT-4 & GPT-4 32K) starts at 12.67 USD for 33,334 words per month. They also offer a Free Trial, which gives you access to 5,000 words per month. 

7. OpenAI Playground | GPT Playground 

OpenAI Playground is a cutting-edge web-based tool designed to facilitate the construction and evaluation of predictive language models. Unlike ChatGPT, which excels at understanding context and can produce high-quality content even with vague prompts, OpenAI Playground requires specific prompts and settings for better-quality outputs. 

The tool boasts many purpose-specific preset prompts, ensuring seamless customisation through adjustable parameters such as the model, response length, and temperature. OpenAI Playground also accommodates diverse base language models, allowing users to handpick the one that perfectly resonates with their preferred conversational style.

OpenAI Playground's Pros

  • Preset options for different tasks, such as text-to-command and translation
  • Suited for specific use cases where preset models and settings are needed

OpenAI Playground's Cons

  • Requires specific prompts and settings for better-quality outputs
  • It can be challenging to use if you're not familiar with LLMs

OpenAI Playground's Pricing:

OpenAI Playground offers a comprehensive pricing structure based on the number of tokens used. 1 word = 1 token 

For example, Chat, model gpt-3.5-turbo costs $0.002 for 1K tokens, while InstructGPT, model Davinci costs $0.0200 for 1K tokens. 

What is the best ChatGPT alternative?

The world of AI is abuzz with the constant influx of new chatbots, and there seems to be no end to the rapid advancements. Amidst this dynamic environment, Bard by Google, an excellent ChatGPT alternative, emerges. Boasting many striking features, Bard stands out as a free, user-friendly solution that harnesses the wealth of up-to-date information from Google and produces exceptional results.

What is the best AI Chrome extension? 

HARPA AI is fast becoming one of the best Chrome extensions on the market. This AI-powered assistant seamlessly collaborates with ChatGPT, revolutionising web monitoring tasks with unparalleled automation. By seamlessly integrating with Google search, HARPA AI delivers over 100 predefined commands across diverse categories, including marketing, productivity, engineering, and copywriting. It also offers the remarkable ability to summarise webpage content by selecting specific sections or utilising the entire context. And the best part? It's free to use and easy to install! 

Are you a developer? Great news for you! We have a comprehensive Chrome extension list for Developers; check out our article Best ChatGPT Chrome Extensions For Developers

You may also like, Top 5 ChatGPT Plugins for Developers

The Best AI Chatbots: ChatGPT and Other Alternatives

May 30, 2023
10
min read

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