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I just tried the chatbots you’ve never heard of — here’s how they stack up against ChatGPT

AnyFans 2025-10-04

By Alex Hughes

I just tried the chatbots you've never heard of — here's how they stack up against ChatGPT

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It provided an abstract, methods, tables, explanations and more. In fact, the report was so incredibly detailed that there were pages and pages to scroll through.
I really like the concept of Elicit, but it is niche in its market. If you’re not a student or working in an academic field, there will be no real use here for you. However, for those in those groups, it is a much better research tool than ChatGPT ever will be.

(Image credit: Poe AI)
Poe is an intriguing offer. The idea here is that you aren’t getting a chatbot… you’re getting all of them. Think of it more as a way to interact with any chatbot from one place, offering ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and more from one chatbox.
It also includes video generators, image generators, audio creators and more. Poe is, in theory, a great option. It is just a way of having all of your chatbots offered in one place, what’s not to love about that?
The issue is the cost. Three isn’t really a free option here, with the cheapest plan being $4.99 a month. Subscription prices go up to $249.99 a month, with each step up getting you more tokens.
Tokens match up to how much power you use. A quick chatbot conversation won’t use many tokens, but a large video generation will. If you like the idea of having every AI model in one place, Poe is great, but it doesn’t come cheap.

(Image credit: Mistral AI)
Le Chat is a chatbot that I have championed for a while now. It has a small, yet incredibly loyal fanbase.
It works in a very similar way to ChatGPT. One of the big selling points is its speed. It responds to queries in a rapid pace, especially if you upgrade to the Pro version.
While it doesn’t have the same long list of features as its competitors, lacking video and image generation, its performance as a chatbot is impressive, keeping up with the best.
It is also one of the best chatbots for anyone who is concerned about privacy or where their data is being used.
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Alex Hughes

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Alex is the AI editor at TomsGuide. Dialed into all things artificial intelligence in the world right now, he knows the best chatbots, the weirdest AI image generators, and the ins and outs of one of tech’s biggest topics.
Before joining the Tom’s Guide team, Alex worked for the brands TechRadar and BBC Science Focus.
He was highly commended in the Specialist Writer category at the BSME’s 2023 and was part of a team to win best podcast at the BSME’s 2025.
In his time as a journalist, he has covered the latest in AI and robotics, broadband deals, the potential for alien life, the science of being slapped, and just about everything in between.
When he’s not trying to wrap his head around the latest AI whitepaper, Alex pretends to be a capable runner, cook, and climber.

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