Google Bard and others: 5 alternatives to ChatGPT

ChatGPT: a real hype – with a downside

Artificial intelligence will massively change the working world in future. With the launch of the chatbot ChatGPT, which was developed by the US company OpenAI, a downright hype ensued around the opportunities this tool provides. It not only delivers search results, it also answers questions in a way that is extremely similar to a human being. 

For instance, it can autonomously formulate text, program, compose, and much more. The application even remembers content from discussions, which is then considered in downstream processes. Mainly in customer service, marketing and PR, but also in departments such as financial accounting, can such a tool be harnessed by companies in future.

However, at the start of 2023, ChatGPT was not yet fully up to date. Some answers were wrong or partly incorrect, and others were completely made up. What’s more, the data is based solely on information up to the year 2021 – the bot knows nothing (at the moment) about what happened after that time. Today, Microsoft has a share in OpenAI and has integrated ChatGT into its search engine Bing. By combining the two, stakeholders hope to achieve even higher performance. But there are still some bugs – tests have also shown unsatisfactory results.

However, there are other chatbots that use artificial intelligence – and which are indeed recommended for certain applications. These are the ChatGPT alternatives at a glance.

Google Bard: a difficult start for Google’s chatbot

Google’s search engine is the undisputed market leader to date – but this lead has no longer been set in stone since Microsoft’s AI investment for Bing. Now, Google wants to hold up strong with the AI-based chatbot Bard, which is also to be integrated into the company’s own search engine. But during testing, Bard showed to have some bugs – it delivered usable results, but also flawed answers. The roll-out for the wider public was supposed to follow in the first months of 2023, but this start was delayed due to the above-mentioned problems. The biggest advantage compared to ChatGPT: Bard also uses data from the Internet and can therefore provide current answers.

ChatSonic, Jasper Chat and other ChatGPT alternatives

Apart from Bard, there are some ChatGPT alternatives which are lesser known, but that definitely have their advantages:

ChatSonic

The chatbot ChatSonic touts itself on its website as a strong alternative to ChatGPT. This bot expands the AI-based text generator WriteSonic with a chat function. Graphics, too, can be generated with this tool. Like Bard, ChatSonic has access to the latest data on the Internet. However, as of February 2023, it is said to have less reliable functions compared to ChatGPT. Only the test version is free of charge. To use all the functions, a moderate monthly fee is charged.

Jasper Chat

Jasper Chat also fits into the row of classic AI-based chatbots which focus on generated text. The platform itself is predestined for companies that want to create brand-relevant content, such as social media posts or newsletters, according to Jasper Chat. After the test phase, however, Jasper Chat costs a rather pricey monthly fee.

YouChat

Coming from Germany is the tool YouChat, the AI-based chatbot from the You.com search engine. It also offers answers to the latest questions – while also providing the source so that the user can review the authenticity and reliability of the answers. This is important, as the results are not always accurate on YouChat either.

NeevaAI

The ad-free AI search engine NeevaAI has also been on the market in Germany since February 2023. The service not only currently provides links, much like Google does – it also formulates answers which feature quotes from the original sources. Before the search engine gives wrong answers, it doesn’t give any, according to the developers. Due to the financing plan, through the use of subscriptions, no sponsored answers can distort the results. The free version comes with limitations.