Which ranked tools have a free plan we could verify?

Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, GitHub Copilot, and n8n. Each vendor's own page lists a free plan. The other tools on these lists are left off because we did not confirm a free plan, not because we proved they lack one.

Is Claude Code included in Claude's free plan?

No. Anthropic's pricing page lists a Free plan for Claude chat, and the same table says Claude Code is not included on Free. Claude Code is a paid-plan feature on that page.

Does Notion AI have a free plan?

Notion's pricing page lists a Free plan that includes a trial of Notion AI. This guide does not treat a trial as a free plan, so Notion AI is not on the list.

Does a free plan change the rank?

No. Claude is still first for a draft that has to sound like a person. Cursor is still first when the agent has to live in the editor. A free plan is access, not a new verdict.

Guides

Best free AI tools

Last updated October 20, 2026

Some tool links may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. Rankings are never paid for or changed by that. Disclosure.

"Best free AI tools" is a price question. This site does not keep a price list for every product, and an older page, Best free AI tools by task, refuses to guess. This page is narrower. It names only ranked tools whose own site, checked for this guide, lists a free plan. The six are Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, GitHub Copilot, and n8n. Everyone else on the lists is omitted. Omitted does not mean paid-only. It means we did not confirm a free plan on the vendor's page. Ranks are unchanged. A free plan does not buy a place on a list.

Writing you can open without paying first

Claude is first on Best for Writing, for a long draft that has to sound like a person. Anthropic's pricing page lists a Free plan at $0, described as free for everyone, with chat on the web, desktop, and mobile, plus web search and artifacts. The same table says Claude Code is not on Free. The free plan is the chat product, not the terminal agent. Use Claude (opens in a new tab) on that free plan when tone is the job and you can live with whatever usage limit the page sets. Check the page. Limits move.

ChatGPT is second for writing, the generalist. OpenAI's free-plan page says there is a free plan for everyday conversations and writing help, with usage limits and no set time limit on how long you can keep the account. Our ranking already notes that Free and Go use GPT-6 Luna, from the 7 October 2026 rollout in GPT-6 brings Intelligent UI to ChatGPT. Use ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) when you want that generalist and you will edit the even voice.

Gemini is third, convenient next to Gmail and Docs. Google's subscriptions page lists a Free plan for everyday help in the Gemini app, including a Flash-Lite model, image generation, and Deep Research. Gemini 4 Argon is listed under the paid Google AI Pro and Ultra plans on that page, not under Free. The voice for ordinary prose is still flatter than Claude. Use Gemini (opens in a new tab) on the free plan when the file is already in Google. Do not expect Argon on it.

Grammarly is fourth, an editor. Grammarly's plans page lists Free at $0 for writing without spelling and grammar mistakes, and 100 AI prompts a month on that plan. Pro is where the larger prompt allowance sits. Use Grammarly (opens in a new tab) when the draft exists and you want it checked. The free plan does not turn it into the writer. That rank is still Claude's.

Notion AI is not on this list. Notion's pricing page includes a trial of Notion AI on the Free plan. A trial is not a free plan we will rank as ongoing access.

Coding you can open without paying first

GitHub Copilot is fourth on Best for Vibe Coding, the seat many teams already pay for. GitHub's plans page also lists a Free plan at $0 with limited chat and agent usage. The FAQ on that page says Free users are limited to 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests, and that a Copilot Business or Enterprise seat is not eligible for Free. Use GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab) on Free when you are an individual and the edit is routine. The editorial rank stays at 4. Cursor is still first when the agent has to live in the editor. We did not confirm a free plan for Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or Replit on a vendor page for this guide, so they are omitted here. Claude Code, separately, is marked "No" on Anthropic's Free column.

A workflow you can run yourself

n8n is first on Best Agent Builder, for triggers, branches, and a human approval step. n8n's hosting docs say that without a license key it runs as the free Community edition, on your own infrastructure. That is a free plan for the software you host, not a promise about a cloud bill. Use n8n (opens in a new tab) when you can run it. A Business or Enterprise key is a different edition. We are not quoting those prices.

How to choose

Open the free plan that matches the job you already had. A draft that has to sound like a person: Claude. A generalist rewrite: ChatGPT. A Google file: Gemini. A grammar pass: Grammarly. A routine completion if you qualify for Copilot Free: Copilot. A workflow you will self-host: n8n. Then go back to the ranked list for the job. Best for Writing, Best for Vibe Coding, and Best Agent Builder do not reorder because a checkout can be skipped. If a tool is missing here, we did not verify a free plan. Check the vendor before you assume one.

Questions people ask

Which ranked tools have a free plan we could verify?: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly, GitHub Copilot, and n8n. Each vendor's own page lists a free plan. The other tools on these lists are left off because we did not confirm a free plan, not because we proved they lack one.
Is Claude Code included in Claude's free plan?: No. Anthropic's pricing page lists a Free plan for Claude chat, and the same table says Claude Code is not included on Free. Claude Code is a paid-plan feature on that page.
Does Notion AI have a free plan?: Notion's pricing page lists a Free plan that includes a trial of Notion AI. This guide does not treat a trial as a free plan, so Notion AI is not on the list.
Does a free plan change the rank?: No. Claude is still first for a draft that has to sound like a person. Cursor is still first when the agent has to live in the editor. A free plan is access, not a new verdict.