Our verdict · 8.6/10 Excellent
The most versatile general assistant for most teams. Use a business plan for company data and set clear usage guidelines.
Key takeaways
- Best for: General knowledge work.
- Strongest area: Features & fit (9.4/10). Weakest: Security & privacy (7.4/10).
- Price: Free tier; business plans from around $25–30 / user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Can produce confident errors.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT handles drafting, analysis, coding help, image generation, web search and file analysis in one interface. Business plans add a shared workspace, admin controls and data excluded from training by default.
ChatGPT is made by OpenAI and is reviewed here as a AI assistant (it also appears in our 1 other category). It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.6 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose ChatGPT if
- General knowledge work
- Teams wanting one versatile assistant
- Data analysis and file questions
Not for you if
- Confidential data on consumer plans
- Workflows requiring guaranteed factual accuracy
Key features
Upload documents and spreadsheets for questions and summaries.
Build assistants for repeated tasks.
Answers with linked sources.
SSO and controls on business plans.
- Google Drive
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Slack
- Zapier
Pros & cons
What we like
- Very broad capabilities
- Strong ecosystem and custom GPTs
- File and data analysis
- Business admin controls
Watch out for
- Can produce confident errors
- Usage limits vary by plan
- Frequent plan changes
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — |
| Plus | ≈ $20 / user / mo | Up to 1 user · Individual plan |
| Business | ≈ $25 / user / mo | Billed annually; higher month-to-month |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | — |
Pricing watch-out: Plan names, limits and prices change frequently.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 30, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Quote-only tier. Enterprise has no public price. Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding and support fees.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 9.4 | 2.40 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 9.3 | 1.40 | |
| Value for money | 15% | 8.4 | 1.30 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.6 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 20% | 7.4 | 1.50 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.8 | 1.30 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for AI tools products | 8.6 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for ChatGPT against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check OpenAI’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any AI assistant
Check ChatGPT against the same list we use for every AI assistant — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Data is excluded from training on your plan
- Admin console and usage controls
- File and document analysis
- Integration with your office suite
- Predictable per-seat pricing
See every ranked option in AI Assistants.
ChatGPT alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Google Gemini≈ $140/mo vs $250/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Stronger on security
Microsoft 365 CopilotSecurity & privacy score 8.6 vs 7.4
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as ChatGPT. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
A thoughtful AI assistant known for long documents, nuanced writing and coding.
Google's AI assistant, built into Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs and Sheets.
AI built into Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, grounded in your organisation's data.
Head-to-head comparisons
vs
ChatGPT vs Claude8.6 · 8.4vsChatGPT vs Google Gemini8.6 · 8.4vsChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot8.6 · 8.5vs
ChatGPT vs Perplexity8.6 · 8.2Featured in: Best AI Assistants for Business, Best AI Writing Tools for Business, ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Copilot
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
ChatGPT FAQ
Does ChatGPT train on business data?
OpenAI states that business plans do not use your data for training by default. Check the current terms for your plan.
Does ChatGPT have a free plan?
Yes. ChatGPT offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Free tier; business plans from around $25–30 / user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is ChatGPT best for?
ChatGPT is best for: general knowledge work; teams wanting one versatile assistant; data analysis and file questions.
How much does ChatGPT cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Business) works out at roughly $250 per month, or about $3,000 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the ChatGPT score calculated?
The 8.6/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for AI products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to ChatGPT?
Popular alternatives include Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft 365 Copilot. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.