Chat assistants
There are many chatbots. They all have a predictor inside, but they differ in age limit, privacy settings and extras. Like bakeries that all bake bread, with different opening hours and recipes. Learn what to check before you choose one.
First, what do you think?
You're 12 and want to use a chatbot for homework. Which ones are you allowed to use on your own? Have a guess.
What is a chat assistant?
The whole story in three sentences. A chat assistant is an app around a language model. You chat with it, and many can also search, make images or help with code. They all predict. But who may use them, and what happens to your chats, differs.
Think of bakeries. They all bake bread from flour and water. But one opens at seven, another at nine. One sells cake, another doesn't. Which bakery suits you depends on what you need.
What they share:
- A predictor inside. Every one predicts text, word by word. Every one can make mistakes.
- A whiteboard and a cutoff. Each has a context window, and training that stops at a date.
How they differ:
- Age. Some are from 13, some from 18. Under 18, some need a parent's permission.
- Your chats. Some use your chats for training unless you turn it off. Others only if you allow it.
- Extras. Searching the web, making images, help with code, making files.
Here are six, in alphabetical order. Each card has the same fields, and a source for every fact.
ChatGPT
- Made by
- OpenAI
- Can make or do
- text, code
- Free
- Yes, with limits
- Paid
- Subscriptions in several levels (Go, Plus, Pro)
- Minimum age
- 13 years
- Good for
- Chatting
- writing and explaining
- Help with code in the paid plans
- Watch out
- Under 18 only with permission from a parent or guardian
- Your chats are used for training unless you turn off 'Improve the model for everyone'
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
Claude
- Made by
- Anthropic
- Can make or do
- text, search, code
- Free
- Yes, with limits
- Paid
- Subscriptions in several levels (Pro, Max)
- Minimum age
- 18 years
- Good for
- Chatting
- writing and explaining
- Searching the web
- Making files such as documents and slides
- Watch out
- Only from 18
- Your chats are used for training if you allow it (setting: Model Improvement)
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
Copilot
- Made by
- Microsoft
- Can make or do
- text, images, audio, tasks
- Free
- Yes, with limits
- Paid
- Part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions
- Minimum age
- 13 years
- Good for
- Chatting and making images
- Help in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (with Microsoft 365)
- Watch out
- Sometimes older than 13, depending on your country
- Microsoft itself says Copilot can make mistakes: check it
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
Gemini
- Made by
- Can make or do
- text, images, search
- Free
- Yes, with a Google account
- Paid
- Google AI subscriptions in several levels
- Minimum age
- 13 years
- Good for
- Chatting and making images
- Deep Research
- a report from many websites
- Watch out
- Some chats are read by people at Google: don't type anything confidential
- With Keep Activity on, your chats can be used for training
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
Perplexity
- Made by
- Perplexity
- Can make or do
- search, text
- Free
- Yes, with a daily limit
- Paid
- Subscriptions in several levels (Pro, Max)
- Minimum age
- 13 years
- Good for
- Answers with a source for each claim
- Searching the web
- Watch out
- Under the age of majority, a parent or guardian must accept the terms
- A source next to a claim doesn't prove the claim: click it and check
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
Vibe (Le Chat)
- Made by
- Mistral AI
- Can make or do
- text, images, search, code
- Free
- Yes, with limits
- Paid
- Subscriptions in several levels (Pro, Team)
- Minimum age
- 13 years
- Good for
- Chatting and searching the web
- Simple images
- Help with code
- Watch out
- A minor needs permission from a parent or guardian
- On the free plan your chats are used for training unless you turn it off
Checked on 28-10-2026. Tools change often; the maker's site is always right.
What the predictor does
Underneath, it's the same idea: a predictor with layers on top. That's the rule.
The differences come from those layers. Each maker trains its own way, and writes its own system prompt. So the same question can get a different answer in each one.
What you type goes to the maker. Whether they use it for training depends on the setting. The Dutch data protection authority warns that most companies behind chatbots store everything you type. That's why the settings on the cards matter.
Same bread, different bakeries. Check the age, the settings and the extras. Then choose what fits your task.
Try it yourself
Three people choose a chat assistant. What should they check?
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Use the free version of any chatbot. Don't type anything personal.
Ask the same question in two chat assistants:
Explain in three sentences why the sky is blue. Then give me one question to test if I understood.What to expect. Both give an answer. The words and the style differ.
What to look for. Which answer is clearer to you? Both are predictions, so check one fact in a book or on a trusted site.
Are you younger than the tool's age? Do it together with a parent or your teacher.
How do you choose and set one up?
Four steps. Do them once, before you start using a chat assistant for real.
Check the age
Look at the age on the card. Younger? Use it with an adult, or use a tool your school provides.
Check the training setting
Look up whether your chats are used for training. Turn it off if you don't want that. The card says where.
Try one task in two
Ask the same question in two assistants. See which answer helps you most for this kind of task.
Keep checking the answers
Whichever you choose, it's still a predictor. Check facts that matter.
In practice
Three people pick a bakery.
Case 1Homework at 11
Yara (11) wants a chatbot to explain her maths homework. She wants to install one on her tablet.
Pick one and tick "I'm over 13".
The cards say 13 or 18. School guidelines say: under 13, only with an adult.
Use it together with a parent. Or ask if her school has a tool for pupils.
She gets the help, within the rules, with someone to check the answers.
Case 2The work report
Peter (35) wants to use a chatbot for work reports. They contain client names.
Use the free chatbot on his phone.
Client data in a chatbot can be a data breach. And his chats may be used for training.
Ask his employer which tool is approved. Leave client names out. Check the training setting.
He saves time without putting clients at risk.
Case 3Too much choice
Gerda (70) hears about six different chatbots. She doesn't know where to start.
Give up, or pick the first one an advert shows.
An advert isn't a test. And there's no single best one for every task.
Check the age and the free plan on the cards. Try the same question in two. Keep the one she finds clearest.
She chooses based on her own task, not on an advert.
When not to
- Not below the age limit on your ownThe terms set a minimum age.Use it with an adult, or a tool from school.
- Not for confidential informationMost companies store what you type.Leave it out, or use an approved tool.
- Not because an advert says soThere's no best one for every task.Try your own task in two.
By situation
Use the tool your school allows. Check the age on the card. Under 13: only with an adult.
Ask which tool your employer approves. Never paste client or patient data into a personal chatbot.
Start with a free plan. Check the training setting. Try the same question in two, and keep what works for you.
Myths and mistakes
| Claim | True? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One chatbot is the best | No | It depends on your task. Try your task in two. |
| They're all the same | No | Age, settings and extras differ. |
| Free means private | No | Many use your chats for training unless you turn it off. |
| The age limit is only a suggestion | No | It's in the terms you agree to. |
Related topics
Read first
- AI agentssome chat assistants can also act.
Next
- Image and media toolstools for pictures, sound and video.
Related
- Free or paidwhat you get for free, and what you pay for.
Sources
- organisationKennisnet. Schoolafspraken over het gebruik van generatieve AI.Principles for schools: people come first, use only tools the school approved, be open about using AI, AI helps but never replaces your own work, protect privacy. Under 13 only with an adult.
- governmentAutoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Caution: use of AI chatbot may lead to data breaches.The Dutch data protection authority got reports of data breaches: a GP practice employee typed patient data into a chatbot, a telecom employee a file of customer addresses. Most companies behind chatbots store everything you type. (Checked through a search engine.)
Test
You get 7 questions about the whole page. Get 5 right, and you've mastered the topic.
About the tools in this course. Every tool is described in the same way, in alphabetical order, without a recommendation. Names, prices and features change often: the maker's own site is always right. This site was built with the help of Claude, one of the tools described here.