Top AI agents compared (2026): price, free tier, and best pick for your work
Quick answer: New to AI? Start with ChatGPT or Gemini (both free to try). For hands-off tasks, try Manus or Grok Bot. For automations between your apps, use Zapier.
Best pick by profession
🏪 Business ownerChatGPT (agent / Work mode)🩺 Doctor / medicalClaude🏠 Real estateManus💪 Trainer / coachLindy🍽️ Restaurant / barChatGPT (agent / Work mode)🚗 AutoZapier (AI by Zapier, formerly Zapier Agents)🛍️ Retail / shopGemini✈️ Travel & hospitalityPerplexity⚖️ LawyerClaude🔧 Trades / home servicesZapier (AI by Zapier, formerly Zapier Agents)
Comparison chart
| Agent | Price | Free tier | Best for | Ease | Can act on the web | Integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Bot | Included with eligible SuperGrok / X Premium+ / Cursor plans (check site) | No standalone free plan (check site) | Hands-off recurring tasks across your apps | ●●●○○ | Yes (own cloud browser) | Connectors + any website it can sign in to |
| ManusReal estate | Free; Pro from $20/mo | Yes (300 credits/day, Lite agent) | One-off research and deliverables (reports, slides, sites) | ●●●●○ | Yes (own virtual browser) | Slack, file uploads, API; more on site |
| ChatGPT (agent / Work mode)Business ownerRestaurant / bar | Free; Go $8; Plus $20; Pro from $100/mo | Yes (chat; agent features need a paid plan) | Everyday writing, ideas, and first steps with agents | ●●●●● | Yes on paid plans | Many app connectors, custom GPTs |
| ClaudeDoctor / medicalLawyer | Free; Pro $20/mo; Max from $100 | Yes | Long documents, careful writing, analysis | ●●●●○ | Yes (Claude in Chrome on paid plans) | Microsoft 365, Google, many connectors |
| GeminiRetail / shop | Free; Plus $4.99; Pro $19.99/mo | Yes | Gmail/Google Workspace users | ●●●●● | Partly (Agent Mode rolling out on Ultra) | Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Maps |
| PerplexityTravel & hospitality | Free; Pro $20/mo; Max $200/mo | Yes (incl. Comet browser) | Fast research with sources | ●●●●● | Yes (Comet browser assistant) | Comet browser, file uploads, some connectors |
| Microsoft Copilot | Free app; M365 Copilot Business $21/user/mo | Yes (consumer app) | Outlook/Excel/Teams offices | ●●●●○ | Partly | Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint |
| Zapier (AI by Zapier, formerly Zapier Agents)AutoTrades / home services | Free plan; paid by tasks (check site) | Yes | Automations across many apps | ●●●○○ | Via app integrations | Thousands of apps |
| LindyTrainer / coach | Team from $29.99/user/mo | Trial ($50 credits, 7 days) | Inbox, scheduling, and phone/lead assistants | ●●●●○ | Yes | Gmail, Outlook, calendars, CRMs, phone |
| n8n | Cloud from €20/mo; self-host free | Yes (self-hosted) | Custom, high-volume automations | ●●○○○ | Via integrations/HTTP | Hundreds of apps + any API |
Ease: ●●●●● = easiest. "Check site" means we could not verify a current price. Prices are US list prices unless noted; confirm on each vendor's site.
How to choose in 3 questions
- Do you mostly need writing and answers? ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity.
- Do you want it to do tasks for you on websites? Manus, Grok Bot, ChatGPT agent/Work mode, or Perplexity Comet.
- Do you want things to happen automatically between apps? Zapier, Lindy, or n8n.
FAQ
What is an AI agent?
An AI that doesn't just answer, but takes steps for you: opening websites, filling forms, writing files, and asking you before anything important.
Which AI agent is free?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Manus, and Zapier have free tiers; n8n is free if you host it yourself.