Best AI chatbots for Android and iOS 2023: ChatGPT and alternatives

For the uninitiated, it may seem overwhelming to figure out which bot to use, since a number of sophisticated chatbots have emerged that serve unique purposes and cater to different audiences.

From quirky AI characters that are able to engage in casual conversations to chatbots that can help with your business goals, there really is something out there for everyone.

But, what makes the best AI chatbot app stand out from the rest? It’s not immediately apparent which companies have built a high-quality platform simply by looking at their website.

Underlying infrastructure, datasets used to train the language models, user experience on the platform, and quality of support are some factors that play a significant role.

We tested a few AI chatbot apps to figure out which ones are ahead of the pack.

Pros: Free, Widely available, Real-time information, Powered by ChatGPT, Multiple conversational styles

Cons: Requires Microsoft email account to ask longer conversations

Features: GPT-4 powered, News, Bing rewards, Homescreen, Autocomplete, Snapshot, Voice search, Maps, Smart tags

Cost: Free

Bing Chat is available on both iOS and Android devices and, what's more, you don't need to sign in from the outset to access. You do, however, need a Microsoft email account if you're planning on carrying on your conversation beyond 300 chats a day, but that's a pretty decent amount of chats you can have with Bing without needing an email account.

Considering it's free to access, Bing Chat offers up a highly attractive amount of features for mobile devices. For one thing, it's the only way to access OpenAI's GPT-4 for free and it includes knowledge of current events via internet access if you'd rather ask questions about the here and now. Plus, it can even tell you about the latest news via an in-app tab.

From the outset, Bing Chat allows you to customize things your way with the ability to choose which conversational style you'd like and you can use voice search to look up anything on Bing. It's this handy combination of ChatGPT functionality and Bing's useful features like Maps and Smart Tags that makes this chatbot worth a download onto your device.

Pros: Built on rigorously tested CBT and ACT methodology, Mental health monitoring, Therapy and behavior coaching

Cons: No free version of app, Expensive, App can be buggy at times

Features: Recommendations for uplifting mood, identifying negative behaviors, guided activities like meditation and journaling.

Cost: Starts at USD $24/week

Youper is an artificial intelligence chatbot application that aims to assist users in recognizing, monitoring, and managing their thoughts and emotions. By incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness techniques, it has the potential to enhance users' mood, sleep patterns, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.

The app encompasses four key components: Youper the AI Chat-Bot, Journal Logs, Mood Logs, and an Emotional Health Assessment. The Youper Chat-Bot prompts users to express their current emotional state, providing the option to seek assistance from Youper in identifying their feelings.

Youper also encourages users to identify the contributing factors or events influencing their emotional state, and offers a selection of activities to help users feel better. This was one of the few apps I’ve encountered that provides actionable insights instead of pseudo-motivational advice, which was a refreshing change.

Read Youper reviews from our community

Pros: Answer most customer questions instantly with conversational AI, Multi-channel integration, Automation capabilities

Cons: Limited Customization, Expensive, Steep learning curve for advanced features

Features: Live visitor list, ready to use chat templates for different purposes, push notifications.

Cost: Tidio’s chatbot begins at USD $49/mo

Tidio is a live chat and communication platform that helps businesses enhance customer support and engagement.

It offers a wide range of features that enable businesses to engage with their website visitors, respond to customer inquiries in real-time, and provide efficient customer support. Tidio's platform supports various channels, including websites, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, allowing businesses to reach their customers through multiple touchpoints.

Moreover, Tidio provides automation and chatbot capabilities, streamlining customer interactions and saving time for businesses by handling repetitive queries

While this is more of an enterprise-oriented chatbot, it still deserves a spot on this list due to its impressive AI capabilities.

Read Tidio reviews from our community.

Pros: Versatile and knowledgeable, Natural Language Generation, Available 24/7

Cons: Lack of emotional understanding, Potential for bias

Features: Broad knowledge base, personalization, natural language processing, contextual understanding, assistance with writing code

Cost: Free, $20/month for ChatGPT Plus

With its impressive language understanding and generation capabilities, ChatGPT has gained recognition as one of the best AI chatbots available.

It stands out due to its ability to engage in meaningful and contextually relevant conversations, providing informative and helpful responses to a wide range of user queries. For pretty much anything you can think of asking a chatbot, ChatGPT can help.

ChatGPT's free version offers full access to the platform, with some restrictions including not being able to access the bot at peak hours, while OpenAI's subscription ChatGPT Plus provides access to GPT-4, faster response times, and priority access to new features and improvements such as plugins.

Read ChatGPT reviews from our community

Pros: Personalized health monitoring, Video call with real doctors, Actionable, proactive insights to prevent diseases

Cons: Only useful for common ailments, Not as reliable as visiting an actual doctor, Not to be used for obtaining prescriptions

Features: Proactive health management, 24/7 digital healthcare, online doctor consultations

Cost: $320/year approx for an annual subscription

Created by doctors and scientists, Babylon is an innovative health chatbot software that aims to empower you with comprehensive insights into your present and future healthcare needs. Additionally, Babylon offers the convenience of finding a suitable doctor and scheduling appointments with healthcare professionals.

Engaging with Babylon is a straightforward process. The chatbot will prompt you to describe your symptoms and provide responses to health-related inquiries. Once you've provided the necessary information, Babylon generates a comprehensive wellness report tailored to your specific needs, accompanied by practical tips to maintain your well-being. I was impressed by the proactive advice the app gave for optimal health.

Read Babylon Health reviews from our community

As of 2023, ChatGPT is a solid choice if you're looking for a multi-use chatbot. Whether you need to debug code, write an essay, get help with your homework, or learn something new, ChatGPT can do it all. Their large language model has been trained on an ungodly amount of data for years and has been at the forefront of the AI revolution.

If you're looking to try out GPT-4 for free, ChatGPT-powered Bing Chat offers a convenient way to give it a go, but if you really want to power up your usage, plugins are a worthy enough feature alone to make exploring ChatGPT Plus a real consideration.

That being said, if you have a specific purpose in mind (such as help with running your business or are interested in exploring AI mental health apps) then you may find more utility from some of the chatbots listed above.

For chatbots on mobile devices, there are a few significant factors that we took into account while picking the best overall chatbot:

Accuracy and reliability- A good AI chatbot should demonstrate a high level of accuracy in its outputs and results. It should consistently deliver reliable information and perform tasks with precision. Users should be able to trust the bots' reliability to a reasonable degree.

Mobile platform compatibility- We ensured the chatbot functions smoothly across different mobile platforms (both Android and iOS). We tested the bot on various devices, screen sizes, and orientations to ensure consistent performance and layout adaptation.

Integration and compatibility -We were looking for apps that would seamlessly integrate with existing systems and technologies, or provide compatibility with popular platforms. The app should also be able to work well within an ecosystem, allowing smooth data exchange and interoperability with other tools. (Eg. from computer to mobile).

Ease of use- The interface of a good AI tool should be intuitive and user-friendly. It should be designed in a way that allows users to easily interact with the tool, access its features, and understand its functionalities without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

Value for money- An ideal chatbot would be one that is free and does not compromise from a technical standpoint. If the app does require a paid subscription, it must offer a significantly better experience or set of features than its free counterparts.

We tested every app by downloading them on both Android and iOS devices. Next, we went through every feature and compared them with others in their respective segments.

We gauged various parameters such as the speed of responses, how the chatbot responded to unethical or profane questions, the onboarding process, ease of navigation, and the accuracy of the chatbot's responses to open-ended questions.

This helped us gain an idea of the quality of the chatbots underlying infrastructure. We then compiled the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and compared them against others to finalize our list. We tried to be completely unbiased with our decisions.