Free AI tools: the 6 best choices for a safe, easy start

Want to try AI without paying straight away? Free AI tools are the easiest way to start, because all you need is an account.

There is a catch, though: free comes with limits, and sometimes a price in the form of your data. In this article you will read which choices are smart and what to watch out for.

Which free AI tools are worth your time?

For most people, three or four free AI tools are enough: a chatbot, an AI search engine, a tool for your documents and a tool for images. Any more than that just makes your work messy.

A chatbot is a programme you talk to in everyday language, and it produces texts, ideas and answers. Below you will find an overview of well-known options. What exactly is free changes regularly, so always check on the provider’s website.

Tool	Good for	Watch out for
ChatGPT	Writing texts, explanations, brainstorming	The free version has limits and may use your conversations for training, unless you switch that off
Gemini	Working with Google apps such as Gmail and Docs	Google decides what is free and what is paid
Claude	Reading and rewriting long texts	Free use is limited per period
Copilot	Help in Windows, Edge and Microsoft apps	Features in Microsoft 365 for work are often paid
Perplexity	Searching with sources listed	Check the sources yourself
NotebookLM	Answers from your own documents	Do not upload confidential documents

Want to understand the basics first? Then read what AI is in plain language. After that, you will be better able to judge the tools below.

How do you choose between the well-known free AI tools?

Choose the tool that fits what you do most often, and try no more than two side by side. A fair comparison takes a week and a few real tasks.

Give both tools exactly the same task, for example: turn this public text into a short email of a hundred words. Then look at three things: is the content right, does it sound like your style, and how much editing is needed? Jot down your scores, for example in a note on your phone.

Also consider convenience. If you already have a Google account, Gemini is quick to start with. If you mostly work in Windows or Edge, Copilot is the obvious choice. If you mainly want to search with sources, an AI search engine suits you better than an ordinary chatbot.

• Quality: is the answer correct and well written?
• Convenience: does it work in the apps you already use?
• Limits: do you hit a limit after ten minutes?
• Privacy: can you switch off training, and what does the provider store?

You do not need to find the best tool in the world. You are looking for the tool you will use every week without fuss.

What is the catch with free AI tools?

With free AI tools, you often pay with restrictions and sometimes with your data. The provider decides how many messages you can send per day and which features you get.

These limits are awkward, because they change. Sometimes the tool switches to a simpler model after a number of messages. A model is the computing system behind the chatbot, a bit like the engine of a car. A simpler model makes mistakes more often.

• Daily limits: after a number of questions, you have to wait or switch.
• Fewer features: uploading files, creating images or doing long research is often restricted.
• Data for training: your conversations may be used to improve the model.
• No business guarantees: there is usually no data processing agreement, an agreement on how the provider handles your data.

How do you use free AI tools safely?

Only use free AI tools with information you would also put on a public noticeboard. Anything personal, confidential or belonging to a customer should stay out.

The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, the Dutch privacy regulator, has long warned against sharing personal data with chatbots. You can find information at autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl. This is not legal advice, but it is a good rule of thumb.

1. Open your tool’s settings and look for the option about data or training.
2. Switch off the use of your conversations for training, if that option exists.
3. Remove names, addresses, national ID numbers (the Dutch BSN) and company names, or replace them with an example.
4. Use a separate account rather than your work email for experiments.
5. Check every answer before you use it.

You will find more rules in 7 rules for using AI safely. Does your employer have a policy? Then follow that first.

Which free AI tools suit your task?

If you choose free AI tools per task, you get more out of them than with one tool for everything. Think of a small toolbox: a hammer for nails and a screwdriver for screws.

• Writing an email or text: a chatbot such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.
• Looking something up with sources: an AI search engine. Read how AI search engines work.
• Understanding a long document: NotebookLM, see the beginner’s guide.
• Preparing a presentation: a chatbot for the outline, then do the design yourself.

Here is a tip few people know: let the tool ask questions first. Say that you will explain your goal and that the AI may ask follow-up questions before it answers. That way you waste fewer of your limited free messages on answers that miss the mark.

When is paying smarter than free AI tools?

Paying is worth it if you use AI for your work every day and keep running into limits. Business use with customer data also calls for a paid or business version with clear agreements.

What a subscription costs and what it includes is listed on the provider’s website, for example on the page for Gemini or ChatGPT. Prices and plans change often. So do not take out an annual subscription without testing for a month first.

Unsure between several options? Then go through the steps for choosing an AI tool. That way you only pay for what you really need.

What mistakes do people make with free AI tools?

The biggest mistake is blind trust. A chatbot sounds sure of itself, even when the answer is wrong. This is called a hallucination: the AI makes up something that seems plausible.

• Not checking figures, laws and sources.
• Trying too many tools at once and learning none of them properly.
• Pasting confidential data into a free account.
• Sending an AI text to a customer without reading it.

You can read more about this risk in our tips against AI hallucinations. Use free AI tools as a helper, not as the one who takes final responsibility.

A handy check is the second-look rule. Ask the tool to show where a figure or claim comes from, and look up that source yourself. Find nothing? Then do not use the claim.

How do you get started in ten minutes?

Create one account with a chatbot, set up your privacy settings and give the tool a small, real task. You do not need a course to do this.

1. Pick a tool from the overview above and create an account.
2. Read briefly what data the provider stores and switch off training if you can.
3. Choose a five-minute task, such as shortening an email or preparing for a meeting.
4. Give context: who will read it, what you want to achieve and how long it may be.
5. Read the answer critically, adjust it and save the best prompt to use again.

Say you work for a local council in Gelderland and need to shorten a long newsletter. Paste only the public text into the chatbot and ask for a version of a hundred words. Then check that all the facts are still right. That is how you safely learn what the tool can do.

Are you a self-employed entrepreneur in Flanders? Ask a chatbot for three subject lines for your customer email, without names or amounts. You save time, and you stay in control of what goes out of the door.

After a week, note down what it gave you. Did you save time? Then it is worth carrying on. Did you keep hitting a limit? Then you also know when a paid plan starts to make sense. You will find more ideas for getting started in starting with AI at work.

Frequently asked questions about free AI tools

Are free AI tools really free?

You do not pay any money, but there are limits and sometimes your conversations are used for training. Read the provider’s terms and settings.

Which free AI tool is best for beginners?

A chatbot such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude is the easiest to start with. Try two and keep the one that best fits your tasks.

Can I use free AI tools for my work?

That depends on your employer’s policy and on the data you enter. Do not use customer data or confidential information in free versions.

How many messages can I send for free?

That differs per provider and changes regularly. Check the tool’s website for the current limits.

Your next step is simple: pick one task and test one tool with it. Want good prompts straight away? Copy one from 25 handy prompts for your work.

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Privacy