Best AI assistant for PC: Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

The best AI assistant for PC depends on where your work happens. Microsoft Copilot is free and already built into Windows. ChatGPT has the most complete desktop app for general chat and voice. Claude leads on writing and coding, and it can operate other apps on a Windows PC. Gemini got a native Windows app on September 10, 2026.

This guide compares the four on price, free tier, Windows features and screen control. It also covers local assistants that run offline. Every price and feature below comes from the vendors' own pages, checked on October 22, 2026.

Short answer: which AI assistant to pick

Most people need one of four assistants, and the choice follows the apps they already use. The table maps common needs to a pick.

Many users end up with two: Copilot for Windows itself and one paid assistant for heavier work.

How we compared them

We did not score the assistants on a benchmark. Ranked lists that give "9/10" without a published method are hard to check. Instead, we read each vendor's pricing page, help center and launch post. The comparison covers what a Windows user actually gets: the app, the shortcut, the free tier and the limits.

Prices change often in this market. All figures are US prices from October 22, 2026, unless a note says otherwise.

Prices and free tiers in October 2026

All four assistants have a free tier, and the paid plans start near $20 a month. The table lists the entry plans that matter for a single PC user.

Google sets Gemini prices per country. In the UK, Google AI Pro costs £18.99 a month and Google AI Plus costs £4.49. Check the Google One page for your region before you subscribe.

A paid plan mostly buys higher limits and stronger models, not a different app. The Windows apps of all four are free to download.

Microsoft Copilot: the free assistant built into Windows

Copilot is the default AI assistant for Windows users. Microsoft states plainly that Copilot is free to use on Windows. You open it with the Copilot key, with Windows key + C, or by voice.

The voice option is called "Hey Copilot". It is opt-in, so you turn it on in settings first. Copilot Voice also works from the microphone icon.

Copilot Vision is the most useful Windows-specific feature. It sees the windows and apps on your screen and answers questions about them. It can highlight what to click next. Microsoft notes that Vision will not take actions on your PC for you. It works in over 170 markets.

Signing in with a personal Microsoft account unlocks more. Vision, chat history, voice and image creation all need a sign-in.

The free app does not put Copilot inside Word or Excel. That needs a Microsoft 365 subscription:

• Personal: $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, one person.
• Family: $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year, up to six people, AI for the owner only.
• Premium: $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, with "extensive usage" and research and analysis agents.

Copilot Pro is no longer sold as a separate plan; Premium took its place. For anyone who already pays for Office, Copilot is the cheapest way to get AI into documents.

Microsoft is also adding an agent mode called Copilot Actions. It runs multi-step tasks such as sorting files, and it is off by default. Treat it as early: check the current Windows release notes before relying on it.

ChatGPT desktop app: the strongest general option

ChatGPT has the most complete standalone app for Windows. It covers chat, voice conversations, image generation, file uploads and Deep Research. The same account works on the web, on phones and on the PC.

The Windows app has a companion window. Press Alt + Space while the app is running, and a small chat opens over your current work. It takes questions, files and screenshots. You can change the hotkey under Settings > App.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month. OpenAI does not offer annual billing for Plus. The plan adds priority access, higher limits and more reasoning options than the free tier. OpenAI warns that limits may vary with demand.

Privacy is worth one setting. OpenAI may use conversations to improve its models. You can opt out of training in the data controls.

ChatGPT fits users who want one assistant for everything. It is not tied to Office or Google apps, so it works the same in any setup.

Claude desktop app: writing, coding and computer use

Claude is the pick for long writing and serious coding. The Windows desktop app includes chat on the free plan. Paid plans add Claude Code and desktop extensions in the same app.

Claude Pro costs $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly. Max starts at $100 a month and comes in 5x and 20x usage tiers. Limits reset on a rolling five-hour window. Paid plans also have weekly limits, and chat, desktop and Claude Code share one pool.

The key Windows feature is computer use. Claude can open apps, click and type on your PC to finish a task. Anthropic lists it as a beta for Pro and Max plans, on both Windows and macOS. Team and Enterprise plans do not have it yet.

Claude picks the most precise tool first. It uses a connector when one exists, then the browser, then direct screen control. It asks for approval before it touches each app. Trading and crypto apps are blocked by default, and you can block others.

Anthropic is open about the limits. It says the safeguards "aren't perfect" and advises starting with simple tasks. Close sensitive files before a session, because Claude sees everything on screen.

Anthropic has also folded its Cowork agent into the main app. Its pricing page now says "Claude Cowork is now just Claude".

Gemini for Windows: the new native app

Google released a native Gemini app for Windows 10 and 11 on September 10, 2026. Most comparison articles still list Gemini as web-only, which is out of date.

The app opens over your current work with Alt + Space. It connects to Gmail and Google Drive. It generates images with Nano Banana and videos with Gemini Omni. It also has a workspace for multi-step tasks.

The agent part is called Gemini Spark. Google describes it as a personal AI agent that runs around the clock. Spark and Omni need a paid Google AI plan, and availability varies by country. The app requires users to be 18 or older.

The plans start with a free tier, then Plus, Pro and Ultra. Google AI Pro includes Gemini 4 Argon, its newest model, and 5 TB of storage. The storage makes Pro a fair deal for anyone who already pays for Google One.

Gemini is the natural pick for people whose work lives in Google Workspace. For Office users it adds less than Copilot.

How to install each assistant on Windows

Setup takes a few minutes for each app. The steps below use the official download sources.

1. Copilot: open it with the Copilot key or Windows key + C, then sign in with a Microsoft account to unlock Vision and voice.
2. ChatGPT: install the app from the Microsoft Store, sign in, and note the Alt + Space companion window.
3. Claude: download Claude for Windows from claude.com/download and sign in. Computer use needs a Pro or Max plan.
4. Gemini: download the app from gemini.google/desktop and sign in with a Google account.
5. Ollama: run the install command in PowerShell or download OllamaSetup.exe, then pull a model.

Install one app at a time and test its shortcut before adding the next. That avoids the clash described below.

Shortcut clash: ChatGPT and Gemini both use Alt + Space

ChatGPT and Gemini use the same default shortcut on Windows. Both open their quick window with Alt + Space. With both apps installed, only one will respond.

The fix takes a minute. In ChatGPT, go to Settings > App > Companion window hotkey and pick another key. Copilot is not affected, since it uses the Copilot key or Windows key + C.

Local assistants that run offline

A local assistant runs an open model on your own PC. Nothing leaves the machine, and it works without internet. The trade-off is quality and speed, which depend on your hardware.

Two tools cover most needs on Windows:

• Ollama is open source under the MIT license. It installs on Windows with one command and runs models such as Kimi, GLM, DeepSeek, gpt-oss, Qwen and Gemma.
• LM Studio has a Windows app for downloading and chatting with local models. Its new Bionic agent can edit documents and control the computer.

Large frontier models still need a strong GPU and a lot of memory. On an ordinary laptop, expect smaller models and slower answers than the cloud assistants give.

Local tools suit privacy-sensitive work, travel without internet and developers who want full control. For everyday tasks, a cloud assistant is still faster and smarter.

Which AI assistant can control your PC

"Control" means different things in each app. Some assistants only see the screen, while others click and type for you. The table compares what each one does on Windows today.

Claude is the only one of the four that documents full desktop control on Windows. Copilot gives the safest version, because Vision shows you the step instead of taking it.

Do you need a Copilot+ PC

No, not for the assistants in this guide. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the free Copilot app run in the cloud. Any Windows 10 or 11 PC with internet is enough.

Copilot+ PCs are a class of Windows 11 machines with a neural processing unit. Microsoft says the chip handles more than 40 trillion operations per second. It powers on-device Windows features rather than the chat assistants themselves.

A Copilot+ PC makes sense if you want those on-device features. A strong GPU matters more for local models in Ollama or LM Studio.

Privacy on a Windows PC

Each assistant handles data differently, and the defaults matter. A few checks cover most of the risk.

• ChatGPT: turn off model training in the data controls if you do not want your chats used.
• Claude computer use: close banking, health and government apps before a session, as Anthropic advises.
• Copilot Vision: it sees only the windows you share, and it does not act on its own.
• Local models: the safest option, since data stays on the PC.

For work files, check what your employer allows first. Microsoft 365 lets some paid users bring work files into Copilot through an enterprise account.

Best AI assistant for each task

Different jobs favor different assistants. Here is a short pick for the most common ones.

Writing: Claude is the strongest choice for long texts that need little editing. ChatGPT is a close second and better for quick drafts with images.

Coding: Claude Code in the desktop app works directly on your project files. Pro covers casual use; heavy users move to Max.

Office documents: Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with a Microsoft 365 plan. Premium adds research and data-analysis agents.

Google Workspace: Gemini, which reads Gmail and Drive from the new Windows app.

Voice: Copilot for hands-free "Hey Copilot" on Windows; ChatGPT for long voice conversations.

Offline work: Ollama or LM Studio with a model that fits your GPU.

The takeaway

There is no single best AI assistant for PC. Copilot is the free default that every Windows user already has. ChatGPT is the safest single paid choice. Claude is ahead for writing, coding and real desktop control. Gemini finally has a native app, which makes it a real option for Google users.

Start with the free tiers. Upgrade only the assistant you open every day.

FAQ

What is the best free AI assistant for PC?
Microsoft Copilot, because it is free and built into Windows. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini also have free tiers with lower limits.

Is Microsoft Copilot free on Windows 11?
Yes. Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook needs a Microsoft 365 plan from $9.99 a month.

Is there a Gemini app for Windows?
Yes. Google released a native app for Windows 10 and 11 on September 10, 2026. It opens with Alt + Space.

Can an AI assistant control my Windows PC?
Claude can, through computer use on Pro and Max plans. It asks for approval before using each app.

Which AI assistant works offline on Windows?
Local tools such as Ollama and LM Studio run open models on your PC without internet.

Do I need a Copilot+ PC for an AI assistant?
No. Cloud assistants run on any Windows 10 or 11 PC with internet.

Sources

• Copilot on Windows – Microsoft
• Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium plans – Microsoft
• What is ChatGPT Plus – OpenAI Help Center
• Claude plans and pricing – Anthropic
• Let Claude use your computer in Cowork – Anthropic
• The Gemini app is now on Windows – Google