I asked ChatGPT, Gemini & Claude the same question. All 3 gave me the exact same answer: "Which LLM is the best if I'm on a free plan?" ChatGPT ranked at the top. Every time. Even Claude and Gemini put themselves in 2nd and 3rd. I tested this answer personally by creating a new (free) account on all of these AI tools. I spend $1,000+/month on AI. But I tested the free tier of almost all the AI tool models to answer one question: what would I use with $0? Here's my free AI Tool stack: 1. ChatGPT (99% of your needs) Claude's free model is Sonnet 5. Gemini's is 3.6-Flash. Both are far from the top of the Intelligence Index. ChatGPT gives you a frontier model for $0. But only if you set it up right: → Download the app. Every LLM is better on its app. → Go to "ChatGPT Work" → pick 5.6-Terra-High → If you run out of Terra, switch to Luna-High (free). → Click Plugins → Spreadsheets (or Gamma). Free. 2. The rest of the stack: → Gamma for slides (400 starter credits) → Wispr Flow for dictation (2,000 words/week) → Seedance via Dreamina for video (225 credits/day) → NotebookLM for research on your own sources → Cursor for coding (free hobby plan, no card) → ElevenLabs for text-to-speech → Granola for meeting notes → Canva for design 3. The free vibecoding combo: → GitHub stores your code → Vercel puts your site online → Supabase handles logins → Resend sends 3,000 emails/month Then start every build with this prompt: "You are already connected to my GitHub, Vercel, Supabase & Resend. I want to build [project] for [goal + success criteria]. Make sure that [rules, max 3]. Ask me clarifying questions first." To read the full breakdown (with my exact prompts, screenshots, and what I actually pay $1,000/month for), go here: