Compare
AI chat assistants compared: what happens to what you type
The general-purpose assistants staff are most likely to be using already, free or paid. The plan matters as much as the product: most of these behave differently on a free account and on a business one.
| Tool | Our rating | What our profile says first about training on your data | Profile last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | 3 of 5 (Free/Go/Plus/Pro) / 2 of 5 (Business, Enterprise, and API with zero data retention) | “Free, Go, Plus and Pro: Training is ON by default. To turn it off: Settings → Data Controls → "Improve the model for everyone" toggle. This is the most important setting most ChatGPT users have never changed.” | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Claude (Anthropic) | 3 of 5 (Free/Pro/Max) / 2 of 5 (Team, Enterprise, and API) | This depends on the plan in ways a single line would misstate. Read the training section of the profile. | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Gemini (Google) | 3 of 5 (consumer Gemini) / 1 of 5 (Workspace Gemini) | “Consumer Gemini: TRAINING IS ON BY DEFAULT.” | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Microsoft Copilot | 2 of 5 (personal Microsoft account, current app and web) / 2 of 5 (work or school, Entra sign in) | “Consumer Copilot, current app and web (since 18 August 2026): Microsoft’s documentation no longer states the position.” | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Perplexity | 3 of 5 (Consumer Perplexity) / 2 of 5 (Enterprise Perplexity) | “Consumer tiers (Free, Pro, Max): TRAINING IS ON BY DEFAULT.” | 3 Oct 2026 |
| Grok (SpaceXAI) | 5 of 5 (Consumer Grok) / 3 of 5 (Grok API) | “TRAINING IS ON BY DEFAULT” | 3 Oct 2026 |
Each row is taken live from that tool's profile, so a correction there shows here at once. The training column quotes the profile's own opening line word for word; the full section, with the plan-by-plan detail and the vendor documents it rests on, is on the profile. Ratings are our opinion, on the scale explained in our methodology. On the current 1 to 5 risk rating, 1 is the lowest risk. Vendors change their terms, so check the date and the vendor's current documents before you rely on a row. General information, not legal advice.