ChatGPT search review
8.4/10★★★★★Web search built into ChatGPT, with cited answers you can keep working on
- Best for
- Searches that are one step in a longer task
- Price
- Freemium · from $8/month
Free: Web search included free; ads in some countries - Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, WhatsApp
- Made by
- OpenAI, San Francisco, USA · since 2015
- App store ratings
- iOS 4.8★ (11.6M) · Android 4.8★ (65.7M)
What it is
ChatGPT searches the web when a question needs current information, and shows which part of the answer each citation supports. Because it lives inside ChatGPT, a search can turn straight into writing, analysis or shopping in the same chat, and it's free to use.
What the AI does
- Cited answers with source highlighting
- Shopping search with product comparisons
- Search by texting ChatGPT on WhatsApp
- Search with uploaded photos
- Turns results into writing, code or analysis
Pros and cons
- Search, writing and analysis in one conversation
- Shopping results that OpenAI says aren't paid ads
- Works for logged-out users
- Top-rated apps with huge user base
- Citations are clumsier than Perplexity's
- Sometimes answers from memory instead of searching
- Free tier now shows ads in some countries
How it scores
Strongest when a search turns into real work; weaker as a pure, source-first search engine.
Feature checklist · 6 of 9
- Inline citations linked to each source (yes)
- Follow-up questions that keep the context (yes)
- Deeper multi-step research mode (no)
- Search with a photo or image (yes)
- Choose which AI model answers (no)
- Works without an account (yes)
- Ad-free results (free or on a paid plan) (yes)
- Doesn't profile you or train AI on your searches (no)
- iPhone and Android apps (yes)
Alternatives
See all ChatGPT search alternatives, ranked →
- Perplexity 8.8/10Getting a quick, sourced answer you can check claim by claim
- Google AI Mode 8.6/10Anyone who wants AI answers without leaving Google or paying
- Brave Search 8.3/10Privacy-minded people who want free AI answers without a Google account
- Kagi 7.8/10Heavy searchers happy to pay for ad-free results and model choice
Perplexity vs ChatGPT searchGoogle AI Mode vs ChatGPT searchChatGPT search vs Brave Search
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