Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Doubao.
Want the closest match?
ERNIE BotMost similar to Doubao in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens ERNIE Bot in a new tab)Need a free plan?
ChatGPTHas a free plan, rated 4.8 out of 5.
Visit (opens ChatGPT in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
TalkieFrom $8/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Talkie in a new tab)Want the best rated?
DeepSeekRated 4.5 out of 5 in our review, against 4.2 for Doubao.
Visit (opens DeepSeek in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Doubao, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DoubaoBaseline | 4.2 | Free | Yes | ByteDance's chatbot, dominant in China the way ChatGPT is in the West | |
| ERNIE Bot | 4.1−0.1 | Free | Yes | Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name | vs Doubao |
 Meta AI | 4.2Same | Free | Yes | Built into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook by default | vs Doubao |
| Talkie | 3.9−0.3 | $8/mo | Yes | MiniMax's character chat app, built with voice and roleplay first | vs Doubao |
 Mistral Le Chat | 4.4+0.2 | $14/mo | Yes | Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs | vs Doubao |
 Z.ai | 4.2Same | $10/mo | Yes | Zhipu AI's free chat interface for its GLM model family | vs Doubao |
| ChatGPT | 4.8+0.6 | $20/mo | Yes | The product that took generative AI mainstream in late 2022 | vs Doubao |
| DeepSeek | 4.5+0.3 | Free | Yes | The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims | vs Doubao |
 Qwen Chat | 4.3+0.1 | Free | Yes | The consumer face of one of the world's most-downloaded open models | vs Doubao |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Doubao.
ERNIE Bot
4.1Free
vs Doubao−0.1
Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name.
- Built on Baidu's ERNIE model family
- One of the earliest major Chinese ChatGPT competitors
- Rebranded as Wenxiaoyan in China, repositioned as a search assistant
Backed by China's largest search engine and its data advantages
Recent rebranding may cause confusion between old and new naming
Meta AI
4.2Free
vs DoubaoSame
Built into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook by default.
- Built directly into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook
- Built on Meta's Llama model family
- In-conversation access within existing chat threads
Unmatched built-in distribution across widely used social apps
Less specialized for professional or technical tasks than dedicated competitors
Talkie
3.9$8/mo
vs Doubao−0.3
MiniMax's character chat app, built with voice and roleplay first.
- Voice-forward character roleplay chat
- Large library of pre-made and custom characters
- Built by Chinese AI company MiniMax
Voice generation quality is a genuine standout in character chat specifically
Data handling practices warrant independent research given its origin
Mistral Le Chat
4.4$14/mo
vs Doubao+0.2
Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs.
- Built by Europe's leading independent AI lab
- Open-weight model releases alongside proprietary options
- Strong multilingual performance across European languages
Clear alternative for data sovereignty and non-US, non-Chinese AI needs
Smaller consumer feature set than the largest US competitors
Z.ai
4.2$10/mo
vs DoubaoSame
Zhipu AI's free chat interface for its GLM model family.
- Built on Zhipu AI's GLM model family
- One of China's more established AI labs, founded in 2019
- Free chat interface
Backed by one of China's longer-established AI research labs
Less international brand recognition than some newer competitors
ChatGPT
4.8$20/mo
vs Doubao+0.6
The product that took generative AI mainstream in late 2022.
- Broad, frequently updated GPT model family
- Image generation, voice mode, and web browsing built in
- Custom GPTs for configuring specialized assistants
Largest user base means the most third-party tutorials and integrations
Free tier usage limits are tighter than some competitors' free access
DeepSeek
4.5Free
vs Doubao+0.3
The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims.
- Open-weight models available for independent deployment
- Reasoning-focused model variants alongside general chat
- Backed by quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer
Open-weight release allows independent verification and deployment
Data handling and privacy practices warrant independent research given its origin
Qwen Chat
4.3Free
vs Doubao+0.1
The consumer face of one of the world's most-downloaded open models.
- Consumer interface for Alibaba's widely used open-weight Qwen models
- Multimodal chat including image understanding
- Free to use
Backed by one of the most widely adopted open model families available
Consumer app itself is less differentiated than the open model ecosystem behind it
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Doubao free?
Doubao has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Doubao?
ChatGPT is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.8 out of 5). Other free options: DeepSeek, Mistral Le Chat, Qwen Chat.
What is the cheapest alternative to Doubao?
Among paid plans, Talkie has the lowest starting price (from $8/mo). If you need it free, start with ChatGPT.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.