All three big assistants have a free tier, and all three are better than the paid tier of two years ago. The catch is not quality. It is caps: how many messages before a cooldown, which model answers you, how big a file you can attach, and how much of a long conversation the model can still see. Those caps change without announcement, which is why this lesson describes them in words and sends you to the vendor page for today's number.
| ChatGPT Free ($0) | Claude Free ($0) | Gemini Free ($0) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which model answers | A capable default, with quiet fallback to a smaller model when you are over the cap | The current mid-tier Claude, with a daily message allowance | A fast Gemini model; the Pro model is mostly held back for paid |
| Message cap | Rolling cap on the better model, then a cooldown or a downgrade | Daily allowance that resets; busy hours shrink it | Generous for short chats; long conversations burn it faster |
| Files and images | Yes, with a small number per day | Yes, with size limits and a daily count | Yes; image and document upload are included |
| Long documents | Works, but a long thread eats your cap quickly | Long context is the strength; the cap is the constraint | Large uploads work; the free model is the weaker reader |
| Memory across chats | Limited | Project-style memory is a paid feature | Tied to your Google account; partial |
| Best free use | Everyday questions, quick drafts | Writing and reading long text | Anything touching Google Docs, Gmail, search |
Which wall you hit first depends on your job
- Short questions all day — you will hit the message cap. ChatGPT Free degrades gracefully (it keeps answering, just with a smaller model); Claude Free stops and asks you to wait.
- One long document — you will hit the file or context limit. Claude Free handles the longest text; Gemini Free uploads big files but reads them with its lighter model.
- A dozen files a day — you will hit the daily upload count on every free tier. This is the job the free tiers are least suited to, and lesson 3 shows the workaround.
Knowledge check
You paste a 30-page contract into a free chatbot and ask twelve follow-up questions. Which limit are you most likely to hit first?