AI Tool WatchRead Text and Documents
Can interpret text, documents, PDFs, and similar uploaded or pasted materials.
Definition
What counts
- reading attached documents
- parsing structured textual files
- understanding document content for analysis
What doesn't count
- merely storing a file without interpreting it
- only connecting to a system without reading its contents
Product Availability (5 products)
ChatGPT
Projects
Projects let you group related chats, files, and custom instructions into workspaces. **Available on all plans including free**—organize your work across topics with project-specific context.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Go | ✓ | |
| Plus | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Team | ✓ | |
| Enterprise | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-03-22
Claude
Vision (Image Understanding)
Claude can analyze images you upload—documents, screenshots, diagrams. **Available on all plans including free.**
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Max 5x | ✓ | |
| Max 20x | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS Linux iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-03-22
Microsoft Copilot
Copilot in Office Apps
Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint requires **Copilot Pro ($20/mo) or M365 Copilot ($30/user/mo)**. Free Copilot doesn't include Office integration.
Access: paid
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✗ | |
| Copilot Pro | ✓ | |
| M365 Copilot | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web
Verified: 2026-03-22
Gemini
Gemini in Workspace (Docs, Sheets, etc.)
Gemini integrates directly into Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. **March 2026 beta rollout** adds 'Help me create' in Docs (instant drafts from files/emails), 'Fill with Gemini' in Sheets (auto-populate tables), new slide creation in Slides, and AI Overviews + 'Ask Gemini' in Drive. **Requires AI Pro ($19.99/mo), AI Ultra ($249.99/mo), or Workspace add-on.** Drive features are US-only for now; full deck generation in Slides is coming soon.
Access: paid
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| AI Pro | ✓ | |
| AI Ultra | ✓ | |
| Workspace add-on | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-03-15
NotebookLM
NotebookLM lets you upload documents and have AI conversations grounded in your sources—it even generates podcast-style audio summaries. **Free to use** with generous limits; AI Pro increases source limits.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| AI Pro | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-02-28
Perplexity
Collections (Spaces)
Collections let you organize research into projects. **Available on all plans**, with more features on Pro.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Max | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS Linux iOS Android Chrome web API
Verified: 2026-03-25
Also Known As
upload documents, read PDF, analyze documents, document understanding, file upload, read files