AI Tool WatchRead Text and Documents
Can interpret text, documents, PDFs, and similar uploaded or pasted materials.
This page tracks AI tools that currently support read text and documents. Unlike marketing claims, inclusion here requires verified functionality. As of May 2026, 5 products support this, and support has changed in recent months.
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