AI Tool WatchWrite and Explain
Can produce useful written responses, explanations, summaries, and structured output.
This page tracks AI tools that currently support write and explain. Unlike marketing claims, inclusion here requires verified functionality. As of October 2026, 6 products support this, and support has changed in recent months.
Definition
What counts
- core chat responses
- explanatory writing
- structured written answers
What doesn't count
- model entitlement with no distinct output behavior
- actions or tool use without a written result
Product Availability (6 products)
ChatGPT
Chat
ChatGPT's core text conversation is **available on all plans including free** at chatgpt.com, with apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. The model lineup has moved on twice since GPT-5.4 (March 2026): GPT-5.5 became the default generation, and **GPT-5.5 itself is scheduled to retire from ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex on all plans on October 14, 2026**. OpenAI is actively rolling out its replacement now—**GPT-6 Sol** for Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise/Edu and **GPT-6 Luna** for Free/Go (from September 22, 2026)—on top of **GPT-6 Astra**, OpenAI's most capable model, which reached Pro/Enterprise/Business-Premium plans and the API on September 4, 2026.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Go | ✓ | |
| Plus | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Business | ✓ | |
| Enterprise | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-09-28
Claude
Chat
Claude's core text conversation is **available on all plans including free** at claude.ai, with apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The free tier now runs on **Claude Sonnet 5.5** (the Sonnet 4.x line is long superseded) with 5-hour session usage caps; Pro unlocks Opus access and 5x the usage of Free, Max adds a 5x or 20x-of-Pro tier. As of September 2026, Anthropic is **merging Cowork and chat into one 'Claude' experience** on Pro/Max first (see the Cowork Mode entry in this file), so the line between 'just chatting' and handing off a multi-step task is disappearing.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Max 5x | ✓ | |
| Max 20x | ✓ | |
| Team | ✓ | |
| Enterprise | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS Linux iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-09-28
Microsoft Copilot
Chat
Microsoft Copilot's core text chat is **free at copilot.microsoft.com**, with no account required for basic access. Sign in with a Microsoft account for chat history, longer conversations, image creation, and voice. A paid **Microsoft 365 plan buys higher usage, not a different chatbot**, and **Premium** adds the Analyst and Researcher agents. Native apps available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. This table covers plans available to new customers; legacy Copilot Pro feature entitlements need separate review.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Microsoft 365 Personal / Family | ✓ | |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | ✓ | |
| M365 Copilot | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android web
Verified: 2026-09-05
Gemini
Chat
Gemini's core text Q&A is **available for free** at gemini.google.com to anyone with a Google account, in 230+ countries on web and 150+ countries on mobile. Free tier uses **Gemini 3.6 Flash**; Google AI Pro and Ultra unlock **Gemini 3.1 Pro** with higher limits. **Gemini side panel now available in Chrome** (Jan 2026) with Auto Browse for Google AI Pro/Ultra subscribers. A **native Gemini app for Mac** launched April 2026 (gemini.google/mac).
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Google AI Plus | ✓ | |
| Google AI Pro | ✓ | |
| Google AI Ultra | ✓ | |
| Workspace add-on | ✓ |
Surfaces: macOS iOS Android Chrome web API
Verified: 2026-08-31
Grok
Grok Chat
Grok is xAI's chatbot, available through X (Twitter) or via grok.com. **No official desktop apps exist**—access is via web, iOS, or Android. **Free users get very limited access; Premium ($8/mo) unlocks regular use.** SuperGrok at $30/mo gets you the highest limits.
Access: paid
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Premium | ✓ | |
| Premium+ | ✓ | |
| SuperGrok | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS Linux iOS Android web API
Verified: 2026-09-28
Perplexity
Chat
Perplexity's core search-and-answer experience is **free with unlimited basic queries** at perplexity.ai, on iOS, Android, the web, a Chrome extension, and via the Comet desktop app. **Free users get full access to web-grounded Q&A**; Pro unlocks more powerful models and unlimited Pro searches.
Access: free
| Plan | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ✓ | |
| Pro | ✓ | |
| Max | ✓ | |
| Enterprise Pro | ✓ |
Surfaces: Windows macOS iOS Android Chrome web API
Verified: 2026-03-07
Also Known As
AI chat, ask questions, explain things, write text, answer questions, AI writing