ChatGPT Review
General-purpose AI assistant widely used for research, drafting and analysis.
At a glance
ChatGPT is best for Everyday research and drafting. There is a free plan, so you can test it before committing budget.
- Pricing
- Free plan available
- Model
- Free tier + paid plans
- Best for
- Everyday research and drafting
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5
ChatGPT is not accounting software, but it is the AI tool accountants use most, so it warrants an honest entry.
What it actually does
Drafting client emails, explaining a standard in plain English, writing spreadsheet formulas, summarising long documents and sanity-checking reasoning. Paid tiers add data analysis over uploaded files.
Who it suits
More or less everyone in a practice, for the surrounding work rather than the ledger itself.
Where it falls short
It has no connection to your ledger, will state wrong things confidently, and must never be given client data without checking your firm's data-protection position first. Treat every technical answer as a draft to verify, not an authority.
What we like
- Free tier is genuinely useful
- Excellent for drafting and explaining
- Strong at spreadsheet formulas and summarising
What to watch
- Will state incorrect things confidently
- No connection to your ledger
- Client data raises real confidentiality questions
ChatGPT alternatives
If ChatGPT is not the right fit, these are the closest comparable tools we have reviewed.
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Working through long documents | Free plan | Compare → |
| NotebookLM | Working within a fixed document set | Free plan | Compare → |
| Perplexity | Quick research with sources | Free plan | Compare → |
| Microsoft Copilot | Firms standardised on Microsoft 365 | Free trial | Compare → |
| Ramp | US companies wanting to kill expense reports | Free plan | Compare → |
| Dext | Firms drowning in client paperwork | Free trial | Compare → |
Frequently asked
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is not accounting software, but it is the AI tool accountants use most, so it warrants an honest entry. ## What it actually does Drafting client emails, explaining a standard in plain English, writing spreadsheet formulas, summarising long documents and sanity-checking reasoning. Paid tiers…
How much does ChatGPT cost?
ChatGPT has a free plan. Paid tiers are quoted by the vendor.
What are the best alternatives to ChatGPT?
The closest alternatives are Claude, NotebookLM, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot.