Chatsonic Review: A Better Option Than ChatGPT?
By Shouvik Banerjee | Updated June 20, 2024
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ChatGPT’s unexpected popularity and growth has taken the tech world by storm, almost overnight. In five months, the Chat-based AI from OpenAI went from 1 million to 100 million users.
Insane! But what was the reason for its unstoppable popularity?
When it was released, this cutting-edge conversational AI demonstrated an uncanny ability to engage in human-like dialogue, tackle complex tasks, and generate remarkably coherent and creative content. It was exactly what we always thought future writing tools would do. It was Google on steroids! Watching it churn out a 1,000-word blog post in under a minute was an otherworldly experience.
ChatGPT quickly became the dream tool for many content creators.
However, as the AI landscape continues to rapidly evolve, a new contender has emerged, challenging the dominance of ChatGPT. Chatsonic, the AI writing assistant developed by Writesonic is also based on the same GPT architecture. But according to the makers, it is different from ChatGPT because it:
- Can Conduct Real-Time Web Search
- Has Vision Capabilities
- Seamlessly Engages with Various Media Formats
In this blog post, I will dive into the key features and capabilities of Chatsonic, assessing its performance across a range of writing tasks. From content generation and ideation to tone and style, I will put Chatsonic through its paces to determine if it can truly stand toe-to-toe with the reigning champion of conversational AI.
Features of Chatsonic
1. Access Up-to-Date Information
Chatsonic integrates Google’s real-time search data to ensure that the information it provides is not only accurate but also current. This dynamic fetching of data allows users to receive updates on recent events or developments as they happen.
This makes the tool invaluable for all types of writers who depend on recent information.
2. Built-in Personas and Personalities
One of the unique aspects of Chatsonic is its ability to adopt different personas, thus enhancing user interaction and making the content human-like. Whether you need a fitness coach or a business advisor, the AI can adjust its personality to fit the context of your needs.
3. Enhanced Prompt Generator
Chatsonic revolutionizes the way prompts are used in AI interactions. It breaks down the prompt-building process into manageable parts, making it easier for users to craft detailed and effective prompts. This feature saves time and improves the quality of the interactions by allowing for more precise and contextually relevant responses.
4. Chatsonic Chrome Extension
The Chatsonic Chrome Extension revolutionizes how we interact with digital content, making it a breeze to access up-to-date information and generate content across various platforms. This extension, powered by GPT-4, enhances productivity by providing real-time answers and content suggestions directly within your browser.
Installation and Activation
- Step 1: Start by visiting the Chrome Web Store. Search for “Chatsonic Chrome Extension” or directly access it via a provided link.
- Step 2: Click “Add to Chrome,” then confirm by clicking “Add extension.”
- Step 3: After installation, log into your Writesonic account to activate the extension. Pin the icon in your browser for easy access.
Using Chatsonic on Various Platforms
- Google Search: Enter a query, and it displays results on the right-hand side of the page. You can interact directly with these results
for more detailed information. - Gmail: With integration options, you can use this tool for composing emails or replying to them. It offers options like summarizing long email threads directly in your inbox.
- LinkedIn and Twitter: Create new posts or respond to existing ones. Chatsonic helps craft content that resonates with your audience, from
professional articles to engaging tweets. - General Web Use: Highlight text on any webpage and use Chatsonic to generate content or answer queries related to the selected text.
How to use Chatsonic?
Using this AI tool is easy. If you have used ChatGPT then this one is a no-brainer. But if you are a complete beginner then follow the steps below to get started with Chatsonic.
Step 1: Sign up for free
The good thing about Chatsonic is that it is free, albeit with some limitations. You can only generate 25 responses every month but you do get all the features.
All you have to do is get started for free from the Writesonic website.
Step 2: Access Chatsonic from dashboard
Once you have logged into the Writesonic dashboard, you can access Chatsonic from either the ‘Top Features’ section or from the left side bar.
Step 3: Start a conversation
The interface is simple, just like ChatGPTs. At the bottom, you have the text bar where you can start chatting. The sidebar will have all your previous chats.
How Does Chatsonic Work?
Since the backbone is based on the same GPT architecture as ChatGPT, you can expect the tool to work in a similar fashion.
Prompt Generator: I asked the simplest question one can ask a chatbot: Tell me something about yourself. The response was simple, easy to read, and what one would expect from a chatbot. No surprises here.
Mission successful…for now at least.
Underneath the response, there were a couple of options. The ones on the left were common options like copying content, like-dislike buttons, settings, and regenerating answers.
The ones on the right were options for editing, downloading the content, and a plagiarism tool.
Let’s start with the ones of the left first. The copy, like-unlike, and content regeneration are pretty self-explanatory.
Upon clicking the settings icon, I got a list that includes:
- Rephrase Text: If you don’t like the output then you can use this option to reword it.
- Improve writing: Another way to change your output is by using this option to improve the original result.
- Make longer: If you need a much longer response.
- Make shorter: Too long? You can also shorten your answer.
- Change tone: A truly unique feature of Chatsonic is to change the tone of your output. In the later pictures, the answer to the original question changes because I used the “Authoritative” tone.
- Simplify: If the output feels too complicated then you can simplify it.
Change Tone: I found the option to select our tone to be an interesting feature. It is usually found in longer forms of content. If you are using Chatsonic to simply chat then this option is irrelevant. However, if you are planning o use the content as part of a blog or if you are trying to create a social media post then it’s quite handy.
Note Taking: On the right-hand side, the first option was the note-taking capabilities of Chatsonic. This allows you to take notes while you are chatting with the AI. It can be a useful tool for research.
If you want you can also open the AI document editor and take advantage of the full suite of editors. You can write, re-write, and do SEO.
Plagiarism Checker: Writesonic has also built an in-built plagiarism checker that works well. It costs about 2 credits per check. If you’re planning to check every piece of output for plagiarism then I would suggest you to use the free version of Plagiarism Checker X.
One of the things I liked about this AI tool was the What Next feature. There is a series of questions which you can use to take the conversation forward. This truly makes it an AI Chatbox.
Multiple Prompt Options: Underneath the prompt box, there are two options that can enhance the user experience. The first is the option to chat via various mediums like audio and pictures. The second is the ability to create an unique brand voice using existing PDFs, links, or text.
I tried using the image option and it works well. The AI scans the image or audio and provides relevant information. If you don’t mention anything then it will return the most basic information about the source.
Brand Voice: You can add your brand voice via any file, link, or text if you purchase a paid plan. This can help you customize the tool to fit your needs.
You can also change settings from the settings icon in the header. While in the general settings you can only switch between dark and light modes, in the custom instructions option you can help the tool know more about you.
Pros and Cons of Chatsonic
Chatsonic is not perfect. It has its share of flaws, just like any other AI out there. During my extensive research on the tool, I found some good and some not-so-good features.
Pros of Chatsonic
- User-Friendly Interface: The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. Even if you’re new to AI writing tools, you’ll find it straightforward to use.
- Real-Time Data Integration: One of the standout features is its ability to integrate real-time data. This ensures that the content you generate is always current and relevant, which is particularly useful for news articles and trend-based content.
- Versatile Content Generation: It can handle a wide variety of content types, from blog posts and social media updates to marketing copy and even creative writing. This versatility makes it a one-stop-shop for all your content needs.
- Customization and Flexibility: The ability to adjust the tone and style of the content is a huge plus. Whether you need a formal article or a casual blog post, Chatsonic can adapt to your requirements seamlessly.
- SEO Optimization Features: The AI comes equipped with robust SEO tools. It helps you integrate relevant keywords naturally and generates SEO-friendly meta descriptions, boosting your content’s visibility on search engines.
- Multi-Language Support: For those targeting global audiences, there is a multi-language support option. It maintains quality and coherence across different languages, making it easier to create multilingual content.
- Fast and Efficient: Content generation is quick and efficient. You can produce high-quality content in a fraction of the time it would take manually, which is a significant time-saver.
- Plagiarism Detection: To ensure that content is original, the built-in plagiarism detection feature helps verify that your content is unique and free from duplication.
Cons of Chatsonic
Occasional Need for Editing: While generating high-quality content is a breeze, it’s not perfect. There are times when the output requires minor tweaks and edits to polish it further. This is common with AI-generated content but still something to be aware of.
Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Although the basic functions are easy to grasp, some of the more advanced features and integrations might take a bit of time to master. Users need to spend some time exploring these options to utilize the tool fully.
Dependence on Clear Prompts: The AI relies heavily on the quality of the prompts given. Vague or poorly structured prompts can result in less accurate or relevant content, so users need to be clear and specific with their input.
Limited Creativity in Complex Narratives: For more complex and creative writing, like intricate storytelling or deep emotional content, Chatsonic might fall short compared to human writers. The AI can sometimes struggle with nuanced expressions and innovative ideas.
Cost Considerations: While there are flexible pricing plans, it might still be a significant investment for small businesses or individual users. Weighing the cost against the value it provides is essential.
Chatsonic Pricing
Writesonic offers Chatsonic as part of their suite of features. However, offers flexible pricing plans to cater to different user needs. Here are the price plans and subscription details for ChatSonic:
Free:
- Price: $0/month
- Limit: 25 generations per month
- Credits: 25 (one time)
Chatsonic:
- Price: $15/month or $12/month if billed annually
- Limit: Unlimited generation
- Credits: Buy as you go
- Features: GPT-4 and Claude 3 Opus output, Google integration, unlimited agent mode, and access to advanced templates
Individual:
- Price: $16/month or $20/month if billed annually
- Limit: Unlimited generation
- Credits: 50
- All features of Chatsonic, access to AI article writer 6.0, SEO checker and optimizer, high quality images with photosonic
Standard:
- Price: $79/month or $99/month if billed annually
- Limit: Unlimited generation
- Credits: 1,000
- 2 users, use own data for article writer, AI topic clusters
Enterprise:
- Price: Starts at $9,999/year
- All features of Writesonic with tailor-made options for enterprises
Chatsonic Vs ChatGPT
Chatsonic is great. But the real question is, how does it compare to ChatGPT? During my review, I found out two things about Chatsonic that sets it apart from ChatGPT.
- There is a range of customization which can turn it into the ideal AI assistant. In ChatGPT, you can also customize it to a certain extent but it’s nothing spectacular.
- The authenticity of the results is a hit-and-miss. It is entirely possible that the paid versions are more accurate since they have Google integrations, but since we are comparing it with the free version of ChatGPT, I would say it’s uninspiring. For example, have a look at its response to my query, “I would like to know some stats about SEO. Provide references for each of them.”
On the surface there is nothing wrong with the data. Sparktoro is a great site and has lots of data. But when I dug deeper, here’s what I found.
The data is from 2018. Why is Chatsonic extracting information from a blog post that old? Many great sites like SEMrush, Search Engine Journal, Ahrefs, etc. publish similar posts where they keep updating their data. Needless to say, when it comes to stats, the user would always want the latest data. Simple!
However, at times, the AI gave me a more accurate result than ChatGPT. In the same response, one of the data was more accurate than ChatGPT’s data.
However, I checked both sources and found that both were correct. The only difference is the date of publication. While both AI extracted the data from Backlinko, Chatsonic used a more recent post than ChatGPT.
Final Verdict
After using the free version of Chatsonic, here’s what I think:
- It has great customization features that can turn it into a unique chatbot for research purposes.
- It’s conversational type of response is different from ChatGPT where every query is treated differently. For example, if you use an image then all your queries must be around that image. Otherwise, the AI starts acting weird.
- While it’s not perfect and the data accuracy is questionable, it still does a pretty good job and I was satisfied with the output.
We still haven’t arrived at a place where we can blindly trust AI. Until that day arrives, we have to check every line, especially stats and data. However, I believe that AI like Chatsonic will change the future of writing and research. And tools like Writesonic, Jasper, and ChatGPT will only become better with time.
Shouvik has been writing for the last 8 odd years and has covered almost every field including copywriting, social media posts, and ghostwriting for blogs. He even has a published book to his name and a couple of short fiction in literary magazines.