Poe

Poe suits people who want to compare or use bots from different AI providers without switching services, and creators who want to build their own bots. Its free plan makes it accessible, while subscriptions trade a recurring pool of compute points for more capacity; check the rollover terms for the selected plan before paying.

Overview

Poe brings multi-provider AI chat and bot creation together in one service. Conversations can be private or in group chats, and the mix of chat, search, uploads and image generation makes it useful for people whose AI work spans more than text. Its appeal is breadth in one place, rather than a narrow tool dedicated to one kind of task.

Key features

• Chats across providers: Use bots based on models from different providers, privately or in a group. This suits people who want a choice of bots within one service; Poe does not replace the underlying providers' own products for users who prefer those directly.
• Search and media: Poe supports web search, file uploads and image generation, broadening its use beyond ordinary text chat.
• Bot building: Prompt bots can use custom instructions and an optional knowledge base. Script bots add custom Python logic and can combine models, with infrastructure hosted by Poe; API bots connect to endpoints compatible with Chat Completions or Responses APIs. API bots also support function calling through the Chat Completions API. That range is useful to makers, though the more technical options suit people comfortable working with APIs or code.
• Higher subscriber capacity: Subscribers can get access to additional bots, more messages and media generation, and context lengths up to 2 million tokens. These are meaningful upgrades for heavier users, but capacity is tied to points rather than an unlimited allowance.

Pricing

Poe uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing, billed monthly, and includes a 200k-token context length. It is the sensible starting point for occasional chat and bot exploration; readers with sustained use or a need for the additional subscriber bots and generation capacity may find its limits restrictive.

Paid subscriptions provide compute points, granted daily and/or monthly depending on the plan. The available point tiers are 10 thousand points/day, 660 thousand points/month, 1.65 million points/month, 3.3 million points/month and 8.25 million points/month; each has custom pricing. More points suit greater expected use, but unused points do not roll over unless the selected plan specifies otherwise, so choose based on a realistic usage pattern and check the plan's rollover terms. Web subscribers are redirected to Stripe to pay.

Platforms

Poe is available on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and the web, and also offers an API. Mobile apps make it an option for people who want access across phone and desktop; app integrations and a team workspace extend it beyond individual chat.

Who it's for

Poe is a strong fit for curious AI users who want several providers' bots in one place, people who use search or media generation alongside chat, and makers who want options ranging from prompt bots to API-connected or Python-powered bots. It is less compelling for someone who only needs one focused assistant, or for a heavy user who wants predictable costs without tracking a point balance.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Multiple providers' bots, group chat, search, uploads and image generation sit in one service, reducing the need to switch tools for varied AI tasks.
• Pro: Bot creation ranges from custom-instruction bots to scripts and compatible API endpoints, giving both casual creators and technical builders a route to make bots.
• Pro: A free plan with a 200k-token context length lets users try the service before committing to a subscription.
• Con: Subscription prices are custom, and point allowances vary by plan, making it harder to compare cost against expected use.
• Con: Unused points generally expire rather than roll over, which can make a larger allocation poor value for irregular users.

Alternatives

Choose GPT Store if signed-in access to GPTs, with limited messages with uploads, image creation and voice chats on its free plan, better matches your needs. For discovering and comparing broader directories, browse AI Agent Marketplaces or AI chatbots and assistants. Other options include AGENTIS, Relevance AI, AgenMart, AiCrate, DeepNLP AI Agent Marketplace, Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Store and Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne if you are considering those services instead.

Verdict

Choose Poe if you want one service for chats across AI providers and a path from using bots to building them. The free plan is a low-commitment entry point, while paid capacity can suit regular users who understand the point system. Look elsewhere if you need a single-purpose assistant or cannot accept custom subscription pricing and points that may expire unused.