I tested dozens of ChatGPT apps to find the 6 best for work and productivity

Many tools now feature AI capabilities, with "ChatGPT apps" emerging to enhance various work processes. While some applications are geared towards general use, others are specifically designed for professional environments. This guide focuses on apps that can connect to business workflows, understand organizational context, and improve efficiency. This list explores six ChatGPT apps that are useful for getting work done.

What are ChatGPT apps?

At the heart of it all is ChatGPT, the powerful AI language model from OpenAI. A "ChatGPT app" is any software that taps into that technology to do something useful. You can think of them as a handy remote control for a very complex AI, making it easy to use for specific, day-to-day tasks.

These apps generally fall into two camps. First, there's the official ChatGPT app made by OpenAI. It’s your direct line to their latest models for things like chatting, writing, and kicking around ideas. It's available for iOS, Android, and your desktop.

Then you have the massive world of third-party apps. These tools use OpenAI's models (like the latest GPT-5.2) via an API but add their own special features. For example, one app might be built just for summarizing your meetings, another for writing marketing emails, and another for answering questions using your company's private documents. They take the raw intelligence of a language model and focus it on solving one particular problem, often by connecting to the other software you use daily. This guide focuses on finding the best of these third-party apps for work.

How we chose the best ChatGPT apps for work

I didn't want this to be just another list of popular AI tools. I focused on what actually makes a difference at work. A fun chatbot is nice, but a tool your team can rely on is a totally different ballgame. Here’s what I looked for:

• Does it solve a real problem? I wanted tools that automate annoying, time-consuming tasks, like answering the same internal questions over and over, summarizing long meetings, or writing content that doesn't sound robotic.
• Does it play well with others? The best tools fit into your current workflow. I gave extra points to apps that easily connect with software like Slack, Google Docs, and help desks. Nobody has time to learn a whole new platform.
• Is it secure? For any business, this is non-negotiable. I only considered apps with clear privacy policies that promise not to use your data for training public AI models. Your company's information should stay private.
• Does it "get" your business? Generic answers from an AI are mostly useless for specific work questions. The best apps can learn from your company's own information to provide answers that are actually relevant and trustworthy.
• Is it easy to use? A powerful app is worthless if it's confusing to navigate. I chose tools with clean designs that you can start using without a three-week training course.

The 6 best ChatGPT apps for your business

After all that testing, here are the six apps that really stood out.

1. eesel AI

eesel AI is designed to function as an AI teammate that you train on your company's specific knowledge. You connect it to tools like Slack, Confluence, Google Docs, and help desks (like Zendesk or Intercom), and it learns how your business operates. This allows it to handle tasks with the context of a human employee, whether it's answering internal HR questions in Slack or drafting customer support replies in your brand's voice. The setup process is quick because it learns from existing data, so you don't have to build a knowledge base from scratch. You can start eesel in a supervised "Copilot" mode, where it drafts replies for a human to review, and then transition it to a fully autonomous AI Agent once its performance is verified. The platform guarantees that your data is not used to train outside models, as stated in its privacy policy. A potential limitation is that eesel is built for teams and businesses, so it's not intended for general-purpose personal projects. Pricing for eesel AI starts at $239/month (when billed annually) for the Team plan, which includes up to 3 bots and 1,000 AI interactions per month. It is included here because it addresses a common challenge of using generic AI at work: the lack of business-specific context. By basing answers on your company’s own information, eesel provides relevant responses.

2. Official ChatGPT app

The official ChatGPT app from OpenAI is the most direct way to use the technology. It has a clean, simple interface for chatting with the latest models (like GPT-5.2) and is available on mobile and desktop. It's a great all-around tool for brainstorming, drafting text, summarizing articles, and getting quick answers to general questions. Your chat history also syncs across devices, which is handy for picking up where you left off.

One of the best AI tools I’ve used for personal productivity is ChatGPT. It’s like having a personal assistant available 24/7. I use it for brainstorming ideas, organizing thoughts, writing drafts, and even setting goals.

Reddit

The main draw is getting direct access to OpenAI's newest models. The free version is surprisingly capable for most everyday tasks. Its biggest weakness for business, though, is its lack of specific context. It isn’t connected to your company's internal data, so its answers will always be generic. Also, unless you have an enterprise plan, your conversations can be used for model training if you don't manually opt out. That can be a big privacy concern for sensitive company info.

The app offers a few tiers: a solid Free plan, a Plus plan for $20/month that unlocks more advanced models, and Business plans starting at $25/user/month with better privacy controls. It’s on this list because it’s the best place to start to understand the core technology.

3. Perplexity

Perplexity is a "conversational answer engine." It was designed to address a common issue with AI chatbots, often called "hallucinations," by providing answers with citations. When you ask Perplexity a question, you get a straight summary pulled from multiple web sources, complete with citations so you can check where the info came from.

This focus on accuracy is its biggest strength. It's a fantastic tool for researchers, marketers, or anyone who needs information they can verify quickly. The trade-off is that it's mainly a research tool. It’s not designed for creative writing, generating marketing copy, or doing things in your other apps. For business use, the Enterprise plan offers solid security, including SOC 2 Type II certification, and guarantees your data isn't used to train their models.

Perplexity has a powerful free version to get you going. The Pro plan is $17/month (billed annually) and gives you access to advanced AI models like GPT-5.2 and Claude Sonnet 4.5, along with unlimited file uploads for analysis. We picked it because it brings a dose of reliability and trust to AI-powered search.

4. Canva

Canva has been the go-to for easy graphic design for a while, and its new AI features have made it even more powerful. With its "Magic Studio," Canva uses AI for everything from generating images and writing ad copy to creating whole presentations from a simple text prompt. It's a great example of how AI can be built right into a specialized workflow to make it much better.

A key feature is its smooth integration. You don't have to switch between a chatbot and a design tool; the AI is right there in the editor when you need it. This really speeds things up for social media managers and marketers. It's important to note that its AI features are part of a larger design platform. If you only need to generate text, the full Canva suite might be more than you need. Canva is also serious about security, with Canva Shield providing enterprise-level security controls and ISO 27001 certification.

Many of Canva's AI features are available on its free plan, but you get more usage with Canva Pro ($120/year) and Canva for Business ($200/year per person). It also has free plans for nonprofits and schools. Canva is on our list because it shows how AI can be a practical creative partner, sitting right inside the tools people already know and use.

5. Fireflies.ai

Fireflies.ai is an AI assistant that joins your online meetings on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to automatically transcribe and summarize. It can identify different speakers, pull out action items, and let you search the transcript for keywords later. It can significantly reduce the need for manual note-taking.

A major benefit is its ability to turn conversations into organized, searchable information with up to 95% accuracy. For businesses, a key feature is its security; Fireflies is SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant and has a zero-day retention policy, meaning your meeting data is never used to train AI models. A consideration is that it is highly specialized for meetings, but it won't work as a general chatbot for other things.

Fireflies has a free tier with some transcription credits so you can give it a try. Paid plans start at $10 per seat/month for the Pro plan when billed annually. It's on our list because it solves a common problem: the pain of meetings and all the follow-up work that comes with them.

6. Poe by Quora

Poe, from the team at Quora, functions as a platform for exploring various AI models. Instead of sticking you with one model, it gives you access to a bunch of different chatbots from companies like OpenAI (GPT-5.2), Anthropic (Claude-Sonnet-4.5), and Google (Gemini-3-Pro), all in one place. This lets you ask the same question to multiple AIs to see how their answers compare.

This versatility is its main feature. It's the perfect app for anyone who wants to understand the subtle differences between the top AI models. You can even create your own custom bots with specific instructions and personalities. One consideration is that the number of options may be overwhelming for users seeking a single, straightforward tool. It feels more like a tool for an AI enthusiast than a focused work app.

Poe uses a points system for its free version, with daily limits on how often you can use the premium bots. A subscription starts at $4.99/month and gives you way more messages and access to the best models. We included Poe because it gives you a unique, all-in-one look at the current AI landscape, making it a great tool for learning and experimentation.

A comparison of the best ChatGPT apps

Here’s a quick summary to help you compare the apps at a glance.

For a more visual guide on how these apps work and integrate into your daily tasks, check out this overview from OpenAI on how you can now chat with apps directly in ChatGPT.

An official video from OpenAI explaining how users can interact with various services directly within the ChatGPT interface.

How to choose the right ChatGPT apps for you

With so many options, the "best" app depends on your specific needs. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to figure out what you need:

1. What am I trying to do? Are you trying to write faster, research better, or automate a whole workflow for your team? If you just want a creative partner to brainstorm with, the official ChatGPT app is perfect. If you need facts with sources, go with Perplexity. But if you need to make your team's operations smoother, a business-focused tool may be more appropriate.

2. Is this for me or my company? For personal stuff, a free app will probably do the trick. But if you're dealing with company information, security has to come first. You should never paste sensitive customer data or internal info into a public AI tool without checking its privacy policy. For business, you need a solution like eesel AI that’s built with strong security and contractually guarantees your data stays private.

3. Does it need to connect to my other software? If you spend your day in a help desk or project management tool, look for an app that integrates with it. An AI that works inside the software you already use is far more valuable than one that makes you keep switching tabs.

4. Do I need generic or specific answers? For general knowledge, most of these apps are fine. But for questions about your company's sales process, HR policies, or support procedures, you need an AI that has been trained on your private documents. This is where tools like eesel's AI Internal Chat really stand out and save a ton of time.

Moving beyond generic chat with an AI teammate

The expansion of ChatGPT apps offers many new ways to use AI. While many applications are available, the most valuable for a business setting are often those that solve a specific, real-world problem. For general use, the official ChatGPT app is a powerful tool. For focused tasks like research or meeting summaries, apps like Perplexity and Fireflies offer significant value.

For businesses, a key advantage is moving beyond generic answers. The utility of AI can be increased when it understands the unique context of your team and customers. This is where an AI teammate like eesel AI can be particularly useful. It provides answers based on your company's knowledge base, helping your team work more efficiently.