6 ChatGPT Apps to Analyze and Chat With Your Documents and PDFs

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6 ChatGPT Apps to Analyze and Chat With Your Documents and PDFs

Mihir Patkar

7–9 minutes

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These apps use AI to read your PDFs and documents and then ask queries and get answers via ChatGPT.

ChatGPT has already wowed the world with how it takes information from the internet and condenses it into succinct answers for your queries. Not many people know that you can also ask ChatGPT to read your PDFs and chat about their contents. But if that's your objective, then these apps offer better options, from increased database sizes to creating chatbots from multiple documents.

1. Unriddle (Web, Chrome): Most Powerful Way to Chat With Your Documents

• File Formats Supported: PDF, DOC, URL
• Page Limit: 120 pages (Free) | 4,000 pages (Paid)
• File Size Limit: No Information Available
• Max Files: No information available
• Chat Query Limit: 5 / Month (Free) | 250 / Month (Paid)

Unriddle's free version is severely limited, allowing only five actions in a whole month. The first of those five is when you create a bot to analyze a file, so it'll be only four questions or messages after that. If you plan to use this app, you'll need to upgrade to the pro ($20 / month) or premium ($50 / month) plan very quickly.

But given Unriddle's performance, it's well worth it. The app uses GPT-4 and is built purely to analyze documents to give answers only from the material given to that bot. Unriddle claims it can handle around 500,000 words, which is far more than ChatGPT's capacity of 4,000 words.

Chrome users can also download the Unriddle Summarize extension to read any long article easily. The AI will analyze and summarize articles in a jiffy, and you can also ask follow-up questions to the bot without leaving the page.

Download: Unriddle Summarize for Chrome (Free)

2. Chatterdocs (Web): Create Chatbots Sourcing From Multiple Documents

• File Formats Supported: PDF, DOC, TXT, JPEG, PNG
• Page Limit: No Information Available
• File Size Limit: No Information Available
• Max Files: 3 / Bot (Free) | 100 / Bot (Paid)
• Chat Query Limit: 50 / Month (Free) | 1000 / Month (Paid)

Chatterdocs lets registered users create multiple chatbots that can take in information from several sources and then be embedded in websites or used as landing pages. Essentially, you're creating a chatbot by simply uploading your materials or importing a website.

You can add up to three files for a bot in the free version and then choose which of those sources you want to keep active. Chatterdocs uses ChatGPT to understand queries and give answers. In our tests, we found that you need to be precise in your chat prompts to get the right information.

Unregistered users can also use Chatterdocs to analyze PDF files. It's a free tool to see how much Chatterdocs can do.

• File Formats Supported: PDF, DOCX, TXT, HTML
• Page Limit: No Information Available
• File Size Limit: No Information Available
• Max Files: No Information Available
• Chat Query Limit: No Information Available

Unlike all other such apps, Klavier doesn't seem to have any restrictions on the number of questions you ask and is completely free. That alone makes it worth using over several other alternatives, especially if you plan to ask many queries. Klavier can also analyze web pages to summarize articles.

However, Klavier was definitely slower than other apps. And while it uses the same GPT AI that others are using, the answers weren't as in-depth as what you get in Unriddle. But given it's completely free and unlimited, that's hardly a complaint.

Currently, you cannot create an account on Klavier to store analyzed files. In fact, you can only work with one source material at a time and will lose any progress if you add a new source for Klavier to analyze.

4. LXI.ai (Web): Chat With Your Documents and Pay Per Usage

• File Formats Supported: PDF, DOCX, TXT, URL
• Page Limit: Unlimited
• File Size Limit: 15MB (Free Trial) | Unlimited (Paid)
• Max Files: Unlimited
• Chat Query Limit: 1,000 Total (Free Trial) | Unlimited (Paid)

LXI isn't a free app. After the 14-day trial period, you'll need to pay. But it's quite interesting that you pay according to your usage, not by preset plans. It costs $0.1 per MB per month for the amount of data you have uploaded. And every question you ask costs $0.0025, which you can avoid if you have your own OpenAI API key. So you have control over the actual price you'll pay.

The chatbot works with all your documents at the same time, so you'll need to learn to phrase ChatGPT prompts effectively to get the answers you need. It's also context-unaware, meaning each question is treated as a separate query without considering the conversation before it.

5. Docalysis (Web): Best App to Have ChatGPT Conversations With PDFs

• File Formats Supported: PDF
• Page Limit: 150 pages (Free) | 1500 pages (Paid)
• File Size Limit: 5MB (Free) | 50MB (Paid)
• Max Files: 600 pages/month (Free) | 8,000 pages/month (Paid)
• Chat Query Limit: 50 / month (Free) | 1,500 / month (Paid)

Docalysis encrypts and stores your PDFs on a cloud server and analyzes them with its own tech. Open a file to show the file contents on the left and a chat window on the right. The app uses ChatGPT to understand and answer your queries based on the information Docalysis feeds it.

You can only work with one document at a time, with no option of querying Docalysis about multiple documents together. The chatbot remembers the context of a current conversation but won't remember previous sessions once you close the window. You can also share a document with others, and they'll be able to then ask questions in the chatbot.

In our tests, we found Docalysis to be one of the best at analyzing documents and providing relevant answers. It understood simple chat prompts, was context-aware in a conversation, and the ability to see the file alongside was a great help.

6. ChatPDF (Web): Use ChatGPT 3.5 to Query PDF Files

• File Formats Supported: PDF
• Page Limit: 120 pages (Free) | 2,000 pages (Paid)
• File Size Limit: 10MB (Free) | 32MB (Paid)
• Max Files: 3 / Day (Free) | 50 / Day (Paid)
• Chat Query Limit: 50 / Day (Free) | 1000 / Day (Paid)

ChatPDF is one of the coolest new apps to work with PDF files, and performs shockingly well for all text. It had trouble reading images and data from tables in our tests, where we uploaded files from our drive as well as direct URLs. The developers say that while they currently use ChatGPT 3.5, they are looking into how to incorporate the newer ChatGPT 4.

Learn Prompts to Make Chat Memory Easier

You'll find that in all these apps, ChatGPT doesn't remember what you talked about after a session is finished. In fact, in some apps, it'll treat each question separately without using the previous query's context. To get around this problem, try and learn how to use prompts for ChatGPT in the app you're using. With a little trial and error, you will be able to figure out how to frame a question so that answers use the context of what you've chatted about before.

 

How to use Google Bard (2023): A Comprehensive Guide

techrepublic.com

How to use Google Bard (2023): A comprehensive guide

Andy Wolber

7–9 minutes

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Illustration: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

Bard is Google’s public entry into the highly competitive field of artificial intelligence chatbots, which also includes OpenAPI’s ChatGPT. Google intends Bard to be a “creative and helpful collaborator” that people may chat with using natural language. The following guide covers what you need to know as you chat and explore the capabilities of Google Bard.

Jump to:

• What is Google Bard?
• What is Google Bard used for?
• Can I use Google Bard for work or school?
• How to get access to Google Bard
• How to use Google Bard
• Frequently asked questions about Google Bard

What is Google Bard?

Google Bard is an AI chatbot: After you enter a text prompt, Bard generates a response. Importantly, Bard can access the internet to leverage Google search for its responses.

Google launched Bard in early 2023 as an experiment that is based on a conversational large language model.

What is Google Bard used for?

Bard can serve as an AI collaborator to help you explore topics, craft text and code. Anything you might ask a knowledgeable colleague or friend might be a candidate for a prompt in Bard. For example, you could use Bard to:

• Discover options or brainstorm ideas.
• Explore a topic or identify related items, books or concepts.
• Draft an email.
• Create an outline for a blog post, project, proposal or book.
• Simplify, rephrase or summarize text.
• Help create or debug code.

Bard can also streamline a search. For example, consider the task of gathering specifications to select a laptop. With a conventional Google Search, you would search for a product, follow a link, then copy details into a Google Doc. Then you would repeat the process for each additional laptop you wished to compare. With Bard, you could enter a single prompt that asks the system to compare two, three or more laptops and present the information in a table format, then export the response to a Google Doc. What used to be several steps may be reduced to two: Prompt, then export.

Can I use Google Bard for work or school?

Yes, you may use Google Bard for work or school if your organization’s policies and Google Workspace settings allow it.

How to get access to Google Bard

You may use Bard in any modern browser, such as Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox; however, you will need to sign in with a Google account to gain access, as follows.

1. Go to bard.google.com in a browser.
2. Select Sign In (Figure A).

Figure A

Select either Sign In button, then enter your Google account credentials.

3. Sign in with your Google account.
4. Select Try Bard (Figure B).

Figure B

Once you’re signed in, select the Try Bard button.

5. Review the presented terms (Figure C) and, if you agree, accept them.

Figure C

Review the Terms of Service. Scroll to the bottom, then if you accept the terms, select the I Agree button.

6. Review the “Bard Is An Experiment” note and, if you wish, opt in to receive email updates about Bard, then select Continue (Figure D).

Figure D

The system will remind you that Bard is an experiment. Optionally, select To Receive Email Updates About Bard box.

7. Use Bard by entering a prompt in the box near the bottom of the screen (Figure E).

Figure E

To use Bard, enter a prompt.

For the easiest access to Bard, you might consider adding Bard as a bookmark or set the site as your browser homepage. Since Bard works in a variety of browsers, fast-access techniques work not only from Chrome, but also from other systems. For example, in Safari on an iPhone from bard.google.com you could select the Share button | Add To Home Screen to place a Bard app link on your phone.

How to use Google Bard

You may access Bard from any mobile or desktop web browser while signed in to a Google account.

1. Open bard.google.com in a browser.
2. Enter a prompt, either by typing or selecting the microphone and talking. Press enter (or return) to send the prompt to Bard.
3. Review Bard’s response.

Once Bard provides a response, the system offers a robust set of optional actions (Figure F).

Figure F

You may select from a wide range of options for any Bard response, including the ability to follow-up with an additional prompt.

You may:

• Edit the prompt text to try a variant prompt.
• View other drafts to evaluate differently structured responses.
• Regenerate drafts to seek alternative responses.
• “Google it” to switch to a standard keyword search query derived from your prompt.
• Export the response to a new Gmail or a Google Doc.
• Copy the content to paste into another app.
• Report a legal issue to signal a significant content concern.
• Provide feedback with a thumbs up (Good Response) or down (Bad Response) button.
• Enter another prompt to continue the chat.

Frequently asked questions about Google Bard

How accurate is Google Bard?

As an experiment, Google tries to ensure that Bard responses are accurate, but prominently cautions that “Bard may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn’t represent Google’s views.” When you use Bard, you should verify the accuracy of any response provided.

How does Google Bard compare to a Google Search?

Google Search provides relevant links in response to keywords. When the system is highly certain that a specific answer is relevant, Google Search may prominently feature the desired information, such as a snippet of content from Wikipedia, a sports score or weather data.

Google Bard provides responses to natural language prompts. Unlike search, where each keyword query returns an answer and list of links, a Bard response may be just the start of a string of interactions in a chat-like format. At any point, you may prompt Bard to expand, clarify, rephrase or regenerate a response.

How does Google Bard compare to ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a large language model system from OpenAI that offers both free and paid editions. OpenAI and Microsoft have announced a wide range of product integrations and partnerships, including connections between ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing. GPT-4 provided significant performance improvements over earlier editions.

Bard is a large language model system experiment from Google that is free for people to use. Bard relies on current internet information via Google Search.

Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are iterating rapidly to enhance and expand the capabilities of their respective AI systems.

What are the main competitors to Google Bard?

In addition to ChatGPT, alternatives to Google Bard include Microsoft’s new Bing, Perplexity AI, Inflection AI’s Pi and Anthropic’s Claude, which is available via Quora’s Poe AI chat app.

Can Google Bard search the internet?

Yes, since Bard has access to Google Search content, the system may access web news, information and other content.

Does Google Bard keep my data?

Google lets you adjust settings to control whether Bard Activity is preserved. To preserve all your Bard Activity history, turn Bard Activity on and set auto-delete off. Alternatively, you may choose to auto-delete Bard activity older than 3, 18 or 36 months.

If you prefer, you may turn Bard Activity history off. Even when Bard Activity history is off, though, the system will preserve conversations for up to 48 hours, although any activity won’t display in your activity history. According to Google, this temporary retention “allows us to provide the service and process any feedback.”