The Duck.ai Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Duck.ai in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Duck.ai
The Insider’s Guide
Private, anonymized chat with third-party AI models
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Duck.ai’s own pages.
Made by DuckDuckGo · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Duck.ai’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Duck.ai’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Duck.ai is DuckDuckGo's chat service for holding private conversations with AI models from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Mistral AI. DuckDuckGo strips identifying metadata before a prompt reaches the provider, keeps chat history on your device by default and says chats are not used for training. It is free with a daily limit, and the paid DuckDuckGo subscription adds more advanced models and higher limits.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Duck.ai, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No account, no sign-up, nothing to set up, which is rather the point.
- 1
Best for mainstream AI models with no account
Duck.ai is DuckDuckGo's chat with other companies' AI models, and it needs no account: it strips your details before a prompt reaches OpenAI or Anthropic and keeps history on your device.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.33 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (DuckDuckGo Plus).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free with no account required and a daily usage limit. Free models include Claude 4.5 Haiku, Mistral Small 4, GPT-5.4 nano and mini, gpt-oss-120b and Gemma 4 31B; PDF uploads stop at 15 pages.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Anonymized chats
Metadata such as your IP address is removed before a prompt reaches the model provider, so requests appear to come from DuckDuckGo rather than from you.
- 6
Choice of models
Free models come from Anthropic, Mistral AI and OpenAI, plus two open models hosted by Tinfoil. Subscribers add more advanced Claude and GPT models.
- 7
Chat history kept on your device
Recent chats are saved locally by default, up to 5 can be pinned, and the Fire Button deletes the rest. Optional Sync & Backup stores chats end-to-end encrypted.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 12 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Duck.ai you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Duck.ai at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (DuckDuckGo Plus)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- The DuckDuckGo subscription has a free trial at sign-up; the help page does not state its length.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- DuckDuckGo, since 2024
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for mainstream AI models with no account
Duck.ai is DuckDuckGo's chat with other companies' AI models, and it needs no account: it strips your details before a prompt reaches OpenAI or Anthropic and keeps history on your device. The free tier has a daily limit with no number on it, the top models need Plus or Pro, and you can't buy them without DuckDuckGo's VPN and identity services bundled in.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus is $9.99 a month, the middle of this category, and you can't buy the better models on their own: they come bundled with DuckDuckGo's VPN and identity services. The top Claude and GPT models need Pro at $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free with no account at all: six models, image creation, voice chat and PDFs up to 15 pages. But there's a daily limit DuckDuckGo won't put a number on, and the top Claude and GPT models aren't in it. |
| Features | C | Chat with models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Mistral, images, voice, dictation and uploads. The basics with privacy on top, and that's the size of it: PDFs stop at 15 to 50 pages, spreadsheets aren't supported, and there's no agent or project here. |
| Ease of use | B | Open duck.ai and type. No account, no sign-up, nothing to set up, which is rather the point. There's no App Store rating on record for it, since it has no standalone app of its own. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Any web browser, plus the DuckDuckGo browser on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows, where it's built in. There's no standalone app, and nothing on the listing says it connects to other tools or offers an API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Duck.ai is for
- Fits if you want to try Claude and GPT models without making an account
- Works for people already on the DuckDuckGo browser, where it's built in
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you only want the top models, because they come bundled with a VPN and identity services you may not need
- Not for you if you live outside the US, UK, EU and Canada, since the subscription isn't sold elsewhere
- Tight if you chat a lot for free: there's a daily limit, and DuckDuckGo doesn't say what it is
- Too light for long documents and data, with PDFs capped at 15 pages free, 50 on Pro, and no spreadsheets
- Watch out: there's no standalone app, no API and no projects, and the trial's length isn't stated
Good to know
Good for
- People who want to use mainstream AI models without an account
- Privacy-minded users who do not want chats used for model training
- DuckDuckGo browser users who want an assistant built in
Worth knowing
- Free use has a daily limit, and the most advanced Claude and GPT models are reserved for Plus and Pro subscribers.
- Advanced models cannot be bought on their own: the subscription bundles them with DuckDuckGo's VPN and identity services.
- The subscription is sold only to residents of the US, UK, EU and Canada, and its VPN and identity features work only in the DuckDuckGo browser.
- There is no standalone app: outside a web browser, Duck.ai is built into the DuckDuckGo browser for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.33
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Duck.ai has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (DuckDuckGo Plus).
But there's a daily limit DuckDuckGo won't put a number on, and the top Claude and GPT models aren't in it.
Free
$0
Six free chat models, image creation and voice chat within a daily limit, with PDF uploads of up to 15 pages.
Plus
$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year, plus tax if applicable
Adds GPT-5.6 Terra and Claude Sonnet 4.6, higher daily and weekly limits and 35-page PDF uploads, plus DuckDuckGo's VPN and identity services.
Pro
$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year, plus tax if applicable
Everything in Plus, with Claude Opus 4.8 and GPT-5.6 Sol, higher reasoning effort, 2x the Plus usage limits and 50-page PDF uploads.
The free plan
Free with no account required and a daily usage limit. Free models include Claude 4.5 Haiku, Mistral Small 4, GPT-5.4 nano and mini, gpt-oss-120b and Gemma 4 31B; PDF uploads stop at 15 pages.
Trying it first
The DuckDuckGo subscription has a free trial at sign-up; the help page does not state its length.
Read from duckduckgo.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 17% off with yearly billing
Plus is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, and Pro is $199.99 a year against $19.99 a month, a saving of about 17% over twelve monthly payments.
Stated on duckduckgo.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Private, anonymized chat with third-party AI models. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, dictation, chat assistant.
Chat with models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Mistral, images, voice, dictation and uploads.
- Anonymized chats
- Metadata such as your IP address is removed before a prompt reaches the model provider, so requests appear to come from DuckDuckGo rather than from you.
- Choice of models
- Free models come from Anthropic, Mistral AI and OpenAI, plus two open models hosted by Tinfoil. Subscribers add more advanced Claude and GPT models.
- Chat history kept on your device
- Recent chats are saved locally by default, up to 5 can be pinned, and the Fire Button deletes the rest. Optional Sync & Backup stores chats end-to-end encrypted.
- Image creation
- Select New Image, describe what you want, then refine the result with follow-up prompts. A daily limit applies, with higher limits for subscribers.
- Voice chat and dictation
- Speak with an OpenAI voice model over an encrypted relay, or dictate a prompt for up to 5 minutes per session. Audio is not kept after the session ends.
- Image and PDF uploads
- Some models accept image and PDF uploads, with PDF limits of 15 pages on Free, 35 on Plus and 50 on Pro. Spreadsheets are not supported.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Duck.ai is made by DuckDuckGo, and has been around since 2024.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Duck.ai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 23 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 13 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Duck.ai’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 57
- BEase of useAbove 21 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Duck.ai is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Duck.ai you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 35 of the 57 other AI assistants grade higher. It costs $99.99 a year.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Dictation that types into any app on your computer.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Duck.ai’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lumo, Venice, Confer, ChatGPT and Kagi Assistant
The 5 tools Duck.ai is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Lumo
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Proton's private AI assistant with zero-access encrypted chats.
- Only Duck.ai lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Lumo is open source, according to its own site.
- Duck.ai also covers dictation.
- 2.6GPA
Venice
Free plan · from $18/mo
Privacy-focused AI app for chat, images and video across many models.
- Only Duck.ai lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Venice is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Duck.ai also covers dictation.
- 2.2GPA
Confer
Free plan · from $34.99
End-to-end encrypted AI assistant from the creator of Signal.
- Only Duck.ai lists macOS, Windows and Android apps.
- Confer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Duck.ai also covers dictation.
- 3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- Only ChatGPT lists a Linux app.
- Duck.ai also covers dictation.
- ChatGPT also covers AI search.
- 2.2GPA
Kagi Assistant
Free trial · from $5/mo
Multi-model AI assistant included with a Kagi Search plan.
- Duck.ai has a free plan. Kagi Assistant does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Duck.ai lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Duck.ai also covers dictation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Duck.ai free?
Duck.ai has a free plan. Free with no account required and a daily usage limit.
How much does Duck.ai cost?
Duck.ai lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Duck.ai work on?
Duck.ai is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Duck.ai offer any discounts?
Duck.ai publicly lists the following: About 17% off with yearly billing.
Does Duck.ai have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Duck.ai is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Duck.ai open source?
Duck.ai is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Duck.ai have a free trial?
Yes. The DuckDuckGo subscription has a free trial at sign-up; the help page does not state its length.
Who makes Duck.ai?
Duck.ai is made by DuckDuckGo. It dates from 2024.
What are the alternatives to Duck.ai?
The closest alternatives to Duck.ai in our directory are Lumo, Venice, Confer, ChatGPT and Kagi Assistant.
How does Duck.ai compare with other AI assistants?
Duck.ai's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 10.
Is Duck.ai good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Duck.ai C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 13 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Duck.ai?
To replace Duck.ai you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Duck.ai’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DuckDuckGo's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-02.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by DuckDuckGo. Prices change, so check duck.ai before you buy.
- duckduckgo.com/pro
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/get-duckduckgo/how-much-does-duckduckgo-cost
- duck.ai
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/chat-models
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/usage-limits
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/ai-chat-privacy
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/recent-chats
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/image-creation
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/duckai/is-duckai-voice-chat-private
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy-pro
- duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/privacy-pro/duck-ai/does-duckai-support-file-uploads
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuckDuckGo
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Duck.ai, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/duck-ai
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Duck.ai: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/duck-ai
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/duck-ai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Duck.ai, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Duck.ai’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Duck.ai is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by DuckDuckGo. Prices and plans change: check duck.ai before you buy.