A European AI Took on ChatGPT for a Week
Many of us are deeply embedded in the American tech ecosystem, but a growing number are seeking alternatives. I've personally made a conscious effort to move away, swapping Gmail for Fastmail and Google Keep for Obsidian. The final frontier in this digital migration was artificial intelligence. I had developed a unique, unorthodox system using ChatGPT not just for simple queries, but as a comprehensive project manager for my entire life, handling everything from schedules to budgets. That's when I discovered LeChat, an AI from the European company Mistral, and decided to put it to the ultimate test: could it replace ChatGPT for a full week?
This experiment was about more than just trying a new app. It was a deep dive into whether a European alternative could match the utility of its American counterpart, offering a mix of impressive speed and blunt honesty, while also revealing some critical limitations for my workflow.
Seeking an Alternative to American AI
My confidence in ChatGPT had been waning for some time. Between the corporate drama at OpenAI, its opaque structure, and its close government ties, I was already looking for an exit. The bigger problem, however, was the noticeable decline in the performance of ChatGPT 4o. I rely on my AI to manage my daily routine, but it had started forgetting key information I provided, like dietary restrictions, and would even hallucinate events on my schedule.
LeChat presented a compelling alternative. Built on Mistral's open models and compliant with Europe's stringent privacy regulations, it promised a different approach. It doesn't track user activity outside its own app like Gemini does, and its response time is nearly instantaneous. With that, I logged out of ChatGPT and entrusted my week to LeChat.
The Refreshing Speed and Honesty of LeChat
The most striking feature of LeChat is its incredible speed. Responses appeared almost the moment I submitted a prompt, without sacrificing accuracy or detail. It felt like the AI was permanently set to Ludicrous Speed.
Its personality was also a breath of fresh air. LeChat doesn't try to flatter or play along. When I asked it to schedule a 'vampire hunt,' it simply stated that vampire hunting isn't real and moved on, unlike ChatGPT which would gamely add it to the calendar. This grounded, no-nonsense approach meant less time spent refining prompts to get a simple, direct answer.
LeChat also integrates a live web search, similar to Perplexity AI, which can be toggled on or off. While I didn't test its Gmail or Google Calendar integrations, its additional "Think" and "Research" modes show potential for users like students or academics who need to analyze and summarize large documents.
Where LeChat Falls Short for Power Users
Despite its strengths, the experience wasn't flawless. The most significant hurdle was LeChat's complete lack of memory.
There’s no persistent knowledge of who I am or what I’ve said in other threads.
Unlike ChatGPT or Gemini, which remember context from previous conversations, LeChat requires you to re-enter information in every new chat. Asking it to schedule my son's dentist appointment meant I had to specify who my son was and the dentist's name every single time.
Furthermore, the absence of push notifications was a major issue for my workflow. Since I use Fastmail instead of Gmail, I couldn't get LeChat to send me reminders unless I proactively opened the app and asked for them. It also lacks the ability to create inline documents—a feature in ChatGPT that is invaluable for making quick to-do lists and structured notes. For simple, one-off questions or brainstorming, LeChat excelled. But as a full-time personal assistant, it couldn't keep up.
The Final Verdict: Is LeChat a ChatGPT Killer?
My week with LeChat was revealing. It highlighted how bloated some AI tools have become. LeChat is lean, incredibly responsive, and refreshingly direct. Its speed is a game-changer for anyone accustomed to the often ponderous pace of other chatbots. It's an ideal tool for users who want an AI to assist their day, not run their lives.
For the heavy lifting of complex project management, I'll likely stick with ChatGPT for now. But LeChat has certainly earned a permanent spot in my app drawer. Not every tool needs to be a Swiss Army knife. Sometimes, you just need a tool that answers a question quickly and gets out of the way—and LeChat does that brilliantly.
