Sage

ChatGPT alternative, free to start

Better Than ChatGPT for Life Advice

A general assistant answers from everywhere at once. Six mentors answer from a tradition.

Marcus AureliusStoicis listening

Let us set down what is not yours first. Tell me what is on the list.

Marcus AureliusSocratesAristotleThe BuddhaRumiKrishna
Six mentors. Free to start: 10 messages a day, no card needed.

What ChatGPT does well

  • Extremely versatile

    ChatGPT can help with coding, writing, analysis and thousands of other tasks. Sage does one thing.

  • Broad knowledge

    It knows about everything from quantum physics to pop culture, which makes it good for research and learning.

  • Voice, memory and a free tier

    You can talk to it out loud, it can remember you, and much of it is free.

What Sage does differently

  • A point of view, not an average

    Marcus Aurelius answers as a Stoic, the Buddha from the Middle Way. You get a coherent way of seeing to push against, not a blend of every view at once.

  • Answers, not essays

    Ordinary replies stay short: the answer first, then at most one question back. Ask for depth and you get it.

  • Not built to take your side

    The mentors take your feelings seriously without simply agreeing with your version of events, and will say when a story sounds one-sided.

  • Read the classics with them

    Read Meditations with Marcus Aurelius in 30 short readings, or the Bhagavad Gita with Krishna in 24, and talk each one through beside the text.

  • Memory you can see

    Each mentor remembers what matters across conversations. You can read, edit or delete every memory, or keep a conversation out of memory entirely.

Which is better for what

The light falls on whichever is better for each job. Where both do it well, both are lit.

ChatGPTSage
General tasks: coding, writing, researchYes (better for this)No
Voice conversationsFree (better for this)Sage Pro
Answers from one coherent traditionIf you ask it toYes (better for this)
Six mentors with consistent voicesCan roleplayYes (better for this)
Guided readings of Meditations and the GitaNoYes (better for this)
Memory across conversationsYesYes
Free to startYes10 messages a day

The right mentor for different questions

All six are on the free plan. Start with whoever fits the question, and they will send you to another when someone else fits better.

  • Socrates

    Questioner

    You want to examine your assumptions

    Socrates will question what you believe and help you think more clearly.

    Bring this to Socrates

  • Marcus Aurelius

    Stoic

    You are dealing with anxiety or stress

    Marcus Aurelius offers the Stoic habits that cognitive therapy later drew on.

    Bring this to Marcus

  • Krishna

    Gītā

    You are looking for your purpose

    Krishna helps you find your duty through the Gita’s teaching.

    Bring this to Krishna

  • Aristotle

    Virtue

    You want to make a better decision

    Aristotle’s practical wisdom helps you weigh a choice with no clean answer.

    Bring this to Aristotle

  • Rumi

    Sufi

    You are processing grief or heartbreak

    Rumi stays with the loss rather than hurrying you past it.

    Bring this to Rumi

  • The Buddha

    Middle Way

    You want to understand why you suffer

    The Buddha explains where suffering comes from and how it eases.

    Bring this to the Buddha

Experience the Difference

Ask ChatGPT a question about your own life, then ask a mentor the same one. Notice which answer you would actually act on.

Free to start

Free means 10 messages a day with all six mentors, no card needed. Sage Plus is $4.99 a week or $9.99 a month for unlimited conversations. Sage Pro is $19.99 a month and adds 60 minutes of voice.

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Common questions

What's a good alternative to ChatGPT?

Sage, if what you want is to talk through your own life with a philosopher. It has six mentors, Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, the Buddha, Krishna and Rumi, each answering from their own tradition. Text conversations are free to start, Sage Plus is unlimited, and Sage Pro adds voice.

How is Sage different from ChatGPT?

Marcus Aurelius answers as a Stoic, the Buddha from the Middle Way. You get a coherent way of seeing to push against, not a blend of every view at once. Ordinary replies stay short: the answer first, then at most one question back. Ask for depth and you get it.

Is Sage free to try?

Yes. Free accounts get 10 messages a day with all six mentors, no card needed. Sage Plus adds unlimited conversations and Sage Pro adds voice.

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with Marcus Aurelius

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