Comparison
PatentAssist vs ChatGPT
By Mahish Guru, Co-founder and CEO, PatentAssist.ai
Last updated
How we compared: we read each vendor's public website and documentation on 26 October 2026 and list only what they state there. PatentAssist facts come from this site. Prices are as published on that date. Disclosure: PatentAssist makes one of the products compared.
ChatGPT is a capable general assistant and costs nothing to start. PatentAssist is built for one job: turning an invention disclosure into a patent application in USPTO, EPO, DPMA or IP India format. It writes the claims first, keeps figures and prior art search in the same workspace, runs its AI in the EU and never trains on your content. For brainstorming or explaining a technology, ChatGPT is often enough. For a draft you intend to file, the formats, the structure and the data terms are what you are paying for.
Features and pricing side by side
| Feature | PatentAssist | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Patent attorneys, firms, in-house teams and startups drafting for the USPTO, EPO, DPMA and IP India | General writing, explaining technical material, brainstorming claim language and quick rewrites |
| Drafting formats | US (USPTO), EP (EPO), DE (DPMA, delivered in German with German headings) and IN (IP India provisional and complete specifications, with the Form 2 first page) | No patent office format built in; you supply the structure, headings and office rules in your prompts |
| Delivery | Web app with a dedicated drafting editor and .docx export. Interface in English, German, Spanish and French | Web, desktop and mobile apps, plus a ChatGPT for Word add-in; accepts DOCX and PDF uploads |
| How the draft is built | Claims first from the disclosure, then the description, abstract and figure descriptions written around them, in one structured workspace | Whatever you ask for, in the order you ask; you check that the description supports each claim |
| Prior art and citations | Search-informed drafting with AI agentic patent search and patentability reports in the workspace, plus free search across USPTO, EPO and IP India | Web search and deep research with cited sources; it is not a patent database, so check each citation against the publication |
| Office action responses | IP India FER responses (Beta); USPTO support in development | General purpose: it will draft arguments from an action and art you paste in, with no patent-specific workflow |
| Drawings | Figure plans, reference numerals and rendered patent drawings (Beta), plus figure descriptions | General image generation; not built around patent drawing rules such as black-and-white line art with reference numerals tied to the text |
| EU data, GDPR and security | Every AI request runs on Azure OpenAI in the EU (Sweden Central, Italy North); the app and its files are hosted in Azure Central India. A GDPR Article 28 DPA covers every account, the full sub-processor list is public, and your content never trains a model | Free, Plus and Pro: chats can be used for training unless you turn off "Improve the model for everyone". Business, Enterprise and API: no training by default, a DPA is available and OpenAI states SOC 2 Type 2. Storage in Europe is offered for Enterprise and Edu workspaces |
| Pricing (as of 26 October 2026) | Published: Lite $29/month, Pro $90/month, every feature on both; Enterprise quoted | Free plan; Plus $20/month; Business $25 per user per month, or $20 billed annually (2-seat minimum); Enterprise on request |
| Free trial | Self-serve: 7 days, 300 credits, every feature, no sales call | Free plan, no time limit |
Full plan details on the PatentAssist pricing page; where data is processed is on the sub-processors page, and how it is protected on the security page.
The verdict
Use ChatGPT for what it is good at: explaining a technology, rewording a paragraph, testing an argument. Keep anything confidential out of the chat unless your plan's terms allow it. Use PatentAssist when you need a filing-shaped draft: claims first, a description written to support them, figure descriptions and drawings, and a .docx in the office's format. It costs from $29 a month. Whichever you use, the attorney or agent who signs the filing still checks every line.
Where PatentAssist pulls ahead
- Office formats out of the box: PatentAssist drafts to four office formats from one disclosure: USPTO, EPO, DPMA (delivered in German, with German headings) and IP India. With ChatGPT you describe the format in your prompt and check the result yourself.
- Data terms suited to client work: PatentAssist runs every AI request on Azure OpenAI in the EU (Sweden Central and Italy North). It covers every account with a GDPR Article 28 DPA, publishes its full sub-processor list and never trains on your content. On ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro, chats can be used to train OpenAI's models unless you turn off "Improve the model for everyone". Business and Enterprise do not train by default and offer a DPA.
- Claim support by design: PatentAssist drafts the claims first. It then writes the description, abstract and figure descriptions around them, so the parts of the application are generated together rather than across a long chat.
- Figures for a patent: PatentAssist builds a figure plan with reference numerals, renders drawings (Beta) and writes the brief description of the drawings. ChatGPT generates images, but not to patent drawing conventions.
- Prior art in the workspace: PatentAssist runs AI agentic patent search and patentability reports over USPTO, EPO and IP India records next to the draft. ChatGPT searches the web, which is useful background but not a patent search.
Why teams choose PatentAssist over ChatGPT
- You want USPTO, EPO, DPMA or IP India structure without writing prompts for it.
- You want client inventions handled under a DPA, with AI in the EU and no training.
- You want claims, description, figures and prior art in one place, exported as .docx.
- You want a predictable monthly price for drafting work.
When ChatGPT may suit you better
- You are brainstorming, explaining a technology or rewording text, and nothing confidential goes into the chat.
- Your firm already runs ChatGPT Enterprise with storage in Europe and a DPA, and you are happy to build and maintain your own prompts and templates.
- You need an occasional free tool rather than a drafting workflow. Many practitioners use both: a general assistant for general writing and a patent tool for the application.
See how PatentAssist drafts in AI patent drafting and generates figures in AI patent drawings, or check prior art first with the free patent search. Comparing more tools? Read the best AI patent drafting tools.
PatentAssist vs ChatGPT: frequently asked questions
Can I use ChatGPT to draft a patent application?
You can, and some practitioners do for parts of a draft. The USPTO's April 2024 guidance on AI tools applies whichever tool you use. Under 37 CFR 11.106 you must protect client information, so read the tool's terms first. Under 37 CFR 11.18, "simply relying on the accuracy of an AI tool is not a reasonable inquiry". The same goes for PatentAssist: it produces a first draft that a registered practitioner reviews and signs.
Does ChatGPT train on what I paste in?
On ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro, data sharing for model training is on by default. You can turn off "Improve the model for everyone" in Data controls, or use a Temporary Chat. OpenAI says Business, Enterprise, Edu and API data is not used for training by default. PatentAssist never trains on your content, on any plan.
Does ChatGPT know USPTO and EPO formatting rules?
It can describe them when asked, but it has no built-in office templates. You set the structure in your prompt and check the output. PatentAssist drafts to USPTO, EPO, DPMA (in German) and IP India formats and exports .docx in the chosen format.
Can ChatGPT find prior art?
ChatGPT's search and deep research cite web sources, which can help with background. For prior art, search a patent database: Espacenet, Google Patents, USPTO Patent Public Search or the free PatentAssist search over USPTO, EPO and IP India records. Our guide to the best patent search software compares them.
How do the prices compare?
ChatGPT has a free plan, Plus at $20 a month, and Business at $25 per user per month, or $20 billed annually, with a two-seat minimum. PatentAssist costs $29 a month (Lite, 300 credits) or $90 a month (Pro, 1,500 credits), with every feature on both plans and a 7-day free trial.