This blog post presents a detailed review of you.com AI aggregator, based on my personal experience as a paid user for nearly a year. A shorter version of this review was initially posted as a comment on a YouTube video review of you.com, but mysteriously disappeared. Therefore, I am sharing my insights here instead of hoping that the YouTube gremlins will bring it back somehow. This article was originally published in October 2024, Updated: April 2025
Since first publishing this review six months ago, the AI landscape has evolved significantly.
Summary
You.com offers excellent value for money, especially with the student discount. It provides a variety of AI models and the ability to switch between them in the same conversation. The custom options are great for writing, and the image tool in creative mode is impressive. However, there are some downsides, such as token limits, sluggish performance on Chrome or Brave, and occasional issues with retrieving old conversations.iOS app has very bad speech to text.
You.com विशेष रूप से छात्र छूट के साथ पैसे के लिए उत्कृष्ट मूल्य प्रदान करता है। यह विभिन्न AI मॉडल प्रदान करता है और एक ही वार्तालाप में उनके बीच स्विच करने की क्षमता। कस्टम विकल्प लेखन के लिए बहुत अच्छे हैं, और क्रिएटिव मोड में छवि उपकरण प्रभावशाली है। हालांकि, कुछ नकरात्मक पहलुओं जैसे टोकन सीमाएं, क्रोम या ब्रेव पर धीमी प्रदर्शन, और पुरानी वार्तालापों को पुनः प्राप्त करने में कभी-कभी समस्याएं होती हैं।
Under the Hood: Review of you.com AI aggregator
This blog post presents my view of You.com, based on my personal experience as a paid user for nearly a year. This review was initially posted as a comment on a YouTube video by Jonathan Mast, but mysteriously disappeared (YouTube Gremlins at work?). Therefore, I am sharing my insights here.
You.com was started by two ex-Salesforce Technologists, this venture funded company offers excellent value for money. This is especially true with the student discount for those who are on a budget. The discount which brings the price down to under 90 US dollars a year. It provides a variety of AI models and the ability to switch between them in the same conversation. For example, I can compare and contrast responses for review of a book, code checking, or structuring of writing works such as this blog, on multiple AI models such as MistraiAI, Cohere’s CommandR+, or Claude Sonnet.
The ability to switch between different AI models in the same conversation is a standout feature, allowing for effective A-B testing of responses. The custom options are also beneficial for writing fiction or nonfiction books, and the image tool for creative mode, which used to use DALL-E3 and now uses FLUX 1.1, is quite impressive.
New AI Models on You.com (2025 Update)
Since my original review, You.com has expanded its model offerings significantly. You can now access cutting-edge models including GPT-4.5, Gemini 2.0, and the latest Claude updates directly through the platform. This expansion solidifies You.com’s position as a versatile AI aggregator rather than just another search engine.
Particularly impressive is You.com’s integration with Mistral AI and Meta’s latest developments, offering a truly comprehensive selection that caters to diverse use cases and preferences.
Advantages
- You.com offers a great value for money, especially with the student discount, which brings the annual cost down to under $90.
- The tool provides multiple AI models, including cloud models and ChatGPT models, which is useful for A-B testing responses without leaving the conversation.
- The custom options for writing fiction or non-fiction books have been helpful in improving my writing drafts.
- The image tool, which uses FLUX 1.1, has been useful for creative projects.
Limitations of you.com
However, there are some downsides to this AI aggregator service The token limits can be restrictive, especially when looking for long responses. The platform can also be slow on Chrome or Brave, sometimes consuming a lot of CPU resources. Lastly, there can be issues with retrieving old conversations, which can be frustrating.
The iOS app’s speech-to-text feature is particularly disappointing. On the other hand, ChatGPT’s iOS app shines in this respect, even in its free version, demonstrating excellent transcription capabilities. Despite these issues, I find you.com to be a valuable tool and plan to renew my subscription next week. Access to API requires separate login. you.com service can generate incoherent responses occasionally, such as follow up questions can give undesirable results.
- The token limits can be restrictive (64k context window for Standard Plan), especially when working on long-form content.
- The tool can sometimes be very slow on Chrome and Brave, which can be frustrating.*
- Occasionally, I have experienced errors when opening old conversations, which can also be frustrating.
- iOS app has very poor speech to text recognition. In fact, I had to use the iOS app for chatGPT to voice record and transcript the raw format of this blog post.
High memory usage while using Chromium with you.com
Uploading attachments
Below prompt was suggested by you.com while I was writing this post, thought it was rather apt to add here.
*Note: I have experienced the freezing on Linux Debian machine, on Chromium and Brave browsers. This could be a one off instance, I am not generalizing.
API Integration Capabilities in 2025
One of the most significant improvements to You.com since my original review has been the expansion of their API integration capabilities. Developers can now seamlessly incorporate You.com’s AI features into their applications, with support for multiple authentication methods and improved rate limits.
The documentation has been substantially improved, with code samples for various programming languages and clear examples of common integration patterns. This makes You.com a stronger contender for developers looking to add AI capabilities to their applications without building from scratch.
AI Aggregator Landscape in 2025
While You.com has established itself as a versatile AI aggregator, several compelling alternatives have emerged in the market. Poe.com (by Quora) offers an impressive selection of models including ChatGPT, Claude, and DALL-E 3 with both free access and premium plans starting at $19.99 monthly. Duck.ai has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, while Leo AI by Brave Browser provides seamless integration directly within your browsing experience. For those preferring open-source solutions, HuggingChat by Hugging Face allows users to interact with multiple LLMs while maintaining transparency and customizability, though it may occasionally produce less accurate responses than proprietary alternatives.
A notable addition to this competitive landscape is Krutrim by Ola, India’s first homegrown AI model launched in late 2023. Krutrim specializes in understanding Indian languages and local contexts, supporting over 22 Indian languages with advanced capabilities in text, voice, image, and video processing. As my friend Rahul from Bengaluru quipped, “Krutrim understands when I’m talking about vada pav or filter coffee without needing translation!” Its comprehensive AI stack includes high-performance GPU solutions, a customizable AI studio, and developer APIs for creating generative AI applications, positioning it as a uniquely Indian alternative in the global AI aggregator market.
हिंदी सारांश
2025 के AI एग्रीगेटर बाज़ार में You.com के अलावा कई मज़बूत प्रतियोगी मौजूद हैं। Poe.com विभिन्न AI मॉडल्स जैसे ChatGPT, Claude, और DALL-E 3 प्रदान करता है, Duck.ai अपने यूज़र-फ्रेंडली इंटरफेस के लिए लोकप्रिय है, Leo AI ब्राउज़िंग अनुभव में एकीकृत है, और HuggingChat ओपन-सोर्स लचीलापन प्रदान करता है। भारत का पहला AI मॉडल Krutrim by Ola 22 से अधिक भारतीय भाषाओं का समर्थन करता है और स्थानीय संदर्भों को समझने में विशेषज्ञ है, जिससे यह वैश्विक बाज़ार में एक विशिष्ट भारतीय विकल्प बन गया है।
मराठी सारांश
2025 च्या AI एग्रिगेटर मार्केटमध्ये You.com व्यतिरिक्त अनेक प्रभावी स्पर्धक आहेत। Poe.com विविध AI मॉडेल्स जसे ChatGPT, Claude, आणि DALL-E 3 प्रदान करते, Duck.ai त्याच्या वापरकर्ता-अनुकूल इंटरफेससाठी प्रसिद्ध आहे, Leo AI ब्राउझिंग अनुभवात एकत्रित केले आहे, आणि HuggingChat ओपन-सोर्स लवचिकता देते. भारताचे पहिले AI मॉडेल Krutrim by Ola 22 पेक्षा जास्त भारतीय भाषांना समर्थन देते आणि स्थानिक संदर्भ समजण्यात विशेष आहे, ज्यामुळे ते जागतिक बाजारपेठेत एक अद्वितीय भारतीय पर्याय बनले आहे.
Links and References
- You.com and Discord Community at You.com
- Mistral.ai
- CommandR/R+ from Cohere
- Claude from Anthropic
- ChatGPT
- Jonathan’s YouTube video
Also read: AI by Duckduckgo