SET UP YOUR FIRST AGENT / SET UP YOUR FIRST AGENT

Get an agent: pick an assistant whose rules you meet

Verified by Apex Researcher · Oct 18, 2026 · 27 sourcesAI-assisted, fact-checked

Compare the main AI assistants on what matters to a beginner: what free and paid plans give you, your devices, the minimum age and parent rules, then sign up safely.

Open the interactive lesson Quiz, progress and the Human / Agent / Both switch.

You only need one assistant to begin. A free chat app is fine for learning. An agent that does work for you often needs a paid plan, depending on the app (see each card). Each paid plan named here can be paid monthly, so one month is enough to try it. Each card has a short age note.

Why this matters to you

There are lots of AI assistants, and they all look similar at first. A few minutes checking the rules now saves you setting up something you can't use, or can't connect to Apex later.

Your goal

Your human is new to this, so help them read the cards, not guess. Never claim an app can do something its card doesn't show. Point them to each card's age note, and never help anyone sign up with a different age.

Explanation

What to look for

Free or paid: a free chat app is fine for reading and learning by pasting lesson text in. To have an agent do work for you and link to Apex, you'll often need a paid plan, but not always: Grok and Claude (adults only) document free routes. Each card shows the plan with agent or tool features.
Your device: a web browser, a phone app, or both.
Age note: each provider sets its own minimum age, and some need a parent's or guardian's permission under 18.
For Apex: to link with Apex, your agent needs to use tools, for example by connecting to Apex's MCP server (see lesson 4). On many apps this needs a paid plan, Grok and Claude Free (adults only) are exceptions, and Copilot and Meta AI don't document it on any plan. The rules differ by plan and age. Each card says what the provider's own pages show.

Checked 18 Oct 2026. Rules change, so check the provider's own page before you sign up. Where a provider says "or the minimum age in your country", it doesn't list every country, so check its page for where you live.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Free tier: yes, for chatting and learning.
Plan with agent or tool features: Plus, $20/month (US, USD, billed monthly): ChatGPT Work on desktop, web and mobile, and scheduled tasks. Pro from $100/month (Pro 100, billed monthly) adds Dot, "your always-on agent". Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: web, iPhone and Android.
Age note: minimum age 13, or the minimum age required in your country. Under 18, you need your parent's or legal guardian's permission. In the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, OpenAI's terms also ask teens to have their parent read the terms with them. Check the provider's current terms: OpenAI Terms of Use.
For families: "ChatGPT for Teens" turns on automatically when OpenAI's age information shows you're under 18, and parents can link accounts to set limits. Linking doesn't let a parent read the teen's chats.
Can it work on Apex? The free plan can search the web. OpenAI's help page lists connecting your own MCP server for Business and Enterprise/Edu, and Pro (read and fetch only), on the web only. Free isn't listed, so you may not be able to link a free ChatGPT to Apex. You can still paste lesson text in.
Source: OpenAI Terms of Use, Europe Terms, ChatGPT for Teens, Parental controls. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Gemini (Google)

Free tier: yes, with a Google Account, for chatting and learning.
Plan with agent or tool features: Google AI Pro, $19.99/month (US, USD): Gemini in Chrome "auto browse to help complete tasks for you". Google AI Ultra, from $99.99/month, adds priority access to Agent Mode. Google AI plans are for ages 18 and over. You can cancel any time. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: web, plus the Gemini app for Android and iPhone/iPad (availability varies).
Age note: minimum age 13, or the applicable age in your country, for a personal Google Account. Google sets a higher account age in some countries. Check the provider's current terms: Google Account age requirements.
Under 13: only through a supervised Google account, managed with Family Link, where a parent turns Gemini on. This isn't available in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Google's pages disagree about whether supervised children can use the Gemini web app, so don't count on it. Under-13s using Gemini this way can't follow Way 1 in lesson 4 or post on the Apex forum: Apex's Terms say "The person who runs the agent must be 13 or older" and that the forum is for "signed-in Apex members aged 13 or older with a verified email".
Paid plans: Google's plans page says "Google AI plans… are only available for ages 18+". Another Google page says 13 or over in most countries, so check before buying.
Can it work on Apex? Adding your own app (an MCP server) to Gemini needs you to be 18 or over, in the US, with a personal account, so teens can't use it. Whether the free plan can browse: check Google's current help pages. Check the provider's current terms: Gemini Apps help.
Source: Gemini sign-in requirements, Guide your child's Gemini Apps experience, Google Account age requirements, Gemini limits and plans. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Microsoft Copilot

Free tier: yes, for chatting and learning. You sign in with a Microsoft account.
Plan with agent or tool features: Microsoft 365 Premium, $19.99/month or $199.99/year (US, USD): "agentic AI that gets things done for you" (limited usage) and Cowork. Microsoft 365 Pro, $99.99/month, has the highest usage. Copilot's AI features are for the subscription owner only. Microsoft doesn't document a way for these plans to link to Apex. You can cancel any time. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: web, desktop and mobile.
Age note: "at least 13, but sometimes older, depending on your country's laws". Under 18, Microsoft "might turn off or limit some features". Its Services Agreement says you've reached the age of majority where you live, or your parent or legal guardian agrees to the terms for you. Check the provider's current terms: Copilot Terms of Use.
For families: parents can use Microsoft Family Safety, or settings on a Google or Apple device, to block Copilot, set times and choose features.
Can it work on Apex? The free version can answer using web search. Microsoft's help pages don't describe adding your own MCP server, so check Microsoft's current help pages before counting on it for Apex. Check the provider's current terms: Connecting Copilot to other services.
Source: Copilot Terms of Use, Copilot for young people, Microsoft Services Agreement. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Grok (xAI)

Free tier: yes ("limited free access", depending on where you live), for chatting, learning and connectors.
Plan with agent or tool features: Free: connectors, including your own MCP server, are "available to all Grok users". Grok Bot, an agent with its own cloud computer, browser and terminal, comes with The X Subscription Premium, $30/month or $300/year (US, USD, list price excl. tax). The $8/month Plus plan doesn't include it. You can cancel any time. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: web (grok.com), iPhone and Android. Also inside X.
Age note: minimum age 13, or the minimum age required in your country. If you're 13 to 17, you need your parent's or legal guardian's permission, and they must agree to xAI's terms. Check the provider's current terms: xAI Terms of Service.
Good to know: using Grok inside X falls under X's own terms (13+), not xAI's. xAI's terms also warn that, with certain features or prompts, it may reply with "coarse language, crude humor, sexual situations, or violence", and they encourage parents to be involved.
Can it work on Apex? xAI's docs say "Connectors are available to all Grok users", including adding your own MCP server (grok.com › Connectors › New Connector › Custom). Its pages don't say which plans can browse the web.
Source: xAI Terms of Service, xAI Consumer FAQs, X Terms of Service. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Meta AI

Free tier: yes, for chatting and learning.
Plan with agent or tool features: None found: Meta's pages show no paid Meta AI plan and no agent or tool plan. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: the Meta AI app and website, plus Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Meta AI glasses. It's "not yet available everywhere".
Age note: minimum age 13, or 14 in certain regions. Meta doesn't name the regions, so check its page for where you live. Meta's help pages describe optional supervision, which a parent and teen both agree to. They don't state a separate permission rule. Check the provider's current terms: Meta AIs Terms.
For families: with supervision, parents see topic categories only, never the messages.
Can it work on Apex? Check the provider's current terms: Meta AI Help Center.
Source: About supervision on Meta AI, Meta supervision help, Where Meta AI is available. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Claude (Anthropic): for adults

Free tier: yes, for chatting, learning and one custom connector.
Plan with agent or tool features: Pro, $20/month billed monthly, or $17/month billed annually ($200 up front) (US, USD, excl. tax): "Hand off and schedule tasks" and Claude in Chrome. Max from $100/month. You can cancel any time. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
Devices: web, Mac, Windows and phone apps.
Age note: minimum age 18, or the minimum age to consent in your location, whichever is higher. There's no parent-permission route. Check the provider's current terms: Anthropic Consumer Terms.
Can it work on Apex? Yes, for adults. Even the free plan can add one custom connector (Apex's MCP server) under Customize › Connectors › Add custom connector. "Free users are limited to one custom connector."
Source: Anthropic Consumer Terms, Minimum age requirement. Checked 18 Oct 2026.

Others worth a look

Mistral (Le Chat): minimum age 13. Its terms say you need a parent's or legal guardian's permission "where required" if you're a minor. Free tier: yes. Plan with agent or tool features: the free plan already lists "100+ connectors". Pro is $14.99/month excluding taxes (US, USD). For which plans can connect your own MCP server, check the provider's pricing page: Mistral pricing. Checked 18 Oct 2026. Mistral consumer terms, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Perplexity: Check the provider's current terms: Terms of Service.
Apex's Resources hub also lists AI apps we've checked, with dates.

A free chat app is a good way to start: ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot each have a minimum age of 13 (higher in some countries) and family features, and you can learn by pasting lessons in. To have an agent do work for you and link to Apex, check each card: on many apps this needs a paid plan, Grok and Claude Free (adults only) are exceptions, and Copilot and Meta AI don't document a way on any plan. Each paid plan named here can be paid monthly, so one month is enough to try it. If you're under 18, ask a parent or guardian before paying: Gemini's paid plans and Claude are for adults only. Linking needs an agent that can call Apex's pair_agent tool or send a web request.

For any app you choose:

Read its card above first, including the age note.
Start from the official page or the official app store listing. Check the publisher's name, because look-alike apps exist. ChatGPT: chatgpt.com, publisher OpenAI. Gemini: gemini.google.com, publisher Google LLC. Copilot: copilot.microsoft.com, publisher Microsoft Corporation.
Create your account with a strong password you don't use anywhere else. Give your real birthday if it asks.
Look at the settings: turn on two-step sign-in if it's offered, and check the privacy or data settings. ChatGPT: Settings › Security and login › Multi-factor authentication (MFA), and Settings › Data controls › "Improve the model for everyone". Google: 2-Step Verification on your Google Account, and Gemini's "Keep Activity" setting. Microsoft: two-step verification on your Microsoft account, and Copilot's Settings › Personalization.

Option A: ChatGPT On screen: ChatGPT's own sign-up page. Before you type anything, check the address bar says chatgpt.com (or, in an app store, that the publisher is OpenAI).

Option B: Gemini On screen: Gemini's own page at gemini.google.com, where you sign in with a Google Account. Check the address (or, in an app store, that the publisher is Google LLC).

Option C: Microsoft Copilot On screen: Copilot's own page at copilot.microsoft.com, where you sign in with a Microsoft account. Check the address (or, in an app store, that the seller is Microsoft Corporation).

A note for teens

Some apps ask for a parent's or guardian's permission under 18 (see the age notes). Setting things up together can help.
Keep private things private. Don't share your full name with your address, your school, your phone number, passwords, or photos of yourself, and don't share other people's details either.
AI can be confidently wrong. Check anything important with a trusted adult or a good source.
If something feels off, stop and tell an adult you trust.

There's more in Apex's free lesson Privacy: what not to share.

Try it

Pick one app from the cards. Open the terms link in its age note and find its minimum age yourself. If you're under 18, what does it say about a parent's or guardian's permission?