Echto vs ChatGPT

Facts checked on 25 October 2026. Echto is in development: its column describes what we commit to, not a finished product.

The short answer

ChatGPT is one of the most capable AI assistants, but for EU consumers it is run from the US: personal data is processed mainly in the United States, chats on consumer plans can be used for training unless you switch it off, and the Free and Go plans show ads in much of Europe since August 2026. Echto keeps data in the EU, has no ads on any plan and only trains on your data if you opt in.

Echto and ChatGPT at a glance

Numbers refer to the sources at the bottom of this page. Products change often; check the provider's own pages for the latest details.
	Echto	ChatGPT
Who runs it	European company, based in the EU	OpenAI (USA); EU users are served by OpenAI Ireland Ltd¹
Where your data goes	Stored and processed only in the EU	Processed mainly in the US; EU data residency is only offered for Enterprise, Edu and API customers¹²
Ads	None, on any plan	Free and Go plans show ads in 31 European markets since August 2026; Plus and higher are ad-free³
AI training on your chats	Only if you opt in	Allowed by default on consumer plans; switch off "Improve the model for everyone" or use Temporary Chat⁴
Deleting your chats	Delete or export everything, any time	Deleted chats are permanently removed within 30 days, with security and legal exceptions⁵
Price	Not final; subscription	Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans; Plus costs around €23 a month in Germany, and prices vary by country⁶

Where does ChatGPT process EU users' data?

People in the EU use ChatGPT through OpenAI Ireland Ltd, but OpenAI's EU privacy policy says personal data is processed on servers mainly in the United States, using standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions¹. OpenAI does offer EU data residency, but only for ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu and the API, not for the Free, Go, Plus or Pro plans most people use².

Echto stores and processes your data only in EU data centres, run by European providers.

Are there ads in ChatGPT?

Yes, on the cheaper plans. OpenAI started testing ads in the US in January 2026 and expanded them to 31 European markets, including Germany, France and the Netherlands, in August 2026. Ads appear on the Free and Go plans; Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise stay ad-free. OpenAI says ads don't change answers and conversations aren't sold to advertisers³⁷.

Echto has no ads on any plan. It is paid for by subscriptions only.

Is ChatGPT trained on your chats?

On consumer plans, your conversations can be used to improve OpenAI's models unless you turn off "Improve the model for everyone" in Data Controls. Temporary Chats are not used for training and are kept for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring⁴.

Regulators have looked closely at this. Italy's data protection authority fined OpenAI €15 million in December 2024 over ChatGPT's legal basis for training and transparency; an Italian court overturned the fine in March 2026⁸⁹.

What ChatGPT does well

Very capable at writing, reasoning, coding and research.
A large ecosystem: voice, images, memory, custom GPTs and agent features.
Memory in the EU is opt-in for free users, a privacy-friendly default.

Which should you choose?

If you want the broadest general-purpose AI and you're fine with US processing, ChatGPT is hard to beat. If you want a personal assistant for your email, agenda and daily life whose data stays in Europe and which is never ad-funded, Echto is being built for exactly that.

Frequently asked questions

Does ChatGPT store data in the EU?

Not for consumer plans. OpenAI's EU privacy policy says data is processed mainly in the US; EU data residency is limited to ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu and API customers. Echto stores and processes data only in the EU.

Does ChatGPT have ads in Europe?

Yes. Since August 2026, ChatGPT's Free and Go plans show ads in 31 European markets, including the Netherlands. Paid Plus and Pro plans are ad-free. Echto has no ads on any plan.

How do I stop ChatGPT from training on my chats?

Turn off "Improve the model for everyone" under Settings, Data Controls, or use Temporary Chat. Echto doesn't train on your data unless you opt in.

Is Echto built on ChatGPT?

No. Echto is designed to run on AI models hosted on European infrastructure, so your data doesn't pass through US AI providers.

Try Echto early

Echto is a personal AI assistant that keeps your data in the EU, has no ads and doesn't train on your chats unless you opt in. It's in development; the waitlist gets access first.

Join the waitlist

Sources

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