TextCortex is a Berlin-based AI workspace that has moved from a consumer writing assistant to an enterprise platform for building AI agents on company knowledge. In September 2026 it is live, offers GPT, Claude, Gemini and open-weight models in one place, and markets EU hosting. Premium costs $29.99 per user per month; there is a Free plan.
Last updated: September 2026
What is TextCortex?
TextCortex is made by TextCortex AI, whose website footer says the product is “developed in Berlin.” Its co-founders are Dominik Lambersy and Ceyhun Derinbogaz, according to the company’s June 2022 announcement of a $1.2 million pre-seed round led by btov Partners, with Speedinvest and Entrepreneur First also investing.
The company began with a Chrome extension that rewrote and expanded text using its own proprietary text-generation models. In 2023 it promoted ZenoChat, a ChatGPT-style chat assistant. In 2026 the homepage calls TextCortex “The Enterprise Agent Infrastructure That Delivers ROI”: a model-agnostic platform where companies connect internal knowledge, build agents and deploy them in tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, SharePoint and Outlook.
We found no reports of a rename or acquisition, but the product, pricing and audience have all changed since its AI-copywriter days.
What happened to Zeno?
“Zeno” was TextCortex’s 2023 brand for its chat assistant, ZenoChat. The current website and user handbook no longer use it; they describe custom agents, knowledge bases, an “Auto mode” for multi-step tasks and a Model Hub. The Chrome Web Store description still mentions ZenoChat, so the name survives mainly as a legacy label.
Which AI models does TextCortex offer?
TextCortex’s FAQ says it uses “the latest Claude, GPT, and Gemini models” from Anthropic, OpenAI, Mistral and Google. Two TextCortex blog posts from June 2026 say its Model Hub offers access to 18 models, naming GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, Gemini 3.1 Pro, DeepSeek V4 Pro, GLM 5.1 and Kimi K2.6. TextCortex also offers EU-hosted API access to open-weight models such as GLM-5.1, with inference in Frankfurt.
Is TextCortex secure and GDPR compliant?
TextCortex says it hosts its services “exclusively in the European Union on GDPR-compliant servers, including third-party AI models,” and that customer data is never used for model training or fine-tuning. When a model provider outside the EU is involved, it says transfers rely on the “US-EU Privacy Framework” or GDPR Standard Contractual Clauses. Its website says it is “SOC 2 & ISO 27001 Certified,” its June 2026 blog posts specify SOC 2 Type I and Type II, and it runs a trust center at trust.textcortex.com.
These are vendor claims; the reports are not publicly displayed. Enterprise buyers should ask for the ISO certificate scope, the SOC 2 report, the subprocessor list and a data processing agreement.
Key features of TextCortex
Custom AI agents
Agents are configurable assistants with their own instructions, tone rules, tools, knowledge sources and permissions. You can clone the default agent, adapt it and @mention agents in Slack or Teams. TextCortex also advertises a visual agent builder and scheduled agents.
Knowledge bases
Agents search across many uploaded or connected files at once, retrieving only the passages relevant to a question. The Free plan includes knowledge bases with 50 MB of storage; Premium raises storage to 10 GB.
Model Hub with multiple LLMs
One subscription covers models from several providers, so you can compare answers or pick a cheaper model for routine work. Auto mode is the exception: the handbook says it runs on a fixed model (Claude 4 Sonnet) that you cannot switch.
Auto mode, web search and deep research
Auto mode breaks a complex request into steps and picks the tools and sources to use. Web search can be limited to news, Google Scholar, X or Reddit. Deep research is included on every plan, including Free.
Connectors and Microsoft 365 integrations
The help center documents integrations with Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox, Box, Notion, Outlook and Microsoft Teams. The Teams connector reads channel messages, direct messages and meeting transcripts the user can already see, with admin approval for company accounts. MCP connectors add Slack, Jira, Zendesk, HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo and Apollo, and you can add your own MCP server with a URL and credentials.
Flows for workflow automation
Flows is a visual canvas for multi-step automations with 31 components, including web search, a web scraper, knowledge base retrieval, agent and LLM steps, if-else logic and webhooks. Scheduled runs use the flow owner’s identity.
Browser extension
The extension works in Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave and other browsers, with a toolbar for rewriting, expanding, summarizing and text-to-speech, plus a template library. The Chrome Web Store listing (version 2.1.11, updated 23 September 2026) shows 50,000 users and a 4.9 rating from about 1,600 ratings.
Data analysis, media and API
A data analysis tool runs code on CSV and Excel files. The platform also handles image analysis, image generation on paid plans, speech-to-text and audio or video transcription, and a separate Text Generation API is available.
Benefits of TextCortex
- One workspace, many models: teams get GPT, Claude, Gemini and open-weight models without separate subscriptions.
- EU data residency: useful for European companies wary of US-hosted chatbots.
- Answers grounded in company files: knowledge bases and connectors cut copy-pasting.
- Works where people already are: Teams, Outlook, SharePoint and the browser extension.
- A real free tier: knowledge bases, agents, connectors and deep research are available at $0 for evaluation.
TextCortex use cases by role
- Sales teams: prospect research with web search and HubSpot, Salesforce or Apollo connectors, plus email drafts in Outlook.
- Customer support: agents that answer from product documentation and Zendesk ticket history.
- Consultants, legal and M&A advisers: searching and summarizing large document sets. Check the output: TextCortex’s own help center warns about hallucinations and weak arithmetic.
- Operations and IT: scheduled agents and Flows for recurring reports and data pulls.
- Marketers and writers: templates, rewriting and translation in the browser, the job TextCortex was first built for.
TextCortex publishes case studies from MAHLE, KBC and b2venture (for example, “5+ hours saved per employee/week” at MAHLE) and claims 2.4 million users worldwide. These are vendor figures, not independently verified.
How much does TextCortex cost?
The prices below are from TextCortex’s pricing page as of September 2026. They are in USD and exclude VAT.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no credit card | Knowledge bases, 50 MB file storage, custom agents, agent skills and connectors, deep research; no access to all major models |
| Premium | $29.99 per user per month (monthly billing); yearly billing advertised as “2 months free” | Everything in Free, all major models, included model usage, 10 GB storage, image generation |
| Extra Usage (optional add-on) | Base model cost plus a platform markup | Enabled by admins; keeps the strongest models, bigger context windows and longer agent runs available after the included wallet is used |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Everything in Premium, SSO/SCIM/SAML, dedicated deployment, centralized billing, priority support |
How usage works: each paid seat includes a “token wallet” worth 50% of the monthly licence fee in compute value. When it runs out you revert to standard models unless your admin has turned on Extra Usage. TextCortex does not publish how many messages the wallet buys per model. Its FAQ also mentions a 14-day free trial.
Beware of outdated information: an older help center article and many third-party review sites still describe the old “creations” tiers from $6.99 a month. Treat the current pricing page as the source of truth.
TextCortex pros and cons
Pros
- Model-agnostic: GPT, Claude, Gemini and open-weight models in one subscription
- EU hosting, a no-training commitment and claimed ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365 (Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive) plus MCP connectors
- Free plan includes agents, knowledge bases and deep research
Cons
- Premium at $29.99 per seat costs more than ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro for individuals
- The usage wallet is opaque: no published message counts per model
- Arabic is not on the official language list, a drawback for MENA teams
- Conflicting pricing information across old help articles and review sites
- Enterprise focus may be more than solo writers need
How to use TextCortex
- Create a free account at textcortex.com. No credit card is required.
- Install the browser extension from the Chrome Web Store if you want AI help on any website.
- Create a knowledge base and upload documents, or connect Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint or Notion.
- Clone the default agent, then add instructions, tone rules, the knowledge base and the tools it may use.
- Chat with the agent, picking a model manually or using Auto mode for multi-step research.
- Connect Teams or Outlook (company accounts need admin approval) so agents can work with messages and meetings.
- For recurring work, schedule the agent or build a Flow. Check your team’s usage before enabling Extra Usage.
TextCortex alternatives
Prices below are in USD, except Langdock, which prices in euros (EUR).
- ChatGPT: pick it for the widest feature set on OpenAI models; Plus costs $20 per month, and ChatGPT Business costs $20 per user per month billed annually ($25 monthly).
- Claude: pick it for long documents and writing quality on Anthropic models; Pro costs $20 per month ($17 billed annually), and Team standard seats cost $25 monthly or $20 annually.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot: pick it if your company runs entirely on Microsoft 365. The Copilot Business add-on lists at $21 per user per month paid yearly, or $25.20 monthly; Microsoft advertises a promotional $18 for the first year on annual commitment for eligible business customers until 31 December 2026.
- Jasper: pick it for marketing teams that need brand voice and campaign agents; Pro costs $69 per seat per month or $59 billed annually, with a 7-day trial.
- Langdock: pick it if you want another EU-hosted, model-agnostic workspace; priced in EUR, not USD: Business Standard costs €25 per user per month excluding VAT, with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is TextCortex still available in 2026?
Yes. TextCortex is live in September 2026, but it has pivoted from a consumer AI writing assistant to what it calls enterprise AI agent infrastructure. The web app, browser extension (updated 23 September 2026), Microsoft Teams, Outlook and SharePoint integrations, API and a Free plan are all still offered. We found no reports of an acquisition or rename.
How much does TextCortex cost?
As of September 2026, TextCortex has three plans: Free at $0, Premium at $29.99 per user per month on monthly billing, and a custom-priced Enterprise plan. Yearly billing is advertised as “2 months free.” Prices exclude VAT. Premium includes a model-usage wallet worth 50% of the licence fee in compute value, and admins can turn on paid Extra Usage for heavy workloads.
Which AI models does TextCortex use?
TextCortex is model-agnostic. Its FAQ says it uses the latest Claude, GPT and Gemini models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, plus Mistral. TextCortex blog posts from June 2026 say its Model Hub offers 18 models, naming GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, Gemini 3.1 Pro, DeepSeek V4 Pro, GLM 5.1 and Kimi K2.6. The Free plan does not include access to all major models.
Does TextCortex support Arabic?
TextCortex does not list Arabic as a supported language. Its FAQ names more than 25 languages, including English, German, French, Spanish and Ukrainian, and its translator page says it covers 28 languages, without naming Arabic. The underlying models may still answer in Arabic, but quality and right-to-left handling are not documented, so Arabic-speaking teams should test it during the trial.
Is TextCortex GDPR compliant and secure?
TextCortex says it hosts its services exclusively in the EU on GDPR-compliant servers, never uses customer data for model training, and is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified (its blog specifies SOC 2 Type I and Type II). It runs a trust center at trust.textcortex.com. These are vendor claims; ask for the certificates, SOC 2 report and data processing agreement before a company-wide rollout.
What happened to Zeno and ZenoChat?
Zeno was the brand TextCortex used in 2023 for its chat assistant, ZenoChat. The current website and help handbook no longer use the name; they describe custom agents, Auto mode and the Model Hub instead. The Chrome Web Store listing still mentions ZenoChat, so the name survives mainly as a legacy label.
Is TextCortex better than ChatGPT?
It depends on your needs. ChatGPT gives individuals OpenAI’s own models and a larger feature set from $20 a month. TextCortex costs more per seat but lets one workspace switch between OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and open-weight models, with EU hosting and connectors to Microsoft 365 and other business tools. For EU companies with strict data-residency rules, TextCortex is the more relevant option.
Verdict
TextCortex in September 2026 is no longer the budget AI writer many listings describe. It is an EU-hosted, model-agnostic agent platform aimed at companies, with solid Microsoft 365 integration, knowledge bases, Flows automation and a Free plan good enough for evaluation. It suits European teams that need data residency and several model providers.
It is harder to recommend for solo users, who get more for $20 from ChatGPT or Claude, and for Arabic-first teams, because Arabic is not officially supported. If you are considering it for a company, run the 14-day trial on your own documents, ask for the ISO and SOC 2 reports, and find out how quickly your typical workload uses up the included wallet before you commit.
Sources
- TextCortex pricing and plans
- TextCortex homepage: Enterprise AI Infrastructure
- Model usage limits and Extra Usage (TextCortex Help Center)
- Plans & pricing explained (TextCortex Help Center, legacy tiers)
- TextCortex User Handbook (TextCortex Help Center)
- TextCortex FAQ
- TextCortex for Enterprise Agents
- Best ChatGPT Alternative: GDPR-Compliant Enterprise AI (TextCortex)
- 6 Best Sovereign AI Platforms in 2026 (TextCortex blog, June 2026)
- Top 5 GDPR Compliant AI Assistants (TextCortex blog, June 2026)
- GLM-5.1 EU Deployment (TextCortex)
- MCP Connectors (TextCortex Help Center)
- Microsoft Teams integration (TextCortex Help Center)
- Integrations (TextCortex Help Center)
- Introduction to TextCortex Flows (TextCortex Help Center)
- TextCortex: Advantages & Limitations (TextCortex Help Center)
- TextCortex AI Translator
- TextCortex Browser Extension
- TextCortex: AI Knowledge Base for Enterprises (Chrome Web Store)
- The Ultimate Guide to ZenoChat (TextCortex blog)
- TextCortex Raises $1.2 Million Pre-Seed (TextCortex, June 2022)
- TextCortex Trust Center
- What is ChatGPT Plus? (OpenAI Help Center)
- ChatGPT Business pricing (OpenAI)
- Claude plans and pricing (Anthropic)
- Microsoft 365 Copilot plans and pricing (Microsoft)
- Jasper pricing
- Langdock pricing
