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AI assistants

“Which AI assistant should I use?”
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The assistant that suits you depends mostly on where your work already lives. Gemini draws on Gmail, Docs and Drive, and Copilot works inside Word, Excel and Outlook with Microsoft 365. Claude handles long documents well and connects to your own tools through MCP. ChatGPT covers the widest mix of tasks, from images to voice, and Perplexity answers research questions with sources you can check.

ChatGPT: OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant.
ChatGPT

OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant.

Pricing on requestTry
Google Gemini: Google's AI assistant.
Google Gemini

Gemini is Google's AI assistant for writing, research, coding and planning, on the web and on mobile. It works with Gmail, Docs, Drive and other Google apps, so it can draw on your own files. It also generates images and runs deep research reports. A free tier covers everyday use, with more in Google's paid AI plans.

Pricing on requestTry

Side by side

Price, free plan, ease of use and the team size each one suits.
ChatGPTPricing on requestSolo, Small team, Growing team
Google GeminiPricing on requestSolo, Small team, Growing team
ClaudeFree planSolo, Small team, Growing team, Large team
PerplexityPricing on requestSolo, Small team, Growing team
Microsoft CopilotPricing on requestSolo, Small team, Growing team, Large team

Why these picks

Independent reviews, facts checked at the source, and our own use.
  • Ranked from independent reviews

    We score how often and how high each tool appears in independent best-of reviews.

    Zapier logoZDNET logoCNET logoTechRadar logoZapier, ZDNET, CNET, and TechRadar
    Reviews read 2 Oct 2026
  • Facts checked at the source

    Prices, free plans and offers come from each provider's own website, checked every week by our software and reviewed by us.

    Prices last checked 1 Oct 2026
  • Nobody pays for a place

    The order comes from the reviews and the facts. Offers are only the providers' own.

     

Head to head

Pairs people weigh up that include one of these picks.
ChatGPTvsClaudeChatGPTvsGoogle GeminiChatGPTvsJuliusChatGPTvsMicrosoft CopilotChatGPTvsMistral VibeChatGPTvsPerplexityClaudevsGoogle GeminiClaudevsPerplexityNotebookLMvsPerplexityPerplexityvsElicit

Rules that apply

The rules, the dates, and which of these tools support them.
EU AI Act: chatbot and AI content labelsUsing a chatbot or AI images on your site in the EU? See what Article 50 of the AI Act asks of you, who must label what, and the dates that apply.

Questions

What people ask about AI assistants.

Should I pick the assistant that matches my email and office apps?

Often, yes. Gemini works with Gmail, Docs and Drive, so it can draw on your own files. Copilot works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams once you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, where it summarises email and meetings. If your files sit elsewhere, Claude can reach them through MCP servers in Claude Desktop and Claude Code.

Can a small business get by on the free versions?

For occasional writing and questions, the free tiers go a long way. ChatGPT and Gemini both cover everyday use for free, and Copilot is free on the web, Windows and mobile. Claude has a free plan to try it. Paid plans mostly add more usage, and ChatGPT adds team workspaces, which matters once several people rely on it daily.

Is an AI assistant reliable enough for research I share with clients?

Any of these can state something wrong with confidence, so check facts before they reach a client. Perplexity replies with the sources it used and links every claim, so you can verify each one. ChatGPT and Gemini also search the web, and Gemini runs deep research reports. Treat the answer as a draft and the sources as the real evidence.

Can I paste a long contract or report into the chat?

Yes, and this is where the assistants differ. Claude handles long documents and careful reasoning well, which suits contracts and lengthy reports. ChatGPT analyses files and data, including spreadsheets. Avoid uploading personal data about clients or staff unless your plan and company policy allow it under GDPR.

Do I need more than one assistant?

Many solo founders settle on one for writing and one for research. A common pairing is ChatGPT or Claude for drafting and Perplexity for sourced answers. If you live in Google or Microsoft apps, the built-in Gemini or Copilot saves copying text between windows. Start with one free tier and add a second only when you hit a clear gap.