ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Perplexity: in 2026, five major AI assistants cover most everyday use. They can all chat, write, summarize, search the internet and analyze documents. So which AI should you choose? It’s the question I get asked most often, and the answer is simpler than it looks, as long as you start from what you actually need.
The right answer isn’t “the best one,” but the one that fits your needs and your tools. In this guide, I compare the five assistants based on facts: what their free versions do, their subscriptions and US prices, their documented strengths, what they don’t do, and a simple method to choose based on your profile. For each assistant, you’ll also find a link to my detailed guide.
Key takeaways
- ChatGPT: the most versatile assistant, with image creation, voice mode, projects and memory.
- Gemini: built into the Google world (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Android), with Gemini Live and video on paid plans.
- Claude: loved for writing, long documents and code; no image generation, 18+ only.
- Copilot: built into Windows, Edge and, with Microsoft 365, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Perplexity: focused on search with visible sources, with access to several models on Pro.
Information checked on September 29, 2026.
Contents
- The five assistants at a glance
- The big comparison table
- Which AI should you choose for your needs?
- Three real-life scenarios
- What all these assistants have in common
- What about privacy?
- Which AI fits your profile?
- My method for choosing in one week
- Should you pay?
- Mistakes to avoid
- Switching assistants along the way
- FAQ
- The bottom line
The five assistants at a glance
ChatGPT
OpenAI’s assistant, and the best known. The free version lets you chat, search the web, analyze files, create images and talk out loud, with limits. It also offers projects, memory and custom instructions to organize and personalize your work. Plans range from Go ($8 a month) to Plus ($20 a month, sales tax may apply) and beyond; in the US, the Free and Go plans show ads, while Plus and higher are ad-free. My guide: ChatGPT: the complete guide.
Gemini
Google’s assistant. The free version gives you access to the Gemini 3 Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro models (Pro with limits), image creation, Gems, Deep Research and Gemini Live with the camera. The Google AI Plus ($9.99 a month) and Google AI Pro ($19.99 a month) plans add Gemini in Gmail and Docs, video and storage, among other things; check the price shown when you subscribe. My guides: Free Gemini and Google AI Pro.
Claude
Anthropic’s assistant. The free version includes web search, up to 5 projects, artifacts, memory, a beta voice mode and Office file creation. Claude Pro costs $20 a month on the web or $20 a month on the US App Store, and adds Research and Claude Code, among other things. Claude doesn’t generate illustrations, and Claude.ai is for users 18 and older. My guides: Free Claude and Claude Pro.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft’s assistant, available on the web, in Windows, in Edge and on mobile. The free version lets you chat, search the web, create images and use your voice. With Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99 a month), Family ($12.99 a month) or Premium ($19.99 a month), Copilot works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. My guide: Microsoft Copilot.
Perplexity
A search-focused “answer engine” that shows numbered sources. The free version offers virtually unlimited basic searches, 3 Pro searches a day and 1 Research a month. Pro gives you access to models from several companies and expanded searches. My guides: Perplexity AI and Perplexity Free vs. Pro.
The big comparison table
| Criteria | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Copilot | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Main subscription | Plus, $20 a month | Google AI Pro, $19.99 a month | Pro, $20 a month | Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99 a month | Pro, $20 a month or $200 a year |
| Web search with sources | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, core feature |
| Free deep research | Limited | Yes | No (Research is paid) | No | 1 a month |
| Image creation | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | On Pro |
| Voice mode | Yes | Yes (Gemini Live) | Yes (beta) | Yes | Yes |
| Projects or workspaces | Yes | Gems | Yes (5 on free) | Not covered here | Yes (Projects) |
| Office integration | Connected apps | Gmail, Docs, Drive and other Google services (some features need a Google AI plan) | Connectors (paid) | Word, Excel, Outlook (Microsoft 365) | No |
| Minimum age | See OpenAI’s terms | 13 in the US (personal account; some features 18+) | 18 | See Microsoft’s terms | 13, parental consent for minors |
Prices and features change fast: always check the official websites before subscribing.
Which AI should you choose for your needs?
For doing everything day to day
If you want a single assistant to write, search, create images, talk out loud and organize your projects, I usually recommend ChatGPT, which brings all of these together. Gemini is an excellent alternative if you live in the Google world.
For working in Gmail, Docs and Drive
Gemini is the most integrated with Google services, especially with a Google AI subscription. See my guide to using Gemini with Gmail, Docs and Drive.
For working in Word, Excel and Outlook
Copilot with a Microsoft 365 subscription plugs right into your documents and your inbox.
For writing and analyzing long documents
Claude is highly regarded for its writing quality and its handling of large documents (PDFs up to 1,000 pages). Personally, it’s my go-to for reviewing an important piece of writing.
For finding and fact-checking information
Perplexity is designed for search, with visible sources. It’s my favorite tool for factual questions and keeping up with a topic.
For creating images
ChatGPT and Gemini create images right in the conversation, even on the free plan. So does Copilot. Claude doesn’t generate illustrations.
For coding
Claude (with Claude Code on Pro) and ChatGPT (with Codex) are the most popular with developers.
Three real-life scenarios
Jennifer, executive assistant
She spends her days in Outlook, Word and Excel, on a PC provided by her company. For her, the logical choice is the assistant built into those tools, in the version her employer allows. At home, she uses free ChatGPT to plan the week’s meals and get ready for vacations.
Marcus, grad student
He’s writing a thesis, reads a lot of academic papers and has to cite his sources. He uses free Perplexity to find sources and Claude to help him rephrase and structure his chapters, without having it write for him. Since he’s over 18, he can use Claude; he also keeps free Gemini, which he uses with his school Gmail account to find his professors’ instructions.
Linda, retiree
She has an Android phone and uses Gmail. She wants just one simple tool she can talk to. Gemini, with Gemini Live for spoken conversations and the camera to show it a manual or a plant, seems the most natural fit for her. She doesn’t need a subscription.
These three examples show that the right choice depends first on your tools and habits, much more than on each model’s raw performance.
What all these assistants have in common
Before choosing, it helps to know what stays the same from one assistant to the next:
- they can all make mistakes: check important information, especially numbers, dates, and health, legal or money advice;
- they all work better with specific requests: context, goal, format;
- they all change very quickly: a feature missing today may show up tomorrow, and vice versa;
- they all collect your data under their own rules, with privacy settings worth checking.
In other words, the skills you build with one assistant (asking clearly, checking answers, protecting your data) carry over to all the others.
What about privacy?
Rules on how conversations are stored and used differ by service and account type: check the privacy settings of the tool you use. On a work account, your organization’s rules apply. In every case: no passwords, no banking details, no sensitive health information.
Which AI fits your profile?
| Profile | First choice | On the side |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Free ChatGPT | Free Perplexity |
| Gmail and Android user | Gemini | Free Perplexity |
| Windows and Office user | Copilot | Free ChatGPT |
| Writer, English or humanities student | Claude | ChatGPT or Gemini for images |
| Researcher, journalist, analyst | Perplexity | Claude or ChatGPT for writing |
| Creative | ChatGPT or Gemini | A specialized image tool |
| Developer | Claude or ChatGPT | Perplexity for documentation |
| Family | Gemini (Google AI Pro can be shared) | Free ChatGPT |
My method for choosing in one week
Instead of trusting rankings, test for yourself. Here’s the method I recommend:
- Pick two or three assistants using the table above.
- Prepare five real tasks from your week: an email, a document to summarize, a current-events question, an image or a spreadsheet, a problem from your job.
- Give each assistant the exact same request.
- Score each answer on three criteria: accuracy, clarity, time saved.
- Keep the winner for daily use, plus the free version of a runner-up for a second opinion.
Here’s my request: [your task]. Give me the best answer you can, then tell me in one sentence the limits of your answer and what you’d need to know to improve it.
This test will teach you more than any comparison article, because it’s based on your tasks and the way you work.
Should you pay?
For most people, the free versions are enough to start. A subscription becomes worth it if:
- you regularly hit the free plan’s limits;
- you need a specific feature (Gmail or Word integration, expanded deep research, video, coding);
- the assistant saves you time that has real professional value;
- the subscription replaces a service you already pay for (Google or Microsoft storage, for example).
My advice: one subscription, for the assistant you use most, backed up by the free versions of the others. Paying for several subscriptions is rarely justified for personal use.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing based on a ranking: performance varies from one version to the next and from one task to another.
- Piling up tools: better to master one assistant than skim five apps.
- Forgetting about privacy: each service has its own settings; never share sensitive information.
- Trusting old articles: prices, limits and features change often. The information in this guide was checked on September 29, 2026.
- Ignoring the minimum age: Claude is for adults only, and the other services have their own rules for minors.
Switching assistants along the way
Nothing says you have to stay loyal to one tool. Lots of people start with one assistant, then switch as their needs change: a new job at a company that runs on Microsoft 365, a move to an Android phone, a long-term writing project.
A few tips for switching without losing your habits:
- Copy your custom instructions and best prompts into a document: they work, more or less, with every assistant.
- Export or save important conversations and files before canceling a subscription.
- Recreate your projects in the new tool with the same reference documents.
- Keep the free version of your old assistant for a while, to compare.
What matters most isn’t the tool, it’s the method: a clear request, specific context, and always checking the information that counts.
FAQ
What’s the best AI in 2026?
There isn’t just one. ChatGPT is the most versatile, Gemini the most integrated with Google, Claude highly regarded for writing, Copilot the most integrated with Microsoft, and Perplexity the most focused on search.
Which free AI should I choose?
To get started, free ChatGPT or free Gemini, depending on your setup. Free Perplexity is an excellent add-on for research. See the best free AI tools.
Can you use several AIs at the same time?
Yes, and it’s actually a good idea: comparing two answers helps you catch mistakes. Many people combine a main assistant with a search tool.
Which AI is right for a teenager?
Check each service’s terms. In the US, Gemini is available from age 13 with a personal Google account (some features are 18+); Claude is for users 18 and older.
Can you use these assistants on a phone?
Yes, all five have mobile apps, with dictation or voice mode. On Android, Gemini can also be set as the phone’s default assistant.
Are the answers very different from one assistant to another?
For simple tasks, often not much. The differences show up in features (images, integrations, search) and in writing style. That’s why it pays to test them on your own tasks.
The bottom line
ChatGPT for everything, Gemini for the Google world, Claude for writing and analysis, Copilot for the Microsoft world, Perplexity for searching with sources. Start with the free versions, test them on your real tasks, and only subscribe to the one that genuinely saves you time.
To go further, learn how to write a good prompt, the skill that pays off with every assistant.
