May 1, 2026
There are a lot of AI tools right now and it can feel like you need to pick the right one before you even start. ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude — they all do similar things and they all sound important.
Here's a plain explanation of each one and what it's actually good for.
Made by OpenAI. This is the one that started everything when it launched in late 2022.
It's the most widely used AI tool right now, which means it also has the most tutorials, examples, and community around it. If you search "how do I use AI to do X," most results assume you're using ChatGPT.
Good for: general writing, editing, research, answering questions, working through ideas.
Made by Microsoft. This one lives inside Windows, Office, and Bing.
The advantage isn't that it's smarter — it's that it's already where you're working. If you're in Word or Outlook and want to draft something or summarize an email, you don't have to switch tabs. It's built in.
Good for: people who live in Microsoft 365 and want AI without extra steps.
Made by Google. This one is woven into Gmail, Google Docs, and Search.
Google's edge is current information. Where ChatGPT's knowledge has a cutoff date, Gemini pulls in live web results more naturally. If you ask about something happening now, Gemini often has a more up to date answer.
Good for: people already in the Google workspace, or anyone who regularly needs current information.
Made by Anthropic. This one doesn't get talked about as much, but it's worth knowing.
Claude tends to give responses that feel less like generic AI output and more like something a thoughtful person wrote. It's particularly good with long documents and anything that requires nuance — it doesn't rush to an answer, and it's less likely to make things up.
Good for: writing that needs to sound human, reading and summarizing long documents, anything where you want a more careful response.
Start with ChatGPT. It has the most resources, the biggest community, and if you ever search a question about how to use AI, the answer will almost certainly be written for ChatGPT.
Once you're comfortable, try the others based on where you already work. If you're a Google person, give Gemini a look. If you're in Microsoft all day, try Copilot. If you want something that writes more naturally, try Claude.
You don't have to choose one forever. Most people end up using two or three depending on what they're doing.
At Clearly, AI, I walk through all of these in more detail — including when to switch between them and what each one is actually worth paying for. If you're trying to figure out where to start, that's a good place to go.