ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot: choosing an AI assistant
The best AI assistant for work is usually the one that fits the tools your business already uses. Gemini is built into Google Workspace business plans, and Copilot Chat comes with eligible Microsoft 365 business subscriptions. If you use neither, test ChatGPT and Claude on the same real tasks. Perplexity is built for research, and Claude is the only one of the five that does not generate images.
How to choose an AI assistant for work
Start from the tools your business already pays for, then compare the others on what their makers publish. That is the first step of putting AI to work in a small team, and the first fact to check is in your own subscription: Google has included Gemini in its Workspace business plans since January 2025, and Microsoft includes Copilot Chat with eligible Microsoft 365 business licenses.
Five assistants come up in almost every small business: ChatGPT from OpenAI, Claude from Anthropic, Gemini from Google, Copilot from Microsoft, and Perplexity. They overlap far more than their marketing suggests. All five answer questions, draft text, read files, and search the web with sources. The differences that matter for a small business are narrower: images, ads, team plans, and how each one fits your email and documents.
We found no independent, published test that ranks them for everyday business work, so this guide does not rank them. Everything below comes from the companies’ own pages, as of November 10, 2026.
Where to start, depending on your setup
| If your business… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Runs on Google Workspace Business | Gemini, already part of your plan; add another assistant only for a need it does not cover |
| Runs on Microsoft 365 business plans | Copilot Chat, included with eligible licenses; the paid Copilot license if you want it to work from your email and files |
| Uses neither, or you work alone | A one-week test of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini on their free plans |
| Needs images for social media or slides | ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot; Claude does not generate images |
| Mostly looks up current information | Perplexity, or the search features of the others |
| Needs a team plan for two to five people | ChatGPT Business (two seats minimum), Claude Team (from two people), or the AI in your office suite |
The five assistants at a glance
| ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Copilot | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, ads possible in some regions | Yes, no ads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web search with sources | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Image generation | Limited on the free plan | No | Yes, free plan included | Yes, when signed in | Paid plans |
| Office suite | Extensions for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Sheets | Connectors for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 | Built into Google Workspace | Built into Microsoft 365 | Connectors on paid plans |
| Team plan | Business, 2 to 200 people | Team, 2 to 150 people | Workspace Business editions | Copilot Chat; Copilot Business add-on up to 300 users | Enterprise Pro and Max, per seat |
| US, UK, Canada, Australia | All four listed | All four listed | All four listed | Over 170 markets | No list published |
Two cautions apply to every column. First, names change: ChatGPT Team is now ChatGPT Business, Copilot Pro is no longer sold, and NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook. Second, some features are limited to certain countries: several of Google’s newer Gemini features are US-only, and Microsoft’s consumer Cowork agent is available only in the US and Canada.
What they have in common
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft all warn in writing that their assistants make mistakes; Perplexity lets you flag inaccurate answers. On their business plans, all of them say they do not train their models on your content by default. On personal plans, the rules differ, and the details belong to a separate guide on data and privacy. Whatever you choose, check facts against a source you open yourself, and keep client data out of personal accounts.
ChatGPT or Claude
The two best-known independent assistants differ on images, ads, and how their free plans run out. Our side-by-side page on how ChatGPT and Claude differ includes a one-week test to run before paying.
ChatGPT or Gemini, for Google Workspace users
If your email is in Gmail, Gemini starts with an advantage: it already sits in your inbox and your documents. See ChatGPT and Gemini compared for Workspace users.
Copilot or ChatGPT, for Microsoft 365 businesses
Microsoft sells Copilot at three levels for business accounts, and the differences decide what it can see. Our guide to Copilot and ChatGPT in a Microsoft business explains them.
Perplexity for research
Perplexity is a search engine first, with a citation on every answer. Read how Perplexity compares for research before using it as your main assistant.
What the free plans allow
Free plans are more capable than a year ago, and their limits differ more than their prices. The page on what you get without paying lists them side by side.
Matching the tool to the task
Writing, research, and images favor different features. See which AI to use for which job.
After choosing
Once you know which assistant fits, the next question is what AI assistants cost in your country, and whether a team plan is worth it. Before you share client files with it, read what AI does with your data. The other guides of this series cover day-to-day AI at work, taking notes with AI, and letting AI handle routine tasks.