ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini: Which AI assistant should you use for what?

What the three have in common

ChatGPT is made by OpenAI, Claude by Anthropic and Gemini by Google. All three are AI assistants, also called chatbots: you type a question or request in plain language and the program replies in full sentences. Behind each one is a large language model, a computer program trained on huge amounts of text so that it has learned how language works.

All three run in a web browser and as apps for phones and computers. All three have a free tier, and all three can now look things up on the web instead of relying only on what they learned in training. For most everyday tasks, such as drafting a letter, explaining a term or summarising a long text, they produce similarly useful results.

One point applies to all of them: answers can be wrong even when they sound convincing. German consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen) stress that the information is not checked for accuracy and is no substitute for professional advice.

What the free versions include (as of October 2026)

ChatGPT Free: according to OpenAI's pricing page, ordinary text chats are unlimited, subject to abuse protection. File uploads, image creation, voice chats, the in-depth research feature Deep Research and memory across conversations are limited. Web search is included.

Claude Free: according to Anthropic, you can chat on the web, desktop and mobile, search the web, create files and set up to five projects, which are folders for related chats. Usage is limited. Anthropic says the limit resets on a rolling five-hour window and there is no fixed number of messages. The most capable models are not available on the free tier.

Gemini free: you need a Google account. According to Google, image creation, Deep Research, the voice conversation mode Gemini Live and custom assistant templates (Gems) are included, along with the usual 15 GB of storage for Gmail, Drive and Photos. Usage limits apply here too and refresh every five hours until a weekly limit is reached.

Our assessment: for trying things out and occasional use, any of the three free versions is enough. The German consumer advice centres take a similar view.

What the paid tiers cost (as of October 2026)

ChatGPT: besides Free there are Go, Plus and Pro. According to a Notebookcheck report from September 2026, in Germany Go costs eight euros a month, Plus 23 euros and Pro from 103 euros. OpenAI notes that the Go plan may contain ads. Plus adds, among other things, stronger reasoning models, more uploads and more research.

Claude: Anthropic lists Pro at 20 US dollars a month when billed monthly, or the equivalent of 17 US dollars a month when billed annually, both excluding tax. Max starts at 100 US dollars. The exact euro amount only appears at checkout. According to Anthropic, Pro gives at least five times the usage of the free tier, plus stronger models and tools such as Claude Code for programming.

Gemini: Google lists prices in euros: Google AI Plus at 4.99 euros with double the usage limits and 400 GB of storage, Google AI Pro at 21.99 euros with four times the limits, Gemini in Gmail and Docs and 5 TB of storage, and Google AI Ultra from 99.99 euros. Google says Gemini in Gmail and Docs is only available to people aged 18 and over.

Uncertainty: prices and features change often with all three providers. Before subscribing, rely on what the checkout page shows.

Which assistant for which purpose

The following recommendations are an editorial assessment based on the providers' own information, not a systematic test.

ChatGPT is the obvious all-rounder. The free version allows plenty of text chats and offers the widest range of extras, such as images, voice chat and research, albeit limited. A good choice if you want one assistant for everything.

Gemini makes sense if you already use Gmail, Google Drive or an Android phone. The paid tiers are bundled with storage. If you already pay Google for storage, check whether an AI plan could replace your current storage plan.

Claude is a good choice for longer writing: drafting calm, factual letters, working through documents, organising your thoughts. Its free version is more tightly limited but includes web search and file creation.

For programming and more demanding computer work, all three offer specialised tools, though mostly only on paid tiers.

Privacy: what to watch for with all three

With all three providers, what you type on consumer plans may be used to improve their models. OpenAI and Anthropic say you can opt out of training. At Google, the relevant setting is called Keep Activity. Google also states that some Gemini chats are read by trained human reviewers, including external contractors.

The German consumer advice centres generally recommend not entering personal or sensitive data, for example health information, bank details or passwords. Under the GDPR, the EU data protection law, you have the right to access and delete your data with every provider, even if the company is based in the United States.

Our assessment: companies can buy business plans with stricter data rules. For private use, it is usually enough to switch off training and to be sparing with personal details.