Introduction
Imagine standing in an electronics store in front of the smartphone shelf. Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Google: All promise the best. You know you want a good device, but which one is right for you? This is exactly how it feels to enter the world of AI assistants. ChatGPT here, Claude there, Gemini over there, and they all seem to be able to do the same thing, right?
The good news upfront: You don’t need to know them all, and you don’t have to make a science out of it. It’s perfectly sufficient to understand what the main differences are and which tool best fits your needs. Some people swear by a single provider, while others switch depending on the task. Both approaches are completely fine.
That’s what this article is about: You will get a clear overview of the major AI assistants, learn what they can do, what they cost, and which tool is worth it for whom. By the end, you will be able to confidently decide which one you want to start with.
The Major Language Models at a Glance
Before we dive into the details, a brief classification: When people talk about ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, they are referring to AI assistants that are based on so-called Large Language Models (LLMs). These are the systems we got to know in the previous article. They have been trained on vast amounts of text and can communicate in a human-like manner.
Let me introduce you to the key providers you should know:
ChatGPT by OpenAI is the most well-known AI assistant and practically started the current AI boom. ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 and reached over 100 million users in just two months. That was faster than any other application in history. For comparison: TikTok took nine months to reach that mark, Instagram two and a half years. Today, over 800 million people worldwide use ChatGPT every week. When someone talks about AI, they often automatically mean ChatGPT. The system is versatile, has a huge user community, and is constantly being developed further.
Claude by Anthropic is perhaps the most important challenger. The company Anthropic was founded in 2021 by seven former OpenAI employees, including siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei. Dario was previously Vice President of Research at OpenAI and led the development of language models like GPT-2 and GPT-3. The team placed a special emphasis on safety and helpful responses from the very beginning. Claude launched in March 2023 and currently has about 19 million monthly users. The system is considered particularly good at writing longer texts, analyzing documents, and conducting natural conversations. Many users describe Claude as the friendliest and most nuanced AI assistant.
Gemini by Google brings the full power of Google’s infrastructure. The system is deeply integrated into Google services and can access current information from the internet. If you already work a lot with Google products (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Search), Gemini is a natural choice.
Copilot by Microsoft is Microsoft’s answer to the AI boom and is based on the technology behind ChatGPT. The big advantage: Copilot is directly integrated into Windows, Microsoft Edge, and the Office programs. If you work daily with Word, Excel, or Outlook, you have a natural entry point here.
These four are the most well-known AI assistants, but the landscape is larger. Further down in this article, I will introduce you to other interesting alternatives, including the eye-catching DeepSeek from China, the research specialist Perplexity, and several open-source models. Our prompt generator supports all these tools.
Free vs. Paid: What’s Worth It for Whom?
A question that many people ponder: Do I have to pay for AI assistants, or are the free versions sufficient? The short answer: For getting started and occasional use, the free versions are perfectly adequate.
Here’s an analogy that I find helpful: Think of streaming services. Spotify Free is available for free with ads and some limitations. For most casual listeners, that’s enough. However, those who listen to a lot of music, want to avoid ads, and need offline features are happy to pay for Premium. It’s the same with AI assistants.
The free versions typically give you access to the basic features. You can ask questions, have texts written, gather ideas, and much more. The limitations usually affect three areas: You get access to older or less powerful models, you have a limited number of queries per day, and some additional features like image generation or advanced analyses are missing.
For example, with ChatGPT, you can use the free version indefinitely, but you don’t get the latest model and don’t have access to advanced features. Claude also offers a free version with a daily usage limit. Gemini is available for free through Google Search, and Copilot can be used in the Edge browser or via Bing without payment.
The paid versions cost around $20 per month with all major providers (approximately 18 to 20 euros). ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Gemini Advanced all fall within this price range. These subscriptions unlock several advantages: You gain access to the most powerful and latest models, which often deliver significantly better results. You can make more queries without hitting limits. And you receive additional features like image creation, document uploading and analysis, or real-time internet browsing.
Who benefits from what? Here’s an honest assessment:
The free version is sufficient for you if you use AI occasionally, say a few times a week for simple tasks like text corrections, idea gathering, or quick questions. If you want to try out what AI can actually do, the free version is the perfect starting point.
A paid subscription is worthwhile if you use AI regularly in your profession, want to create longer or more complex texts, work with documents, or simply don’t want any limitations. Freelancers who write offers daily, office workers who regularly create reports, or creatives who use AI for brainstorming: For them, a subscription often pays off quickly.
My tip: Start with the free version. Use it intensively for a few weeks. Only when you notice that you regularly hit limits does an upgrade make sense. Most providers also offer free trial periods for their premium versions.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Different Providers
No AI assistant is the best in all areas. Each system has its strengths and weaknesses. It’s like cars: A sports car is great on the highway but impractical for grocery shopping. A station wagon offers plenty of space but is less maneuverable in the city. Let’s look at where each provider shines and where it shows weaknesses.
ChatGPT is the all-rounder among AI assistants. Its greatest strength is versatility: There’s hardly a task that ChatGPT doesn’t handle at least satisfactorily. The huge user base of over 800 million weekly users also means that you can find countless tips, guides, and examples online. The weakness: For very long texts or complex analyses, ChatGPT sometimes reaches its limits. Additionally, the system can be slower during peak times in the free version.
Claude excels particularly in longer, demanding texts and document analysis. If you upload a 50-page contract and ask questions about it, Claude often provides the most thoughtful answers. The writing style is also considered particularly natural and pleasant. The weaknesses: Claude is significantly less widespread than ChatGPT, with about 19 million monthly users, which means you’ll find fewer tips and guides online. Additionally, Claude can sometimes be very cautious and decline requests that other systems would handle effortlessly.
Gemini has a decisive advantage: integration into the Google ecosystem. If you already use Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, Gemini can directly access this data and provide personalized assistance. Additionally, Gemini can access current information from the internet without you having to ask for it specifically. The weakness: Gemini is often less strong than ChatGPT or Claude in creative tasks and free writing.
Copilot is your friend if you work daily with Microsoft products. Imagine you’re in Word and need help with phrasing. Copilot is right there without you having to switch programs. The same goes for Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The weakness: Outside of the Microsoft universe, Copilot is less practical. It also sometimes lags behind specialized competitors in very specialized tasks.
The point is: There is no clear winner. The best tool is the one that fits your habits and needs.
Which Tool for Which Purpose?
Now it gets practical: Which tool should you use for which task? Here are concrete recommendations for typical use cases.
For writing texts (emails, letters, applications, blog posts), ChatGPT and Claude are the top choices. Both deliver fluid, well-formulated texts. Claude has a slight advantage in longer, more demanding texts, while ChatGPT is faster and more versatile for shorter tasks.
For research and facts, Gemini and Perplexity are particularly well-suited. Gemini accesses Google Search directly, while Perplexity is specifically designed for source-based research. Both provide current information with citations.
For daily office work with Microsoft products, Copilot is the obvious choice. Formulating emails in Outlook, creating spreadsheets in Excel, designing presentations in PowerPoint: Copilot is directly integrated and understands the context of your work.
For creative brainstorming (gathering ideas, viewing problems from new perspectives, finding unusual solutions), all major providers perform well. Personally, I find Claude particularly pleasant here because the responses often seem more creative and less formulaic.
For programming and technical tasks, all major providers have specific strengths. ChatGPT and Claude can write, explain, and debug code. If you’re programming or automating, you’ll find what you need here.
A real-life example: A freelance graphic designer uses Claude to develop concepts for clients and write project descriptions. For invoicing, she uses Copilot in Excel. And when she needs to quickly research what’s trending in the design field, she asks Gemini. She switches depending on the task, and it works excellently.
My advice: Try out two or three providers. Ask them the same question and compare the answers. You will quickly develop a sense of which system suits you.
Mobile Apps: AI in Your Pocket
All major AI assistants are also available as apps for your smartphone. This opens up entirely new possibilities, as AI is suddenly available everywhere you are.
ChatGPT has apps for iOS and Android. A special feature: You can speak with the app instead of typing. Imagine you’re driving and need quick information. You simply say your question, and ChatGPT responds with a spoken voice. You can also take photos directly from the app and have them analyzed, for example, by photographing a recipe from a cookbook and asking what ingredients you need to buy.
Claude also offers a mobile app with similar features. You can communicate via voice, upload images, and analyze documents. The app is well-designed and particularly pleasant for longer conversations.
Gemini is particularly well integrated on Android devices. You can replace the Google Assistant with Gemini and thus call up AI directly from the home screen. On iPhones, Gemini is available as a standalone app.
Copilot can be found both as a standalone app and integrated into Microsoft apps. If you use Outlook or Word on your phone, Copilot is directly available there.
Why are the mobile apps so practical? Here are a few everyday examples:
A craftsman photographs a problem on the construction site and asks the AI what might have gone wrong. A student uses voice input to have summaries read to her on the way to university. A retiree photographs foreign language signs while traveling and has them translated. An office worker dictates a draft email on the bus, which she later completes on her computer.
The mobile apps make AI a constant companion. You no longer need a computer to take advantage of the benefits. Everything you need is already in your pocket.
A practical tip: Download two or three apps and test them in parallel. Most are free to use, and you’ll quickly notice which app feels the most comfortable for you.
Other Players: From DeepSeek to Llama
The four big names are now familiar to you. But the AI landscape is larger, and some exciting alternatives also deserve your attention. Our prompt generator supports these tools because they bring real strengths for specific tasks.
DeepSeek: The Surprise Guest from China
In January 2025, DeepSeek made headlines worldwide. The Chinese startup proved that powerful AI doesn’t necessarily have to cost billions and even temporarily surpassed ChatGPT at the top of the app store charts. DeepSeek is completely free to use and excels particularly in mathematics and programming. The R1 model delivers results that can compete with the best Western models. The catch: Data is processed in China, and the system is subject to Chinese regulation. For sensitive information, this is not a good choice, but for general questions and experiments, it is quite interesting.
Grok: The Rebel from Elon Musk
Grok comes from xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company. The special feature: Grok has direct access to real-time data from the platform X (formerly Twitter) and is intentionally less reserved than other assistants. The system also answers "spicy" questions that other AIs would decline. The basic version is free on X and via grok.com, while advanced features (SuperGrok) start at $30 per month. Grok is well-suited for current topics, trend analyses, and if you’re looking for an AI assistant with more personality.
Mistral Le Chat: The European Alternative
The French startup Mistral has created an assistant with Le Chat that complies with European data protection standards. Le Chat is particularly fast (the "Flash Answers" feature delivers up to 1000 words per second) and collaborates with the news agency AFP, ensuring reliable citations. The basic version is free, while Pro costs around $15 per month. For users who value data protection and prefer a European provider, this is a genuine option.
Perplexity: The Search Engine with Citations
Perplexity is technically not a classic AI like ChatGPT, but rather an "answer machine." Instead of delivering ten blue links like Google, Perplexity summarizes information from the web and always cites the sources. With about 22 million active users, Perplexity has established itself as a research tool. For fact-checking, academic research, and if you want to know where information comes from, it’s worth its weight in gold. The free version is sufficient for many tasks, while Pro costs $20 per month and provides access to various AI models.
Qwen: The Open-Source Champion from China
Alibaba’s Qwen models are among the most powerful freely available AI systems worldwide. The current Qwen3 supports over 100 languages and can be used for free at chat.qwen.ai. In benchmark tests, Qwen achieves top positions, especially in mathematics and programming. Like DeepSeek, the data is processed in China. For technical users who want to run models locally on their own computers, Qwen’s open models are particularly attractive.
Llama: Meta’s Gift to the World
Meta (Facebook) provides one of the most important open-source model families with Llama. Released in April 2025, Llama 4 understands both text and images and supports an impressive 200 languages. The models can be downloaded for free and serve as the basis for countless other AI projects. For end users, Llama is less directly usable than ChatGPT or Claude, as it requires technical know-how for installation. But if you want to dive deeper into the AI world, there’s hardly a way around Llama.
Why So Many Options?
You might be wondering: Do I need all of this? The answer: No, not immediately. For getting started, the big four (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot) are completely sufficient. But it’s good to know that alternatives exist. Perplexity for research with citations, Mistral for European data protection, DeepSeek and Qwen for free use without strict limits. Our prompt generator helps you create the optimal prompt for each of these tools. This way, you can get the best out of each assistant, no matter which one you choose.
Your Exercise: Create Your First Optimized Prompt
Now it gets practical. In this exercise, you will get to know the prompt generator and create your first optimized prompt for an AI tool of your choice.
Step 1: Open the Prompt Generator and Select the Application Area
Access the prompt generator. In the first field, select the application area. For this exercise, choose "Text," as we are working with language models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
Step 2: Choose Your LLM Model
This is where it gets exciting: The prompt generator knows the specifics of each model. Choose the tool you want to use, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or one of the other models like DeepSeek or Perplexity. The generator automatically adjusts the prompt to the specific guidelines of that model.
Step 3: Choose the Description
In the "Description" field, specify what type of task you want to accomplish. This helps the generator structure the prompt optimally.
Step 4: Formulate Goal & Output
Now describe in your own words what you want to achieve. For example: "A friendly email to my neighbor thanking her for accepting a package" or "A simple explanation of how interest works on a savings account."
Step 5: Set the Tone
How should the response sound? Formal or casual? Factual or emotional? Enter here what tone you desire, such as "friendly and personal" or "professional and factual."
Step 6: Discover the Three Variants
After generating, you will see three prompt variants:
The structured variant is detailed and clearly organized. It is suitable for complex tasks where you need detailed results.
The compact variant gets straight to the point. Perfect if you want quick results without much fuss.
The creative variant encourages the AI to provide more original, surprising answers. Ideal for brainstorming and fresh ideas.
Step 7: Copy and Test
Select the variant that best fits your task, copy the prompt, and paste it into your chosen AI tool. Observe the result: Does it meet your expectations?
Bonus Experiment: Create prompts for the same task for two different models (once for ChatGPT, once for Claude). You will see: The generated prompts differ because each model has its own strengths that the generator takes into account.
Conclusion
You now know which major AI assistants exist and what distinguishes them from one another. You understand the differences between free and paid versions and can assess what makes sense for you. You have an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the different providers and know which tool is particularly suitable for which purpose. You have discovered that AI is always present thanks to mobile apps. And you are now also aware of the exciting alternatives beyond the big four, from DeepSeek to Perplexity to the open-source models.
In the next article "Sign Up and Get Started: Your Start in 10 Minutes," I will show you step by step how to sign up for an AI assistant and have your first conversation. No more theory, just pure practice.
Until then: Feel free to try out one or the other app. You only need an email address and can get started in a few minutes. The AI world is waiting for you, and the entry is easier than you think.