The five tools
Last reviewed: September 2, 2026
You have heard the names — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity — and maybe wondered which one you are “supposed” to use. This Lesson gives you a short, honest read on each, so you can pick one and get started.
They are more alike than different
Four of these five are general assistants. You type a question or a request, and they write back. They all handle the everyday jobs well: drafting an email, planning a trip, explaining a topic, summarizing a page. The gaps between them are real but small, and they shift often.
So do not agonize over the choice. The differences below are tendencies, not hard rules. Perplexity is the one true exception, and we will come back to it.
This Lesson avoids version numbers and “which one scored higher” claims on purpose. Those go stale in weeks. What each tool is for changes much more slowly. Check the “last reviewed” date at the top — if it is old, treat the specifics with care.
ChatGPT — the default all-rounder
Best at: a bit of everything. It has the largest set of extra features. That includes voice chat, image generation, image reading, and many add-ons built by other companies.
Free vs paid: a capable free tier. The paid plan raises usage limits and unlocks the newest features first.
How to start: go to chatgpt.com or install the app, make an account, and type in the box.
One standout: you can talk to it out loud and it talks back, which makes it easy to use while your hands are busy.
Claude — long documents and careful writing
Best at: working with long documents, careful and natural-sounding writing, and coding help. It tends to follow detailed instructions closely and to say when it is unsure.
Free vs paid: a usable free tier. The paid plan gives more usage and handles larger documents in one go.
How to start: go to claude.ai or install the app, make an account, and start a chat.
One standout: you can paste in a very long report or a whole set of notes and ask questions across all of it at once.
Gemini — tied into Google’s apps
Best at: being where you already work if you use Google. It connects to Gmail, Google Docs, and Search, and it handles large amounts of text in one prompt.
Free vs paid: a free tier tied to your Google account. The paid plan comes bundled with extra Google storage and deeper access inside the Google apps.
How to start: go to gemini.google.com and sign in with a Google account, or open it from the Google app.
One standout: when you allow it, it can act on your own Gmail and Docs. For example: “find the flight confirmation in my inbox and add it to my calendar.”
Grok — built into X, tuned for right now
Best at: telling you what people are posting on X (formerly Twitter) at this moment. It has a looser content filter than the others, so it pushes back less on edgy or blunt requests.
Free vs paid: a limited free tier. Fuller access comes with an X subscription or a paid Grok plan.
How to start: open it inside the X app or go to grok.com and make an account.
One standout: ask “what are people saying about this right now” and it pulls from live posts, which the others do less well.
Perplexity — the research one
Perplexity is not a general assistant. It is closer to a search engine that writes you an answer. You ask a question and it searches the web. It replies with the key points, plus numbered links to the pages it used.
Best at: looking things up when you need to trust and check the answer — prices, dates, “is this still true,” comparing products.
Free vs paid: a solid free tier. The paid plan adds deeper multi-step research and higher limits.
How to start: go to perplexity.ai or install the app. You can ask a question without an account, but making one saves your history.
One standout: every claim has a source you can click. When being able to verify matters, this is the one to reach for.
Try it: same question, two kinds of tool
Ask a general assistant and Perplexity the same factual question and compare how each answers.
Pick one, stick with it for a week
You do not need all five. For almost everything you will want to do, one general assistant is plenty. Add Perplexity when you have something to look up and verify.
If you cannot decide, that is a sign the choice does not matter much yet. Pick one and put it on your phone. Use it for a week on real tasks — an email, a plan, a question you would have googled. You will learn more from that week than from any comparison.
Next, you will look at how to use these tools safely and honestly — what not to paste in, and when to say you used AI.