If you've started exploring AI tools for your business, you've probably come across at least three or four names: ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Gemini. They all seem to do similar things — write, summarise, answer questions — so choosing between them can feel unnecessarily confusing.
This guide cuts through the noise. We'll look at what each tool does well, who it suits, and how to think about the choice without getting lost in technical comparisons.
The short answer
If your team already uses Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, Teams, Excel), Copilot is worth looking at first because it works inside tools you already use. If you want a general-purpose AI assistant for writing, research and brainstorming, ChatGPT or Claude are both strong options. Gemini is worth considering if your business runs on Google Workspace.
That said, the differences matter depending on how you plan to use them. Here's the fuller picture.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT, made by OpenAI, is the tool that started the current wave of mainstream AI adoption. It's been available the longest, has the most users, and has the widest range of third-party integrations.
What it's good at: Writing, brainstorming, drafting emails and proposals, summarising documents, answering questions, coding assistance. The paid version (ChatGPT Plus) can also browse the web, generate images, and handle file uploads.
Who it suits: Businesses that want a capable general-purpose assistant for a wide range of tasks. It's also the tool most staff will have heard of, which can make adoption easier.
Limitations to know: The free version doesn't browse the web in real time, so it can be out of date on recent topics. The quality of outputs depends heavily on how well you prompt it — vague questions get vague answers.
Cost: Free tier available. ChatGPT Plus costs around £20/month per user.
Microsoft Copilot
Copilot is Microsoft's AI, built on the same technology as ChatGPT but integrated directly into Microsoft 365 apps — Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and more.
What it's good at: Drafting documents in Word, summarising email threads in Outlook, generating formulas in Excel, pulling meeting notes from Teams calls, creating slide outlines in PowerPoint. If you spend most of your working day in Microsoft apps, this integration saves significant time.
Who it suits: Businesses already using Microsoft 365 that want AI woven into their existing workflow rather than a separate tool to switch between.
Limitations to know: The full Microsoft 365 Copilot requires a business subscription on top of your existing Microsoft licence. It's less useful if your team doesn't primarily work in Office apps.
Cost: Microsoft 365 Copilot is an add-on, currently around £25–£30 per user per month on top of existing 365 licences. A free version (Copilot.microsoft.com) is available with limited features.
Claude
Claude is made by Anthropic, and has built a reputation for producing well-written, thoughtful outputs — particularly for longer-form content like reports, proposals and documentation. It also tends to be more cautious about producing inaccurate information, which matters in business contexts.
What it's good at: Writing longer pieces of content, summarising large documents, working through nuanced questions, producing structured reports. Many people find Claude's writing style more natural and less generic-feeling than other tools.
Who it suits: Businesses that produce a lot of written content — proposals, client communications, policies, reports — and care about the quality of the output rather than just the speed.
Limitations to know: Fewer third-party integrations than ChatGPT at present, though this is improving. Less well-known than ChatGPT, so staff may be less familiar with it.
Cost: Free tier available. Claude Pro costs around £18/month per user.
Gemini
Gemini is Google's AI assistant, integrated into Google Workspace — Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet.
What it's good at: Drafting emails in Gmail, summarising documents in Google Docs, generating content in Google Slides, and searching across your Google Drive files. If your business runs on Google Workspace, Gemini can be a natural fit for the same reasons Copilot suits Microsoft users.
Who it suits: Businesses that live in Google Workspace and want AI that works inside the tools they already use daily.
Limitations to know: Like Copilot, the full Workspace integration requires a paid upgrade. Gemini as a standalone assistant is less established than ChatGPT or Claude.
Cost: Gemini is available free via gemini.google.com. The Workspace integration (Gemini for Google Workspace) costs from around £18–£24 per user per month on top of existing Workspace licences.
How to choose
Rather than picking the "best" tool in the abstract, it's more useful to ask:
Where does your team already spend their time? If it's Microsoft 365, start with Copilot. If it's Google Workspace, try Gemini. If neither, ChatGPT or Claude are good starting points.
What's the main use case? For general writing and research, any of the four will serve you well. For high-quality long-form content, Claude tends to stand out. For tasks that involve your existing files and documents, the integrated tools (Copilot or Gemini) have an advantage.
What's the budget? All four offer free or low-cost starting points. You don't need to commit to a paid plan to try them out — start free, identify the use cases that save you the most time, then decide whether a paid upgrade makes sense.
A note on using multiple tools
Many businesses end up using more than one. You might use Copilot for day-to-day email and document work, and Claude for writing a detailed proposal or policy document. That's completely reasonable — these tools are cheap enough that running two doesn't represent a significant cost.
The more important thing is that your team knows how to use whichever tools you choose safely: understanding what data not to share, how to review outputs before using them, and where human judgement still needs to come first.
If you'd like help choosing, trialling or rolling out AI tools in your business — or want to run a training session for your team — get in touch. We work with SMEs across North East England, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
Want help putting this into practice?
We work with SMEs across North East England, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. Book a free, no-obligation conversation.
Book a Free Chat →