AI chatbots based on large language models (LLMs) are arguably the most disruptive technology of this decade. Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT as a free solution at the end of 2022, some of the tech industry's leading names have been vying to develop and refine their own AI models and tools.
But which of these solutions is the best AI assistant on the market today? How do they perform in various use cases? This AI chatbot comparison examines 5 leading AI chatbots and checks how they perform on specific productivity-oriented tasks. In particular, we looked at which of these tools offers the smartest functionality for software developers.
AI chatbot comparison
There are now dozens of different AI chatbot tools on the market, plus hundreds of other productivity tools that are being upgraded with new AI features and integrations. To cut through the noise, we focused on the 5 largest LLMs for this AI chatbot comparison: OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, GitHub Copilot, and Anthropics Claude.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT's influence in the AI sector is so pervasive that many people simply refer to AI and LLMs as “ChatGPT.” Since its launch at the end of 2022, ChatGPT has been the leading AI chatbot on the market, and its popularity has prompted tech giants like Microsoft and Google to unveil their own chatbots.
GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, while Chat points to the conversational nature of the tool. True to its name, ChatGPT is focused on providing a conversational, algorithmically generated chatbot experience that can answer questions, support research, analyze data, and generate content.
The current model is called ChatGPT-4.5, with previous versions such as GPT-4 and GPT-4o still active at the time of writing this article. Recently, an improved image generation feature was also introduced in GPT-4o, which met with mixed responses due to ethical concerns.
Key facts:
- Start: end of 2022
- Developer: OpenAI
- Monthly active users: ~600 million
Gemini
Google didn't want to stand back and launched its own AI chatbot five months after ChatGPT. Gemini benefits from being part of the Google suite, which means it's easy to integrate with Google apps and other Google products. It was formerly known as Google Bard, and its launch was overshadowed by high-profile glitches.
Similar to ChatGPT, Gemini is designed to provide algorithmic answers to questions based on a large language model. Gemini's history actually dates back to 2021, with the tool being announced long before ChatGPT's breakthrough.
Gemini hasn't gone through as many upgrades as ChatGPT. The latest model at the time of creation is Gemini 2.5.
Key facts:
- Start: May 2023 (as Bard)
- Developer: Google
- Monthly active users: ~350 million
Perplexity
Perplexity launched its AI chatbot shortly after ChatGPT in December 2022. They haven't seen as much growth as OpenAI during this time and have seen significantly fewer valued users. Yet Perplexity remains one of the leading AI options and has been praised as an alternative to larger tools for specific tasks, namely research.
Perplexity focuses on accuracy and provides more reliable answers to search queries than some of its competitors. It's also worth noting that Perplexity has access to other popular models from OpenAI, Deepseek, Claude, and Gemini, making it the best chatbot for comparing search results between tools.
Unlike other tools, the free version of Perplexity and Perplexity Pro didn't go through many iterations. Instead, developers are working to refine the existing tool.
Key facts:
- Start: December 2022
- Developer: Perplexity AI
- Monthly active users: ~30 million
- Special feature: Access to multiple LLM models
Copilot
Microsoft launched its own chatbot around the same time as Google and integrated it into various mobile apps. Similar to Google's alternative, Copilot integrates directly with Microsoft products. Copilot is so closely connected to Microsoft 365 that it was formerly known as Copilot 365 until Microsoft renamed it in 2023.
As a result, similar to Gemini, Microsoft Copilot is easily accessible to most people working today. It is also integrated with both Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Bing.
Microsoft hasn't released any significantly updated versions of Copilot since its launch. Instead, as with Perplexity, they worked to improve the existing tool.
Key facts:
- Start: February 2023
- Developer: Microsoft
- Monthly active users: ~20 million
- Integration: Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing
Claude
Anthropic is one of OpenAI's most direct competitors. Claude was launched in March 2023 and quickly became known for his human-like interaction. Although not as widely used as ChatGPT, many praise Claude for his more eloquent, less robotic answers to inquiries.
In 2024, Anthropic introduced the Claude 3 family of tools, which includes Haiku (optimized for speed), Sonnet (which balances performance and ability), and Opus (designed for more complex reasoning).
Key facts:
- Start: March 2023
- Developer: Anthropic
- Monthly active users: ~19 million
Alternative AI chatbots
Although these represent the five largest AI chatbots currently available, particularly in the West, there are several other tools worth keeping an eye on. The most significant of these is DeepSeek, China's most advanced chatbot, which was launched in January 2025. Although DeepSeek is likely to be used extensively across China, ongoing US–China relations make its future in the West uncertain.
There are also Open-source chatbot options, but these often lack some of the key features of the tools mentioned above. However, some open-source LLMs, such as Mistral and LLaMa, are increasingly popular and show great potential.
Other notable chatbots include Meta AI and Grok by X. However, these tools are primarily used through the social media platforms they're connected to, and not for productivity-oriented tasks.
AI capabilities and limitations
Before we compare these tools directly, it's essential to outline their commonalities in terms of capabilities and limitations. All of today's LLMs are best used as a complementary research tool.
You're most effective when you can clearly prompt and consistently iterate on responses. None of these tools is currently able to replace human intuition—whether for extensive research, creative and engaging writing, or creating unique visual works of art. It is also unclear whether they will really achieve this capacity in the future.
When you use AI chatbots as a developer, they're most useful as a learning aid. They can explain code snippets, provide examples, explain paradigms and concepts, and help ensure you're using best practices. They may be preferable to search engines in certain situations, particularly if you have a specific question that needs to be answered.
As a rule of thumb, if you decide to use these tools, make sure you work with them. Don't expect them to do your job for you.
Which AI assistant delivers the best results for developers?
Software development doesn't just consist of writing code. It is an increasingly complex process that involves research, planning, implementation, and collaboration. We shouldn't overlook testing, deployment, and documentation, either. AI can help optimize many essential, non-coding-related tasks so developers can focus on strategic and creative decisions.
Which AI models and plans should professionals choose?
If you're hoping to use an AI chatbot to help with programming, it's worth investing in a paid solution. Some developers even opt for the most expensive plans, such as ChatGPT Pro.
Free versions may be good for code generation, but they likely won't be able to write or rewrite scripts at a level that is reliable or accurate enough to be used in a real solution. However, free users can still get a lot out of it:
- ChatGPT's 4o model provides fairly reliable coding answers at the time of creation. If you're not ready to pay for a premium plan, ChatGPT is arguably the best all-rounder.
- Perplexity gives you access to multiple AI models, and that can be extremely beneficial in some scenarios. However, Perplexity Pro is a superior option for coding.
- Google Gemini 2.5 represents a significant improvement over its predecessor and can reach or even exceed GPT in some cases, but free access is fairly limited.
- Copilot has seen significant improvements in recent months. The free version offers plenty of functionality and scores well.
- Claude can also act as a code interpreter and generate small snippets of usable code in certain situations.
In all cases, you should only use these tools to generate small chunks of code, as none of them can reliably program entire solutions or code that deals with complex business logic. They can help, but they still rely on human intuition and decision-making.
AI teaching tools and learning aids
Creating code is one thing, but using an AI chatbot as a learning aid and research tool that replaces or extends traditional web searches is completely different.
This use case also plays more to LLM strengths, as you're less reliant on unique code snippets that work; instead, use these tools to learn general coding rules and techniques.
When a small team takes on a new project that requires junior members to quickly master a new framework or tool, AI can help them upskill. This reduces the time that seniors have to invest in their training. AI can also help with the onboarding process and knowledge management.
All of the tools listed above also help professionals master new skills and smooth out the learning curve. The free versions are also usable, although you may need to spend more time reviewing suggestions for accuracy.
Use AI for research and analysis
Using an AI tool for data analysis and research can help you develop a development plan, consider new features, workflows, and more. Research can also help other professionals in their careers, such as project managers to better organize projects or marketers with strategy development and idea generation.
Perplexity also has specific research tool functionality for academics, and its focus on reliable results can make it an even better choice than ChatGPT and Gemini when it comes to specific types of research. It also gives you access to multiple different LLMs so you can review results across different models.
ChatGPT's Deep Research to Feature was introduced at the beginning of 2025 and makes GPT a powerhouse for in-depth research. Perplexity still has a head start on time-sensitive topics like current events, but GPT's Deep Research shines when it comes to in-depth searches. The only downside is that access is limited for free users, and even Plus users are limited to 30 deep searches per month.
Thanks to Google's leading experience in search functionality, Gemini is a good choice for AI-driven research, especially after the 2.5 update.
Best AI chatbots for writing and marketing
Many professionals have experimented with using AI chatbots for writing tasks, such as email writing, internal documentation, creating training materials, generating scripts for YouTube videos, and outlines for content creation in general.
If you want to use an LLM for eloquence in your written answers, Claude Pro is probably your best option compared to other chatbots. Claude focuses on the quality of his written answers and often provides human-like interactions, which can make it a better tool than ChatGPT or the other alternatives listed above.
However, similar to coding, generating emails, or writing articles, none of these tools will appeal to people as effectively as something you've written yourself. While this may not be as important with internal documents, marketing and communications departments shouldn't rely on AI to generate customer-facing content from start to finish.
ChatGPT is arguably the best overall choice for visual marketing following updates that have improved its AI image generation capabilities. These are best used for internal purposes and not in outbound marketing strategies.
AI chatbots for translations
AI chatbots are extremely good at translating, especially when you upload documents directly to the tools. This can be particularly useful when you're communicating across global teams, doing market research, or localizing products and services.
ChatGPT's newer models are usually pretty good at translations. However, you should limit AI translations to short paragraphs or short messages. If you have longer documents — such as a technical manual or white paper — you'll get better results with dedicated translation tools like DeepL or Google Translate.
If you translate official documents or for marketing abroad, it's worth investing in a translator instead of using a free AI chatbot. All customer outputs should be checked by a professional!
Integration with Google and Microsoft productivity suites
Whether we like it or not, AI is already an integral part of industry-standard productivity suites. Microsoft has integrated Copilot with its applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook. Google did the same with Gemini and Google apps like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.
Big tech companies have market power and for good reason. Because of their popularity, Microsoft and Google have virtually ensured that Gemini and Copilot are acquired by many companies.
Apple Intelligence is also worth mentioning, althougth it currently appears to be focused on improving the user experience on Apple's consumer devices. It will undoubtedly evolve to offer more productivity features for macOS, the platform of choice for many developers and designers.
Other notable examples include Adobe Firefly, Figma's new AI tools, Zapier AI integrations, and Notion AI. The list of companies that integrate AI into existing products with large professional user bases is extensive. This trend is here to stay.
ChatGPT and specialized AI tools
Where does this leave generalist chatbots such as ChatGPT and specialized AI tools? Where do they fit in?
The answer is likely to depend on the technical expertise and composition of your team. ChatGPT is arguably the best AI chatbot overall, and its latest models have the broadest functionality for productivity, even if you stick with the free plan. It's also one of the easiest tools to get started, which can make it a reliable choice for more general teams. Thanks to its popularity, many users are already familiar with it.
Perplexity's more advanced functionality might be preferable for more tech-savvy teams, depending on your use case. Some teams may also prefer Claude because of its less robotic answers, for example, it is a good choice for marketing and communications professionals.
When it comes to specialized tools, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to make specific recommendations. There are too many new solutions out there, and a new AI tool or SaaS is launched every week. Many successful AI tools are designed for narrow niches, so they don't have millions of users or name recognition beyond their industries. You'll need to research your niche yourself or use ChatGPT's Deep Research to find really useful tools for your team.
Cnclusion
The landscape of AI chatbots is rapidly evolving. While ChatGPT remains the market leader with the largest user base, alternatives such as Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot each offer specific benefits for different use cases.
For software developers and technical teams, it's worth investing in premium versions, while free plans may be enough for basic learning purposes and simple automations. The integration of AI with established productivity suites from Microsoft and Google makes tools such as Copilot and Gemini the natural choice for many companies.
Ultimately, choosing the right AI assistant should be based on your specific needs, budget, and preferred integrations. Remember: AI tools are assistants, not substitute solutions for human expertise and creativity.
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Jens ist Mitgründer von bakedwith, einer Boutique-Beratung für smarte Automatisierung und KI. Er unterstützt mittelständische Unternehmen und Konzerne dabei, Prozesse zu optimieren, manuelle Arbeit zu reduzieren und durch effiziente Workflows Wachstum zu erzielen. Zuvor war Jens Growth Lead bei OMR und begleitete als Freelancer zahlreiche Unternehmen bei der Optimierung ihrer CRM- und Automationssysteme. Seine Leidenschaft gilt der Verbindung von Wachstum und Effizienz – damit Teams sich auf das Wesentliche konzentrieren können.
