Lesson 15 min
Three AIs is all you need to know
There are dozens of chat AIs. Forget the rest. You need to know three: Claude (by Anthropic), ChatGPT (by OpenAI), and Gemini (by Google). These three are 95% of what serious users pick. They all do the same basic things — chat, write, summarize, brainstorm — but they have different personalities and strengths. Today we'll do a real comparison so you know which one to pull up when. The good news: ALL THREE have free tiers that are genuinely useful. You don't need to pay anything to start. You'll know by the end of this lesson which one to make your default.
Key points
- →Only 3 chat AIs matter: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini
- →All have free tiers that are genuinely useful
- →Same basic functions, different personalities
- →By end of lesson: you'll know your default
Lesson 26 min
Claude — the thoughtful writer
Claude is best when the quality of one response matters more than speed. It writes the most naturally — fewer 'AI tells' like the word 'delve' or robotic phrasing. It handles VERY long inputs (whole documents, codebases, multi-hour transcripts) without losing the thread. And it'll tell you when it doesn't know something instead of making up an answer. Use Claude when: you're writing something important, analyzing a long document, working through a complicated decision, or want output that sounds human. Free tier: ~30 messages/day, more than enough for casual use. Paid: $20/mo if you use it heavily. Try Claude when you have a sentence that needs to sound exactly right, or you have a long thing to summarize.
Key points
- →Claude = best for quality, long documents, nuanced writing
- →Most natural-sounding output
- →Free tier: ~30 messages/day (plenty for casual use)
- →Try Claude when: writing matters, document is long, decision is nuanced
Lesson 36 min
ChatGPT — the Swiss Army knife
ChatGPT does the most things. Beyond chat, it has: web browsing (current information, news, prices), image generation (DALL-E built in), voice conversations, code execution, custom 'GPTs' for narrow tasks. It's the household name for a reason. Use ChatGPT when: you need current info (Claude can't browse the web), you want image generation in the same app, or you want a wide feature set in one tool. Free tier: usable for most casual users with limited messages on GPT-4. Paid: $20/mo for full features. The downside: ChatGPT's default voice is more 'AI assistant' than Claude — more bullet lists, more hedge words. You can prompt it out of this, but Claude requires less de-formatting.
Key points
- →ChatGPT = most features bundled (web browsing + image gen + voice + code)
- →Best when you need current info or image generation
- →Free tier usable; paid $20/mo for full access
- →Downside: defaults sound more 'AI-y' than Claude
Lesson 44 min
Gemini — the Google Workspace one
Gemini is Google's AI. Use it if you live in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets — Gemini is integrated INSIDE those apps. You type @gemini inside a Doc, it drafts. You type @gemini inside Gmail, it replies. No tab switching. Also: Gemini has the longest 'memory' of any AI (1 million tokens — you could paste an entire book and it'd remember). Use Gemini when: you're already in Google Workspace, or you have a very long document/transcript. Free tier: generous. Paid: bundled with Google One AI Premium at $20/mo. Honest take: for raw output quality on complex tasks, Claude still wins. For 'AI inside Gmail,' Gemini wins.
Key points
- →Gemini = integrated into Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets
- →Longest memory of any AI (1M tokens)
- →Best for Google Workspace users + extremely long documents
- →Quality on complex tasks: Claude > Gemini
Lesson 54 min
What to do this week
Here's your homework. This week: sign up for ALL THREE free tiers. Use each for one real task. Claude for a draft email you've been putting off. ChatGPT for a question about current pricing of something. Gemini inside Gmail to reply to an email. Within a week you'll have a clear feel for which one CLICKS for you personally. That becomes your default. Pay for ONE ($20/mo) when you find yourself using it daily. Don't pay for two — wasteful. Don't pay for three — you'll never use them all enough. Most people land on Claude or ChatGPT as their primary. The rare power user pays for both ($40/mo total). That's the most you should ever spend on chat AI as an individual.
Key points
- →Sign up for ALL 3 free tiers this week
- →Use each for ONE real task
- →Pay for ONE ($20/mo) when daily use kicks in
- →Most users land on Claude or ChatGPT as primary