ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude: which to use and how to prompt each
People often ask which AI tool is “best”. For most everyday work, all three of the big assistants are very capable, and the prompt you write matters more than the tool you pick. Each one has strengths, though, and a few habits help you get more from each.
The tools change quickly, so this guide sticks to differences that tend to last rather than benchmark scores.
The short version
| If you mainly want to… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Edit your own photos | Gemini | Strong at photo edits that keep faces consistent |
| Work inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets | Gemini | Built into Google Workspace |
| Do a bit of everything in one app | ChatGPT | Broad features: images, voice, files, custom GPTs |
| Write and edit long documents | Claude | Natural writing style, handles long documents well |
| Write or fix code | Claude or ChatGPT | Both strong; try your real task in each |
How to prompt ChatGPT
ChatGPT is the generalist. It writes, analyses spreadsheets, creates images and talks by voice.
- Use custom instructions. Tell it once about your job, your audience and the tone you like, and it applies that to every chat.
- Ask for structure. It’s good at tables, checklists and step-by-step plans, so say which one you want.
- Use the “Open in ChatGPT” button on any prompt in our library to start a chat with the prompt already filled in.
How to prompt Gemini
Gemini is strongest when it touches Google products or images.
- For photo edits, upload first, then prompt. Always include “keep the face exactly the same”, and describe the lighting and framing. Our Gemini photo editing prompts are written this way.
- Refer to your own files if you use it inside Gmail or Google Drive. For example: “Summarise the emails from [client] this week”.
- Ask it to check the web when you need recent information, and ask for sources.
How to prompt Claude
Claude is often preferred for writing, long documents and careful reasoning.
- Paste long material. It handles long reports, contracts and transcripts well. Paste the whole thing and ask specific questions.
- Give it examples of your writing and ask it to match the tone. It’s good at picking up voice.
- Ask it to push back. Prompts like “Point out weaknesses in this plan before you improve it” get thoughtful critique.
A 5-minute test to choose
Pick a real task you do every week, like a client email, a social caption or a report summary. Write one good prompt for it using the 5-part formula and run it in two tools. Compare:
- Which answer needed fewer edits?
- Which one sounded more like you?
- Which one got the facts right?
The tool that wins on your own work is the right one for you, whatever the rankings say.