Which AI tool is right for me?
There are now at least five AI tools that a working professional might reasonably be expected to have an opinion on. Copilot. ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini. Perplexity.
Nobody has time to try all of them. And most of the comparisons you’ll find online were written by people who want you to try all of them.
Here’s a straight answer.
Start here based on your situation
If you use Microsoft 365 at work:
Start with Copilot. It’s already in your tools. Email summaries, meeting notes, document drafts — the time savings are immediate and the learning curve is minimal. This is Module 1 of That Clicked for exactly this reason.
If you don’t use Microsoft 365:
Start with ChatGPT. The free version is capable, the interface is simple, and it works for almost any task you’ll throw at it. Create a free account at chat.openai.com and start there.
If you need reliable, sourced information:
Use Perplexity. It searches the web in real time and shows you exactly where the information came from. Better than Google for most research tasks. Available free at perplexity.ai.
If you’re doing deeper analysis or writing:
Try Claude. Made by Anthropic. Particularly good at nuanced, longer-form work. The free version at claude.ai is genuinely strong.
If you use Google Workspace:
Look at Gemini. Google’s equivalent of Copilot — it sits inside Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.
Do you need more than one?
Eventually, probably yes.
Most professionals end up with a small stack — Copilot for work tasks inside Microsoft, ChatGPT or Claude for general thinking and writing, Perplexity for research.
But start with one. Get comfortable. Then add another when you have a specific reason to.
The honest answer
The best AI tool is the one you actually use.
All of them are capable. All of them will save you time. The difference between them is less important than the difference between using one and using none.
Pick one. Start today.
— Anna