ChatGPT
OpenAI's flagship assistant for chat, images, code and research
The default AI assistant for most people. It handles writing, coding, image generation, file analysis and web-grounded answers in one chat. The Free…
Perplexity
AI answer engine that cites its sources
Perplexity is a search engine that answers in prose and shows where each claim came from. It is the quickest way to get a sourced overview of a topic, and Pro lets you pick the underlying model. The Comet browser extends the same idea to browsing.
Best for: sourced answers and quick research
What works
- Inline citations you can check
- Choice of frontier models on Pro
- Fast, focused interface
What to know
- Sources are not always the strongest available
- Less useful for creative work
Alternatives
Gemini
Google's assistant, tied into Workspace, Search and Veo video
Gemini lives inside Gmail, Docs, Drive and Android, which is its real advantage: it can read your own files and mail. The Google AI Pro plan adds the…
Consensus
Search engine for scientific evidence with a yes/no meter
Ask a question and Consensus finds the papers that answer it, then shows a meter of how many say yes, no or maybe. It is the fastest way to check…
Used in The Journey
Step 1 · Find the thing worth makingStep 4 · Write with AI without sounding like AIStep 6 · SEO in the AI-search era
