In the current AI race, ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Gemini (Google) are the top three players.
They’re powerful. Fast. Evolving daily.
But here’s the kicker: each one excels at different things—and trying to use them interchangeably is like hiring a heart surgeon to fix your plumbing.
This article breaks down:
- Strengths, limitations, and best-fit tasks for each AI model
- Pricing models and access levels
- When to use custom GPTs, Claude tools, or Gemini integrations
- How to build hybrid workflows that use the right tool at the right time
Let’s optimize your AI stack.
Step 1: Understand Each Model’s Strengths
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Best for: Prompt engineering, creative content, agent building, long-form writing, coding help
- Strengths:
- Deep memory and context threading with GPT-4 Turbo
- Supports custom GPTs + file upload + vision (Pro version)
- Great at summarizing, scripting, and formatting
- Weaknesses:
- Prone to verbosity unless prompted concisely
- Occasionally “hallucinates” confidence in fake citations
- Pricing:
- Free (GPT-3.5) or $20/month (GPT-4 Turbo with tools)
Claude (Anthropic)
Best for: Clean, polite prose, summarization, strategy planning, deep document analysis
- Strengths:
- Extremely readable output with natural tone
- 200k+ token context window—ideal for large PDFs or research reports
- Great at role-based tasks (coaching, brainstorming)
- Weaknesses:
- Less fine-grained formatting than GPT
- No browser or image tools (yet)
- Pricing:
- Free (Claude 1/2) or ~$20/month (Claude 3 Opus tier)
Gemini (Google)
Best for: Google ecosystem integration, live search tasks, data extraction, image analysis
- Strengths:
- Excellent at tasks that require up-to-date search results
- Native in Google Docs, Sheets, and Gmail
- Image reasoning and fast iteration
- Weaknesses:
- Less nuanced writing tone
- Limited developer customizability (for now)
- Pricing:
- Free tier + Google One AI Premium ($20/mo with Gemini 1.5)
Step 2: Build Hybrid Workflows
Each model has strengths you can stack.
A. Research + Summary Workflow
- Use Gemini to scan fresh data (news, search, articles)
- Paste results into Claude for clean, thematic summarization
- Polish or rewrite using ChatGPT for tone or formatting
B. Document Intelligence Workflow
- Upload long docs to Claude for context-aware Q&A
- Use ChatGPT to turn findings into structured outlines or slides
- Use Gemini to pull supporting visuals or references
C. Personal Branding Workflow
- Write rough draft content in ChatGPT
- Run clarity pass through Claude for simplification
- Use Gemini to find live links, stats, or timely hooks
Prompt Example:
“Summarize this transcript into 3 blog posts, each with a different tone (analytical, conversational, humorous).”Step 3: When to Use GPTs vs Custom Prompts
A. Custom GPTs (ChatGPT Pro)
- Best for repeated workflows or personas (e.g., resume builder, productivity coach, SEO writer)
- Store instructions, tone, file types, and interaction preferences
Use when:
- You want consistency across projects
- You’re building AI into a client-facing product
B. Custom Prompts (All Platforms)
- Best for testing workflows or one-off complex tasks
Prompt Pack Structure:
- Context: What do I want this AI to act like?
- Role: Who is it (coach, researcher, marketer)?
- Format: Output style (bullet points, email, chart)
- Feedback Loop: What to iterate or refine
Example:
“Act as a product strategist. Based on this outline, write a one-page vision doc for internal buy-in. Keep the tone sharp and outcome-focused.”Pro Tips for Multi-AI Optimization
- Don’t “marry” one model. Marry the use case.
- Store prompt packs by platform in Notion
- Use Claude for pre-cleaning messy info before GPT formatting
- Use Gemini to fact-check or refresh time-sensitive data
Tools to Use:
- ChatGPT Pro (OpenAI)
- Claude Opus (Anthropic)
- Gemini 1.5 Pro (Google One)
- Notion / Airtable — prompt + output libraries
Weekly Workflow Example
Monday:
- Use Gemini to find fresh trends or headlines in your niche
Tuesday:
- Claude summarizes key insights into a report or blog brief
Wednesday:
- ChatGPT refines the post with tone, CTA, and formatting
Thursday:
- Build a custom GPT to automate part of the above workflow
Friday:
- Review performance and adjust prompts in Notion
What to Do This Week
- Identify your top 2–3 recurring AI use cases
- Match each task to the best-fit model (Claude, GPT, or Gemini)
- Build a hybrid workflow using at least two models
- Save your best prompts into a Notion prompt library
- Explore building a custom GPT for one repeated task
Want the Multi-AI Optimization Toolkit with comparison charts, prompting framework, templates, and workflow maps? Download it now.
The bottom line
This isn’t about picking the “best” AI.
It’s about choosing the right one for the job—and stitching them together into workflows that make you faster, sharper, and harder to replace.
Use AI like a strategist, not a fan.
