"Which AI should I use?"

I get asked this constantly. The answer is unsatisfying but true: it depends on what you're doing.

After months of using all three daily, I've developed a mental framework for choosing. Here's how I think about it.

The Quick Decision Framework

Use Claude when: You need to think through complex problems, refactor large codebases, or have extended conversations about architecture.

Use ChatGPT when: You need quick answers, web search integration, or are working with images and multimodal content.

Use Copilot when: You're writing code in your editor and want inline completions without context switching.

That's the short version. Here's the nuance.

Claude: The Deep Thinker

Claude excels at:

Extended reasoning. Complex debugging sessions, architectural decisions, weighing trade-offs. Claude maintains context well and thinks through problems systematically.

Large context windows. Paste an entire file—or several files—and Claude can reason about the whole thing. For refactoring or understanding unfamiliar codebases, this is invaluable.

Writing and explanation. Documentation, comments, commit messages, technical writing. Claude's output reads more naturally.

Code generation with nuance. When you need code that fits specific constraints or follows particular patterns, Claude handles detailed requirements well.

I reach for Claude when the problem needs thinking, not just generating.

ChatGPT: The Swiss Army Knife

ChatGPT excels at:

Speed and availability. It's fast. The free tier is generous. It's often good enough.

Web search integration. When you need current information—documentation versions, recent library changes, what's the latest approach—ChatGPT can look it up.

Multimodal input. Screenshots, diagrams, images of whiteboards. ChatGPT handles visual input well.

Quick questions. "What's the syntax for X?" "How do I do Y in Z?" For quick lookups, ChatGPT is efficient.

I reach for ChatGPT when I need something fast and the task is well-defined.

Copilot: The Inline Assistant

Copilot excels at:

Flow state preservation. You never leave your editor. No context switching. No copy-paste.

Pattern continuation. Start a function, and Copilot completes it. Write a test, and it generates similar tests.

Boilerplate. Repetitive code, similar functions, standard patterns. Copilot handles these without you needing to explain anything.

IDE integration. It knows your file, your project structure, your imports. Context is automatic.

I use Copilot constantly while coding—it's always there, always suggesting.

Where They Overlap

All three can:

  • Generate code from descriptions
  • Explain existing code
  • Debug errors
  • Write tests

The differences are in how they do it, not what they can do.

My Actual Workflow

Here's how a typical session looks:

Planning: Claude. I describe the feature, discuss approaches, think through edge cases.

Coding: Copilot for inline completions. Quick suggestions as I type.

Debugging: Depends on complexity. Simple errors? ChatGPT for fast answers. Complex issues? Claude for systematic debugging.

Documentation: Claude. Better writing quality, handles large contexts.

Research: ChatGPT when I need web search. Claude when I need reasoning about what I've read.

The Cost Reality

All three have costs:

  • Claude Pro: $20/month for extended usage
  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month for GPT-4 access
  • Copilot: $10/month (or free for some)

I pay for all three. The productivity gains justify it many times over. But if you're choosing one, start with the task you do most often and pick accordingly.

What About Alternatives?

There are others—Gemini, local models, specialized coding AIs. They have their uses. But Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot cover 95% of my needs.

The best tool is the one you'll actually use. Don't overthink it.

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