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Start an assessmentChatGPT, Claude or Copilot: how to choose for your business
Which tool suits you depends on the task, the software your team already uses and the data involved. This guide sets out what to test and what to check before you choose.
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Compare the tools on the tasks you need
The right choice depends on the tasks you want help with, the software your team already uses, the data involved and the terms of the plan you would buy. Try the same real tasks in each tool you are considering, compare the results, and check each provider's current plans and data terms.
A useful question is which tool handles your specific task best, given your existing software, how your team works and the data you need to use. Testing each option on the same examples gives you evidence for that decision.
Below is an overview of four widely used tools, what to test in each and what to check. Products, models, plans and prices change often, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the details with each provider before buying.
Platform overview
Four widely used tools
Often considered forGeneral writing, research, brainstorming and coding tasks
What to test- How well it handles your own drafting and research tasks
- Whether its integrations connect to the tools you use
- The quality of long documents and reasoning on your examples
- Whether its API would suit a custom tool you have in mind
- How data is handled on the consumer, business and API versions, which have different terms
- Which data controls come with which plan
- How consistent the output is when instructions are not set up in advance
Worth trying ifyou want a general assistant for a range of tasks across the team
Often considered forLong documents, analysis and writing tasks
What to test- How it handles your longest documents
- The tone and accuracy of its responses on sensitive topics in your work
- How often it makes errors on your examples, checked by someone who knows the subject
- How it performs on document-heavy work such as contracts and reports
- Whether it integrates with the other software you use
- What support, guidance and training material is available for your team
Worth trying ifmuch of your work involves reading, summarising or drafting long documents
Often considered forBusinesses already using Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)
What to test- How well it works inside the Microsoft 365 apps your team uses
- Whether it can use your business documents and email within your Microsoft environment
- Whether its security and administration controls meet your requirements
- How easily your team picks it up in tools they already know
- Which Copilot product is meant: Microsoft's consumer chat, Copilot in Microsoft 365 and other Copilot products differ in features, data handling and licences
- How flexible it is for custom development outside Microsoft's tools
- Whether the apps you use most are covered by the plan you would buy
Worth trying ifyour business runs on Microsoft 365 and you want AI inside those tools
Often considered forBusinesses using Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet)
What to test- How well it works inside the Google Workspace apps your team uses
- How it handles a mix of text, images and data from your work
- How it uses current web information for research tasks, and how accurate that is
- How useful it is for analysis in Google Sheets
- How it handles sensitive business data on the plan you would use
- Which data and administration controls come with which Workspace plan
Worth trying ifyour business runs on Google Workspace and you want AI inside those tools
How to decide
Three questions to help you choose
What tools does your team already use daily?
Start there. If your business runs on Microsoft 365, test Copilot. If you use Google Workspace, test Gemini. A tool built into software your team already opens every day is more likely to be used, though it still needs testing on your tasks.
How sensitive is the data involved?
If you work in a regulated sector, such as healthcare, legal or financial services, find out how each tool and plan handles your data before anyone puts sensitive material into it. Training use, retention, access and data location can differ between consumer plans, business plans and the API. Check the provider's current terms for the exact plan.
Do you need a general assistant or something built for one process?
For a general assistant your team uses in daily work, an off-the-shelf tool is usually the place to start. If you need AI inside a specific process, connected to your own data, a custom build may be worth considering once you have tested what off-the-shelf tools can do.
Common questions
Questions about AI platforms
Should we standardise on one platform?
Often, at least to start. Having some staff on one tool and some on another makes training, data rules and shared know-how harder. Choose one after testing, build experience with it and add another when a specific task needs it.
What if we're already paying for Microsoft Copilot through our existing licences?
Test what you already pay for first, and check which Copilot features your current licence includes. If it does not handle a task well, you can try another tool for that task.
Are there AI tools specifically for our industry?
Yes. Specialist tools exist for sectors such as construction, healthcare, legal and logistics. Some may handle sector-specific tasks better than general tools. Test them on the same examples and compare cost, data terms and how they fit your existing software.
How often do these platforms change?
Often. Features, models, plans and prices change regularly. A choice that suits you today may need revisiting, so review your tools at renewal and check the providers' current documentation.
Do these platforms all use the same underlying technology?
They are all built on large language models, but each provider builds or licenses its own. The tools differ in strengths, safety approaches and data handling, and those details change, so check each provider's current documentation.
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