There’s no single “best” model — it depends on the job. Quick guide:
| Job | Reach for |
|---|---|
| Long documents, careful writing, coding | Claude |
| Brainstorming, images, broad ecosystem | ChatGPT (GPT) |
| Huge context, Google ecosystem | Gemini |
| Privacy, offline, free at scale | Open-source (Llama, Mistral) via Ollama |
Rules of thumb
- Writing/coding quality: try Claude first.
- Need images or voice in one place: ChatGPT.
- Massive input (whole books/repos): Gemini’s long context.
- Sensitive data or no per-token cost: run a local model — see Ollama on Windows.
Don’t overthink it: pick one, and switch only if the output disappoints.