ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how we work and play in recent months, giving almost anyone the ability to write code, create art, and even make investments. For professional and hobbyist users alike, generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, offer advanced capabilities to create decent-quality content from a simple user prompt.
Keeping up with all the latest AI tools can get confusing, especially as Microsoft added GPT-4 to Bing Chat and renamed it to Copilot, OpenAI added new capabilities to ChatGPT and released GPT-4o, and Google plugged Bard into its ecosystem and rebranded the chatbot as Gemini.
Also: How to use ChatGPT (and how to access GPT-4o)
Knowing which of the three most popular AI chatbots is best to write code, generate text, or help build resumes is challenging. Let's break down the biggest differences so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.
Testing ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini
To help determine which AI chatbot gives more accurate answers, I'm going to use a simple prompt to compare them:
"I have 5 oranges today, I ate 3 oranges last week. How many oranges do I have left?"
The answer should be five, as the number of oranges I ate last week doesn't affect the number of oranges I have today. First up, ChatGPT.
You should use ChatGPT if...
1. You want the most advanced AI chatbot for free
OpenAI lets users access ChatGPT, powered by its GPT-3.5 and the GPT-4o models, for free with a registered account. If you're willing to pay for the Plus version, you can access GPT-4, use a higher prompt limit for GPT-4o, and get early access to new features for $20 per month.
ChatGPT with GPT-4o, available for free users, answered the question correctly.
GPT-4o is a new multimodal model available to free and paying ChatGPT users. Rather than relying on three separate models to power its features -- GPT-4 for text, DALL-E 3 for images, and Whisper for voice -- ChatGPT now uses GPT-4o to process and generate text, images, and sounds. This makes it faster than GPT-4 for paying ChatGPT subscribers, and just as good for ChatGPT users who don't want to pay.
Aside from giving free ChatGPT users access to the latest GPT-4o model, the startup also announced that free users now get most of the features that until now were exclusive to ChatGPT Plus users. These include web browsing, access to custom GPTs, ChatGPT Memory, and advanced data analysis.
2. You want to try the most popular AI chatbot
OpenAI released a widespread preview of ChatGPT in November 2022. Since then, the AI chatbot quickly gained over 100 million users and has been at the center of controversies, especially as people uncover its potential to do schoolwork and replace some work across industries.
Also: ChatGPT will put your data into interactive tables and charts with GPT-4o
Since its release, I've been testing ChatGPT almost daily. Although its user interface has remained simple, minor changes have greatly improved the tool, including GPT-4o for free users, Custom Instructions, and easier access to accounts.
The free version of ChatGPT using the default GPT-3.5 model gave the wrong answer to our question.
Although ChatGPT has proven to be a valuable AI tool, it can be prone to misinformation. Like other large language models (LLMs), GPT-3.5 is imperfect, as it is trained on human-created data up to January 2022. It also often fails to comprehend nuances, like it did with our math question example, which it answered incorrectly by saying we have two oranges left, when the answer should be five.
Also: I put GPT-4o through my coding tests and it aced them - except for one weird result
The GPT-4o model answered the math question correctly, having understood the full context of the problem from beginning to end.
Next, let's consider Microsoft Copilot, which is a great way to access GPT-4 for free.
You should use Microsoft Copilot if...
1. You want to use GPT-4 for free
Although the free version of ChatGPT lets you use GPT-4o, access to free users is limited to about 15 messages every three hours or capped depending on peak hours, to keep it accessible to more people. After reaching your GPT-4o limit, your chat session reverts to GPT-3.5, limited to generating conversational text and information only until January 2022.
Also: How to use Copilot (formerly called Bing Chat)
Meanwhile, Copilot can access the internet to deliver more current information than GPT-3.5, complete with links to sources.
Copilot's Creative conversation style was the only Copilot mode to answer the question accurately.
There are other benefits, too. Copilot is powered by GPT-4, OpenAI's LLM, and is completely free. Unfortunately, you are limited to five responses per conversation and can only enter up to 4,000 characters in each prompt. Copilot will eventually get GPT-4o built-in, but Microsoft hasn't made this update widely available, yet.
Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?
Copilot's user interface is a bit more cluttered than ChatGPT's, but it's still easy to navigate. While Copilot can access the internet to give you more up-to-date results compared to ChatGPT powered by GPT-3.5, I've found it is more prone to stalling before replying and will miss more prompts than its competitor.
2. You prefer more visual features
Microsoft has upgraded its platform several times to add visual features to Copilot, formerly Bing Chat. At this point, you can ask Copilot questions like, "What is a Tasmanian devil?" and get a response complete with photos, lifespan, diet, and more, for a more scannable result that is easier to digest than a wall of text.
You can also ask Copilot to generate images for you. Give Copilot a description of what you want the image to look like, and the chatbot will generate four images for you to choose from.
Also: How to use Image Creator from Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator)
Microsoft Copilot features different conversational styles, including Creative, Balanced, and Precise, which alter how light or straightforward the interactions are.
The Balanced and Precise conversation styles in Microsoft Copilot answered my question inaccurately.
Finally, let's turn to Google's Gemini, formerly known as Bard. It uses Google's own LLM, also named Gemini, and has received considerable upgrades in the past few months.
You should use Gemini if...
1. You want a fast, almost unlimited experience
In my time testing different AI chatbots, I saw Google Bard catch a lot of flack for different shortcomings. While I'm not going to say they're unjustified, I will say that Google's AI chatbot, now named Gemini and powered by a completely different AI model than the one it debuted with, has improved greatly.
Also: How to use Gemini (formerly Google Bard): Everything you should know
Gemini gives speedy answers, which have become more accurate over time. It's not faster than ChatGPT Plus, but it can be faster at giving responses than Copilot and faster than the free GPT-3.5 version of ChatGPT, though your mileage may vary.
Gemini answered accurately, like GPT-4o and Copilot's Creative conversation style.
Bard used to make the same mistake as other chatbots for my example math problem by incorrectly using the 5 - 3 = 2 formula, but Gemini, powered by Google's new Gemini Pro -- the company's largest LLM -- now answers the question accurately.
Also: Copilot Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus: Which is AI chatbot is worth your $20 a month?
Gemini is also not limited to a set number of responses. You can have long conversations with Google's Gemini, unlike with Copilot, which is limited to five replies in one conversation. Even ChatGPT Plus limits users to 40 messages every three hours.
2. You want the full Google experience
Google also incorporates more visual elements into its Gemini platform than those currently available in Copilot. Users can generate images using Gemini, upload photos through an integration with Google Lens, and enjoy Kayak, OpenTable, Instacart, and Wolfram Alpha plugins.
Also: 6 AI tools to supercharge your work and everyday life
Gemini is slowly becoming a full Google experience thanks to extensions that add the wide range of Google applications. You can add extensions for Google Workspace, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, giving you a more personalized and useful experience.