By Phil Gee · AI Academy, Southport
Right — let's cut through the noise.
If you're a business owner in Merseyside, the Wirral, or anywhere else, you've probably had at least three people tell you to "just use AI" — and they've all named a different tool. ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini.
So which one should you actually use?
Here's the honest answer: it depends on what you need it to do. But don't worry — I'm going to make this dead simple. No jargon. No theatre. Just a straight comparison from someone who uses all three every single week.
The 10-Second Summary
If you've got no time, here's the cheat sheet:
- ChatGPT — the all-rounder. Great for general tasks, brainstorming, images, and if you want the "household name" everyone's heard of.
- Claude — the writer and thinker. Brilliant for long documents, strategy, and anything where you want thoughtful, nuanced output.
- Gemini — the Google one. Best if you live inside Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.
Now let's get into the detail — but I promise I'll keep it short.
ChatGPT: The Popular One
Think of ChatGPT as the Swiss Army knife of AI. It's the one your mate down the pub has heard of. It does a bit of everything — writing, coding, image generation, analysing spreadsheets, creating custom assistants (they call them "GPTs").
Best for:
- Quick answers and brainstorming
- Creating images alongside your text
- If you want the widest range of features in one place
- Businesses where lots of staff need to use AI (it has the most training material online)
Where it falls short:
- Can be a bit generic in its writing — everything sounds vaguely the same
- The free version is decent but the good stuff is behind a paywall
My honest take: If you've never touched AI before, this is the easiest starting point. Everyone and their nan has a tutorial for it.
Claude: The Thinker
Claude is what I reach for when I need proper thinking. It's made by a company called Anthropic, and the tool has a different feel to it — less robotic, more like a sharp colleague who actually reads what you wrote before replying.
Best for:
- Long-form writing (proposals, articles, reports)
- Strategy work and "help me think this through"
- Analysing documents or PDFs you upload
- Anything where you want nuanced, careful output
Where it falls short:
- No image generation (you'll still need another tool for that)
- Slightly less well-known, so fewer tutorials floating around
My honest take: This is the one I trust most for business writing. If you're sending something important — a client proposal, a tricky email, a sales page — Claude's output just reads better. Less "AI-generated," more "written by a thoughtful human."
Gemini: The Google One
Gemini lives inside Google's ecosystem. If your business runs on Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Calendar — Gemini slots right in like a dream.
Best for:
- Summarising long email threads in Gmail
- Drafting documents directly in Google Docs
- Searching across your entire Google Drive
- Anything where "plug it into Google" is an advantage
Where it falls short:
- If you're not in the Google ecosystem, the benefits drop off a cliff
- Some users find the writing quality a step behind Claude
My honest take: I use Gemini for anything Google-related. It pulls info from my Drive, my Gmail, my Docs — things the other two can't do without jumping through hoops.
So Which One Should YOU Pick?
Here's what I tell every business owner who walks through the doors of The Arch:
Pick ONE and actually learn it. Don't dabble in all three.
I see this mistake constantly. Someone signs up for all three, spends five minutes in each, feels overwhelmed, and quits. That's not an AI problem — that's a focus problem.
My recommendation for most Merseyside business owners:
- If you write a lot (emails, proposals, content, social posts) → start with Claude
- If you want everything in one place → start with ChatGPT
- If you already live in Google Workspace → start with Gemini
Go deep on one for 30 days. Learn its quirks. Build a habit. Then try the others.
The Bit Most Guides Miss
Here's what the big websites won't tell you: the tool matters less than how you use it.
I've watched business owners get better results from the free version of ChatGPT than other owners get from a £150-a-month all-access setup. The difference? One knew how to ask the right questions.
That's why at AI Academy, I don't just show people which button to press. I teach them how to think with AI — how to prompt, iterate, and build the muscle memory that turns AI from a toy into a genuine business weapon.
Your Next Step
If you're still staring at this thinking "right, but where do I actually start?" — I've got you covered.
Grab my free 20-Point AI Action Plan. It's the exact roadmap I walk clients through, from "I've heard of AI" to "AI is running half my business admin while I'm at the gym."
Or if you'd rather skip the reading and get hands-on, come to one of my 2-hour AI Foundations workshops at The Arch in Crossens. Small group. Plain English. Real laptops. Real results.
Either way — stop dabbling, pick a tool, and start building.
See you in Southport.
— Phil
Phil Gee is the founder of AI Academy, a practical AI training and automation consultancy based at The Arch, Crossens, Southport. He's been helping businesses across Merseyside, the Wirral, and West Lancashire cut through marketing and tech noise for over 17 years.