🧰 The Toolbox

~12 min read

Meet the main assistants and pick one to begin with.

**ChatGPT at a Glance** — The one that made AI famous

ChatGPT is the assistant that made AI famous, made by a company called OpenAI. You type or speak, and it replies in a friendly, capable way. It is free to begin, works on phones and computers, and is the one most of your family will recognise.

• ChatGPT is the most widely used AI assistant in the world • Free to use, with an optional paid plan around £20 a month • Works in a web browser or as an app on your phone

Did you know: The name is short for 'Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer' — but almost nobody ever says the long version.

**The Claude Assistant** — The thoughtful, careful one

Claude, made by a company called Anthropic, is known for careful, thoughtful writing and a gentle, patient tone. Many people find it especially good for letters, stories and explaining things kindly. It is free to try.

• Claude is often praised for clear, warm, well-written replies • Made by Anthropic, a company focused on safe, careful AI • One of the fastest-growing assistants of 2026

Did you know: Claude was one of the fastest-growing assistants of 2026, its use climbing more than eightfold in a single year.

**Gemini by Google** — Google's built-in helper

Gemini is Google's assistant, and because it lives inside Google's search, email and Android phones, hundreds of millions of people meet it without even choosing it. If you already use Gmail or an Android phone, Gemini is close at hand.

• Gemini comes built into many Android phones and Google apps • Over 750 million people use the Gemini app each month • Handy if you already live in Gmail, Maps and Search

Did you know: If you own an Android phone, you may already have Gemini installed without ever having downloaded a thing.

**Copilot in Windows** — The Microsoft one

Copilot is Microsoft's assistant, tucked into Windows computers and the Office programs like Word and Excel. If your computer runs Windows, Copilot is likely already there, waiting to help you write and tidy documents.

• Copilot is built into recent versions of Windows • It can help directly inside Word, Excel and email • Made by Microsoft, the company behind Windows itself

Did you know: Copilot replaced Microsoft's older 'Bing Chat', and now sits as a button right on the Windows taskbar.

**Free or Paid?** — Do you actually need to pay?

Every major assistant has a free version that is plenty for learning and everyday tasks. Paid plans, usually around £20 a month, add longer conversations and the very latest features. Start free — you may never need more.

• The free plans are genuinely useful, not just a teaser • Paid plans cost roughly £20 a month across the big names • You can always upgrade later; there is no rush at all

Did you know: Most people who use AI casually never pay a penny — the free version covers letters, questions and ideas comfortably.

**What Paid Plans Add** — The extras behind the price

If you do choose to pay, you mainly get access to the cleverest, newest version of the assistant, and permission to use it more heavily each day. Extra touches like advanced voice and image tools often come too. None of it is essential for a beginner.

• Paid users get the latest, most capable version first • Higher daily limits, so long sessions never get cut short • Handy for heavy users, unnecessary for casual ones

Did you know: Companies now change prices and features often — always glance at the assistant's own website before paying anything.

**Which Is Most Popular** — The 2026 pecking order

In 2026, ChatGPT is still the most used by a wide margin, with Gemini and Claude following behind. But popularity is not the same as 'best for you'. Any of the top few will serve a beginner beautifully.

• ChatGPT still leads usage in 2026, ahead of all the rest • Gemini and Claude are the fast-growing runners-up • The 'most popular' is not automatically the best for you

Did you know: The gap is narrowing every year as more people quietly add a second favourite assistant alongside their first.

**Versions Keep Improving** — They get better on their own

These assistants are updated constantly, each version cleverer than the last. You do not need to keep up — the newest version simply arrives, usually for free, the next time you open the app. Improvement happens quietly in the background.

• New, improved versions arrive every few months • Updates are automatic — nothing to download or install • You can happily ignore version numbers altogether

Did you know: The jump between yearly versions is often larger than the entire leap made in the decade before ChatGPT existed.

**Phone or Computer?** — Wherever you're comfortable

You can use any assistant on a phone, a tablet or a computer — whatever you find comfortable. Phones add a camera and easy voice; computers give a bigger, easier-to-read screen. Many people happily use both.

• Everything works the same across phone, tablet and computer • Phones let you speak and even show the camera a photo • A computer's larger screen is kinder on the eyes for reading

Did you know: You can start a chat on your computer and carry on the very same conversation later on your phone.

**Choosing Your First Tool** — Just pick one and begin

The best assistant to start with is simply the one nearest to hand — ChatGPT if unsure, Gemini if you love Google, Copilot if you use Windows. Pick one, get comfortable, and only look around later. There is no wrong choice.

• When in doubt, ChatGPT is the safe, well-supported first pick • Learning one assistant makes every other one easy • You can switch or add another at any time, for free

Did you know: Most confident AI users started with exactly one tool and only met the others months later — there is no race.