Meet the Current Models

This is the “who makes what” page. The rest of the course teaches skills that work with any AI tool, so those chapters stay general on purpose. When they say “open your AI tool,” this is where you come to see the actual tools, what they cost today, and how to pick one.

Two things to know before you read on:

This page goes out of date faster than any other in the course. Names, prices, and features change month to month. Every fact below carries a “checked on” date so you can see how fresh it is. When in doubt, open the tool’s own pricing page and trust that over anything written here.
This is not a ranking. There is no single “best” AI. The right one for you depends on what you want to do, which we walk through in the “Picking a starting model” section.

The major players

A handful of companies make the AI chat assistants most people use. Here is what each is broadly known for, in plain language. All of them do the same core thing: you type a question or request, they write back. The differences are in the extras and the personality.

ChatGPT (made by OpenAI). The one most people have heard of, and for many the first AI they ever tried. It is a strong all-rounder: writing, explaining, brainstorming, working with images and documents. It also has a large library of “custom GPTs,” which are mini-assistants other people have set up for specific jobs. Latest, as of October 13, 2026: GPT-6, rolling out to every plan. Free and Go users get GPT-6 Luna; Plus and higher get GPT-6 Sol. ChatGPT can now answer with interactive charts, buttons, and forms right in the chat.

Claude (made by Anthropic). Known for clear, careful writing and for handling long documents well. People often reach for it when they want a thoughtful draft, help understanding a long report, or a second read on something they wrote. Latest, as of October 13, 2026: the Claude 5.5 family (Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, and Haiku 5.5, released September 22 to October 7), plus Claude Fable 5.1 for the most demanding work.

Gemini (made by Google). Built into things you may already use, like Google Search, Gmail, and Android phones. If you live in Google’s world, it is the one that shows up where you already work. Latest, as of October 13, 2026: since October 9, free accounts default to “Auto,” which sends most prompts to Flash-Lite, Google’s smallest model, and only some to the bigger Flash and Pro models. Paid plans keep fuller access to Flash and Pro.

Copilot (made by Microsoft). Microsoft’s assistant, built into the Office apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook. If your day runs through Microsoft Office, this is the one that sits right next to your documents and email. Latest, as of October 13, 2026: Microsoft is rolling out a single Copilot app that brings chat, agents, and full versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint together, and it has added xAI’s Grok models as an option inside Copilot.

Perplexity. Less a chatbot, more an “answer engine.” It searches the web for you and answers with links back to its sources, so you can check where the answer came from. A good fit when your main job is looking things up and you want to see the receipts.

Grok (made by xAI). The assistant tied to the X social network (formerly Twitter). It searches the web and X as you ask, so it leans into breaking news and what people are posting right now.

You will also see AI helpers baked into apps you already have, like Meta AI inside WhatsApp and Instagram, or the assistant on your phone. Those count too. You do not have to pick just one, and trying two or three is a fine way to learn what you like.

Free vs. paid: what you actually get

Nearly every tool above has a free version that is genuinely useful. You can learn everything in this course without paying a cent. Paid plans mostly buy you three things: higher limits (more messages before you hit a cap), access to the smartest version of the model, and extra features like deeper research, image generation, or connections to your files.

Here is the shape of the market as of October 2026. Prices change, so always confirm on the tool’s own page before you pay.

Free tier ($0). You get a capable, everyday version of the assistant. It is enough for questions, drafting, summarizing, and learning. The catch is usage limits: after a certain number of messages in a few hours, you may be asked to wait or switch to a simpler model. Some free and lower-cost plans may show ads.

Budget paid tiers (about $5 to $10 a month). A newer middle step. You pay a little to lift the limits and unlock some extras, without jumping to the full price. Examples: ChatGPT Go at $8 a month in the US, and Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month.

Standard paid tiers (about $20 a month). The most common “serious user” plan. Much higher limits, the smartest model, and the full set of features. ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro are $20 a month, and Google AI Pro is $19.99. Claude Pro drops to $17 a month if you pay for a year up front. Other tools, like Perplexity, have plans in this range too; check their pricing pages.

Power-user tiers (about $100 to $200 or more a month). Built for people who use AI all day for demanding work, with very high limits and early access to new features. Most beginners never need these. Claude Max starts at $100 a month, Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 with a $199.99 tier, and ChatGPT Pro is listed on OpenAI’s pricing page.

One more note on cost. If you already pay for something like Microsoft 365 or Google One, an AI plan may be bundled in or offered at a discount, so check what you already have before adding a new bill.

Picking a starting model

Skip the question of “which is best.” Ask “what do I want to do first?” Then start with the free tier of whatever matches. You can always switch.

You want the popular default and lots of how-to help online. Start with ChatGPT. It’s popular, so guides and examples are easy to find.
You want careful writing help or to work through a long document. Start with Claude.
You already live in Gmail, Google Docs, or an Android phone. Start with Gemini. It shows up inside the Google apps you already use.
Your work runs through Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. Start with Copilot. It sits right next to those files.
You mostly want to look things up and check the sources. Start with Perplexity. It answers with links you can follow.

Two habits that matter more than the brand you pick:

Try the same request in two tools. You will feel the differences in minutes, and you will learn what “good” looks like for you.
Do not pay on day one. Live on the free tier until you hit its limits for real. Only then does a paid plan make sense, and by then you will know which one.

Getting set up in about 10 minutes

The steps are nearly the same for every tool.

Open the tool’s own website or app. Go to the official site (for example, the maker’s own address) or download the app from your phone’s official app store. Be careful of copycats with similar names; stick to the real maker.
Create an account. Most let you sign up with an email address or an existing Google or Apple login. Most free tiers don’t ask for a credit card.
Start your first conversation. Type a real question you actually have. Good first tries: “Explain compound interest like I’m new to it,” or “Help me write a friendly email asking my landlord to fix the sink.” Notice that you can just talk normally.
Ask a follow-up. The magic is in the back-and-forth. Tell it what to change: “shorter,” “more formal,” “add a line about the deadline.” This is the single most useful habit to build.
Find these three settings, which matter more than the rest:
- Voice or talk mode, if you would rather speak than type.
- File or photo upload, so you can hand it a document or picture to work with.
- New chat vs. continue, so you know how to start fresh versus keep going in the same thread.

That is enough to be productive today. Everything else you can discover as you go.

Skills and custom instructions: where to find them

Chapter 10 shows you how to save instructions once so the AI applies them for you every time. Every major tool has a place for this, though each calls it something different and puts it in a different spot. Look in your tool’s settings for a feature named along these lines:

Custom instructions or personalization: a box where you describe yourself and how you want replies, applied to every chat.
Projects or Gems: a saved workspace or helper that carries its own instructions for a recurring job. Google has said Gemini skills will soon replace Gems, and it will move your Gems over automatically.
Skills: named sets of instructions the tool loads when a task calls for them.

Some tools also have memory, which is different: instead of you writing the instructions, the tool picks up details from your chats on its own. You can usually view, edit, or turn it off in settings.

The exact button moves around as tools update, so the reliable path is to open your tool’s settings and search its help pages for “custom instructions” or “skills.” The idea is the same everywhere: write it down once, and the AI stops making you repeat yourself.

Connectors, extensions, and plugins: where to find them

Chapter 11 explains what each of these does. Here is what the major tools call them and where to look. Names and menus change often, so check the date on each note.

ChatGPT calls connectors apps, and some accounts show plugins instead. A connected app can find a file, summarize a document, or look up a message in services like Google Drive or Slack. To disconnect one, go to Settings, then Apps.
Claude calls them connectors. In a chat, click the + button, point to Connectors, and choose Manage connectors. Claude’s desktop app also offers desktop extensions, there is a Claude in Chrome browser extension, and paid plans can add plugins that bundle skills and connectors together.
Gemini calls them Connected Apps (they were once called Extensions). On the web, open Settings & help, then Connected Apps, and use each app’s toggle to connect or disconnect it.

Whatever tool you use, the rule from Chapter 11 holds: connect only what the task needs, read what you’re agreeing to, and turn off what you stop using.

Switching tools: taking your setup with you

Your prompt library and your skills are plain text, so you can copy and paste them into any tool. For what your old tool has learned about you, here is what the major tools offer right now.

Moving to Claude: go to Settings, then Memory, and select Start import (on older layouts it’s under Settings, then Capabilities). Claude gives you a prompt to paste into your old tool, then you paste the answer back. Available on the Free, Pro, Max, and Team plans on the web and desktop app, and still marked experimental.
Moving to Gemini: look for the import option in Settings. Gemini gives you a suggested prompt for your old tool, and it can also read a ZIP file of your chat history from another provider. For personal accounts only, and not yet available in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland.
Downloading your ChatGPT history: go to Settings, then Data controls, then Export data, and confirm. ChatGPT emails you a download link for a ZIP file of your chats. The link expires 24 hours after you get it.
Seeing what Claude remembers: ask it, “Write out your memories of me verbatim, exactly as they appear in your memory.” You can save the answer or take it to another tool.

Before you paste anything into a new tool, read it and delete anything outdated or more personal than you want to carry over.

Privacy defaults to change on day one

By default, many AI tools may use your conversations to help train future versions of the model, and they keep a history of your chats. Whether that bothers you is a personal call, and Chapter 9 walks through the why in full. Here is the practical what, so you can decide before you start typing anything sensitive.

Look in Settings, usually under a section named Data controls, Privacy, or Data & privacy. There you can typically:

Turn off using your chats to train the model. Often a single switch.
Turn off or clear chat history, if you would rather it not keep a record.
Delete individual conversations or your whole account, if you change your mind later.

A simple rule while you learn: do not paste anything you would not want a stranger to read (passwords, full account numbers, other people’s private details), no matter what the settings say. The settings reduce risk. This habit removes it.

For the full reasoning on privacy, training data, and what “off” really means, see Chapter 9.

Handy tools for specific jobs

Besides the all-purpose chat assistants above, there are tools built for one job in particular. These change fast and every one has alternatives, so treat the names here as examples to start from, not a fixed list. Most have a free tier you can try before you spend anything.

Meeting notes and transcription. Tools like Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai can join a video call, write down who said what, and hand you a summary with action items afterward.

Handy for a volunteer taking meeting minutes or a coach who would rather watch the room than scribble notes. Many video-call apps now include their own note-taker too.

Notes and workspace. Notion keeps your notes, plans, and documents in one place, and its built-in helper, Notion AI, can summarize, draft text, and answer questions about what you have saved.

Useful for a parent organizing a household or a student keeping class notes together. Other note apps offer similar AI helpers.

Slides and visuals. Canva helps you make posters, flyers, and slide decks from templates, and offers AI features that can rough out a first design.

Good for a coach making a team flyer or a student building a class presentation. The common presentation apps, including PowerPoint and Google Slides, now have similar AI helpers built in.

Research with citations. Perplexity searches the web and answers with links to its sources, so you can click through and check where each fact came from. It also appears in the chat-assistant list above.

Spreadsheets and data. The common spreadsheet apps now have AI built in. Copilot in Microsoft Excel can work with formulas and summarize your data from a plain-English request, and Gemini in Google Sheets can write a formula for you and help you understand how it works.

Useful for a treasurer tracking a budget or a parent sorting a sign-up list.

Writing and grammar help. Grammarly checks spelling, grammar, and tone as you type across email, documents, and the web, and can rewrite a sentence to sound clearer or more polite.

Handy for a student polishing an essay or a volunteer sending a careful email. Some word processors and the chat assistants above can do much of the same.

This page was developed with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. It’s educational, fact-checked where applicable, and may contain minor errors. It’s not a substitute for professional advice. Model details change fast; check the “as of” dates.