Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs

ChatGPT vs Google Gemini

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

ChatGPT

4.3

From $8/mo

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Google Gemini

4.2

From $4.99/mo

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Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

ChatGPT4.3

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

Google Gemini4.2

Pick it if: People whose work already runs on Gmail, Google Workspace or an Android phone.

Overview

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
In one line	OpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.	Google's assistant, built into Gmail, Docs, Drive and Android phones.
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$8/mo	$4.99/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	No	No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Overall rating	4.3Winner	4.2
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	4.5	4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together.	5.0	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.0	4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	4.0	4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.0	4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	Yes	No
Browser extension	Yes	Yes
API access	Yes	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	Yes	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	Yes
Understands images	Yes	Yes
Makes images	Yes	Yes
Makes video	Yes	Yes
Writes code	Yes	Yes
Runs agents or automations	Yes	Yes
Learns your brand or style	Yes	Yes
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	16/ 17	15/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Plans	Free Free Trying it out and everyday questions.	Free Free Light use and seeing how it feels.
	Go $8/mo Casual users who hit the free limits.	Google AI Plus $4.99/mo Casual users who want Gemini in Gmail and more storage.
	PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone using it most days for work.	Google AI ProOur pick $19.99/mo Anyone who works in Google Workspace every day.
	Pro From $100/mo Heavy users and people living in Codex.	Google AI Ultra From $99.99/mo Heavy creative and agent users.
	Business See website Teams from 2 people up.
Which plan to pick	The free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first because they keep changing.	Skip the free plan for anything serious now that it's Flash-Lite only. AI Pro is the one to buy: it's the cheapest way to get Gemini 4 Argon plus Gemini in Docs and Gmail, and the 5 TB of storage offsets a Google One bill. Ultra is for people generating video all day.

Key features

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Standout features	Image generation and editing Voice mode Deep research Agent mode Custom GPTs and connectors Codex	Gemini in Gmail, Docs and Drive Deep Research Image and video making Gemini Live Gems Gemini in Chrome

Pros and cons

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Pros	The widest set of built-in tools of any assistant Free plan now includes unlimited text chat on the main model Image generation and voice mode are the best in the category Huge ecosystem of custom GPTs, connectors and guides One subscription covers the Codex coding agent too	Reads and acts on your Gmail, Docs and Drive directly AI Pro bundles the top model, Workspace features and 5 TB of storage for one price Deep Research is included even on the free plan Fast, and the mobile and Android experience is polished Video and image generation included on paid plans
Cons	Writing sounds generic unless you work hard on the prompt Plans and limits change often, and Pro now runs to $500 a month Free and Go plans may show ads It's confident when it's wrong, so check facts before you publish	Free plan is now Flash-Lite only, so it's weaker than the free tiers of ChatGPT or Claude Plan names and model access keep changing, which is confusing Writing quality sits behind Claude and the answers can be padded Workspace features need a personal Google account or a Workspace admin to turn them on

Who each one is for

Attribute	ChatGPT	Google Gemini
Best for	Everyday questions and brainstorming Making and editing images in the chat Voice conversations on your phone Quick research with web search	Searching and summarising your Gmail Drafting in Google Docs Image and video generation on paid plans Hands-free help on Android
You'll find it used by	Marketers Small business owners Students Developers	Google Workspace teams Marketers Small business owners Android users

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT or Google Gemini?

ChatGPT scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5 and Google Gemini 4.2/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. Google Gemini is best for searching and summarising your Gmail and drafting in Google Docs.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Google Gemini?

ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Google Gemini: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99/mo.

Which is easier to use, ChatGPT or Google Gemini?

ChatGPT rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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