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Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs

Claude vs Google AI Studio vs Le Chat

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

Claude

4.6

From $20/mo

Google AI Studio

3.9

From $19.99/mo

Le Chat

4.1

From $14.99/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who writes, researches or makes decisions for a living, plus anyone curious about Claude Code.

Pick it if: Founders, marketers and developers who want to test Google's models or build a quick app without paying.

Pick it if: Teams that care where their data lives, and anyone after a capable assistant for less money.

Overview

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
In one lineAnthropic's chat assistant, at its best on careful writing and long documents.Google's free workspace for testing Gemini models and building apps from a description.Mistral's fast European assistant, with a usable free plan and a cheaper Pro plan.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$20/mo$19.99/mo$14.99/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Overall rating4.6Winner3.94.1
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
3.0
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.5
3.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
5.0
4.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
3.5
5.0

Feature comparison

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

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes No Yes
Desktop app Yes No Yes
Browser extension Yes No No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No Yes
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images No Yes Yes
Makes video No Yes No
Writes code Yes Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes No Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score14/ 1711/ 1715/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Plans

Free

Free

Trying it out and light daily use.

FreeOur pick

Free

Testing models and building small prototypes.

Free

Free

Everyday questions and a look at the Work and Code modes.

ProOur pick

$20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly

Anyone who uses it most days.

Google AI Pro

$19.99/mo

Regular users who also want the Gemini app upgrade.

ProOur pick

$14.99/mo

Anyone who wants a capable daily assistant for less.

Max

From $100/mo

Heavy users and people living in Claude Code.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy builders who want the highest limits.

Team

$24.99/user/mo

Small teams that want shared billing and higher limits.

Team

From $20/seat/mo billed yearly

Businesses with 2 to 150 people.

Paid API

Pay as you go, $10 prepay to start

Apps in production and anyone with sensitive data.

Enterprise

Custom

Organisations with compliance and custom needs.

Which plan to pickStart on Free to see if the writing suits you. Most people who stick with it move to Pro within a month; only go to Max if you hit the Pro limits every day or you're running Claude Code for hours at a time.Start free. If you're putting anything sensitive in or building something people will use, switch to a paid API key so your prompts aren't used for training. Google AI Pro only makes sense if you'd use the Gemini app upgrade too.The free plan is enough to see if the speed and tone suit you. Pro is good value at $14.99 and a sensible second assistant next to Claude. Students can get Pro for $5.99 a month for up to 12 months.

Key features

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Standout features
  • Projects
  • Artifacts
  • Long documents
  • Web search and connectors
  • Tasks and Claude Code
  • Memory
  • Playground
  • Build mode
  • Image, speech and video models
  • API keys
  • Long context
  • Export to Antigravity
  • Fast answers
  • Work mode
  • Code mode
  • Documents and images
  • Memory
  • EU hosting and open models

Pros and cons

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Pros
  • Writing sounds like a person and needs the least editing of any assistant
  • Handles long documents and messy briefs without losing track
  • Projects and memory mean you stop repeating the same context
  • Artifacts turn answers into real documents, slides and small apps
  • One subscription covers Claude Code as well
  • The free plan now includes memory, connectors and Artifacts
  • Free access to Google's Flash models with full control over settings
  • Build mode turns a description into a working, publishable app
  • Handles very long documents, audio and video
  • The quickest way to get a Gemini API key
  • EU hosting by default and open-weight models
  • Fastest responses in the category
  • Pro is cheaper than the equivalent OpenAI or Anthropic plan
  • Work mode runs real multi-step jobs across your apps
  • Clear, less preachy answers
Cons
  • Free and Pro usage limits can bite on a busy day
  • No image or video generation, which ChatGPT and Gemini both have
  • The free plan doesn't include the top Opus models
  • Fewer third-party connectors and plugins than ChatGPT
  • Free-tier prompts may be used to improve Google's products and reviewed by people
  • Daily limits are unpublished and users report them being cut, including for paying Pro subscribers
  • Confusing for non-developers, and it overlaps with the Gemini app and Antigravity
  • Gemini 4 Argon and Veo video need a paid plan or API billing
  • The site can be buggy and slow on long chats
  • Reasoning and long-document quality trail Claude and ChatGPT
  • Smaller ecosystem of guides, plugins and community help
  • Free plan limits aren't published in plain numbers
  • The rename to Vibe and the new modes make it harder to find your way around

Who each one is for

AttributeClaudeGoogle AI StudioLe Chat
Best for
  • Long-form writing and editing
  • Reading and summarising long documents
  • Thinking through a plan or decision
  • Pairing with Claude Code
  • Prototyping an app or internal tool by describing it
  • Testing new Gemini models before they reach the app
  • Getting a Gemini API key
  • Long documents and video transcription
  • Fast everyday questions
  • Privacy-conscious organisations
  • A cheaper paid plan
  • Reading and summarising documents
You'll find it used by
  • Writers and marketers
  • Founders
  • Consultants
  • Developers
  • Developers
  • Founders
  • Technical marketers
  • AI hobbyists
  • Privacy-conscious teams
  • European businesses
  • Solo founders
  • Developers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Claude, Google AI Studio or Le Chat?

Claude scores highest overall in our ratings (Claude 4.6/5, Google AI Studio 3.9/5 and Le Chat 4.1/5). Claude is best for long-form writing and editing and reading and summarising long documents. Google AI Studio is best for prototyping an app or internal tool by describing it and testing new Gemini models before they reach the app. Le Chat is best for fast everyday questions and privacy-conscious organisations.

Which is cheaper, Claude, Google AI Studio or Le Chat?

Claude: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Google AI Studio: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Le Chat: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $14.99/mo.

Which is easier to use, Claude, Google AI Studio or Le Chat?

Claude rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who writes, researches or makes decisions for a living, plus anyone curious about Claude Code.

How we compare

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

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