Which AI should I use for what?
A no-nonsense cheat sheet for picking the right tool.
You don't need to pay for every AI. Here's the honest version:
Everyday questions and writing
ChatGPT or Claude. Both are excellent. ChatGPT is more mainstream; Claude tends to be a better writer and better at nuance. Try both free tiers and see which one "clicks" for how you think.
Long documents, careful thinking
Claude. It handles very long inputs and produces more grounded answers.
Research where sources matter
Perplexity. It cites its sources, which matters when you need to trust the answer.
Making images
Midjourney for beautiful, artistic images. Nano Banana (Gemini) or DALL-E for practical stuff (edits, product shots, quick social images).
Voice, audio, video
ElevenLabs for voice. Runway for video. These are more niche — only pay if you're producing regularly.
The rule of thumb
Start with one general assistant (ChatGPT or Claude), get comfortable, then add a specialty tool only when you have a real, recurring use for it.