As an AI editor, I spend a lot of time using chatbots. They help me brainstorm, answer complex questions and more recently, vibe code. However, in recent months, I have had a problem.
There was once a time when ChatGPT alone was the only chatbot worth using, thanks to its incredible lead on the market. But times are changing, and there are now plenty of AI chatbots competing for that top spot.
Each of these models is great now, able to handle the vast majority of tasks that I throw their way. And yet, I still find myself using just one AI tool day-to-day. While that has been ChatGPT before, since the release of Gemini 3, I have gone back to that.
But, for 2026, I want to change my habit, looking to not just cling to one AI tool at a time, but instead make the most of the sea of different tools out there. That is because each of them is great in incredibly particular situations.
ChatGPT: my writing buddy
Things haven’t been going too well for ChatGPT recently. It has seen a major fall in its legacy, competing with the likes of Gemini 3 to try to stay relevant.
However, while it has lost some of its lead, it still remains one of my go-to AI chatbots, especially when it comes to writing.
I have found the OpenAI tool to be a fantastic assistant for grammar, editing and suggesting new ideas for copy. Since the release of GPT-5.1, it feels especially effective when it comes to addressing creativity in text.
Using ChatGPT’s thinking models, I have been consistently impressed with how well it can analyze text to find improvements, even if they are minor changes that could be made.
Recently, when I asked all of the major chatbots to edit a piece of work, ChatGPT was the one that I was most impressed with, mainly thanks to its focus on clear and concise changes and explanations of why they were important.
Gemini: Images, videos and complex concepts
Since Gemini 3 launched, Gemini has become my go-to chatbot for most tasks. However, it has been especially useful for more complex challenges.
If I need a deep research project, or I’m asking a prompt that has multiple layers and requires some advanced reasoning, Gemini seems best equipped to deal with them. Yes, ChatGPT can handle these types of tasks too, but I’ve been much more impressed with Gemini recently in this area.
Equally, the recent upgrade to Nano Banana Pro (an image generator from Gemini) has made this chatbot my go-to for both image and video generation. I have been consistently impressed with its performance, especially in more complex images.
Compared to ChatGPT’s image generations and the videos from Sora 2, Gemini 3 suddenly feels like it is in a different league.
Claude: Coding
All of these AI chatbots have been given the ability to vibe code this year, but I have a clear preference.
Yes, they are all good at it, able to crank out full websites or apps with pretty simple prompts, but Anthropic’s Claude has been my preferred choice.
It feels like it produces the best results with the least effort. Not to mention that Anthropic has poured a lot of time and effort into its vibe coding functions, and it shows.
The result of this is that, when it comes to coding with AI, Claude seems to be the best option, both for amateurs vibe coding for the first time, and those with experience with the technology.
I have found repeatedly that Claude's best ability in this area is how well it understands what you're looking for with AI coding. It takes its time and produces impressive results.
Why you should try this too
Do you need to diversify your chatbots? Not necessarily, but it could be for the best. While all of them have gotten to the point where they can handle most tasks thrown at them with ease, some are just better than others at specific tasks.
If you are the kind of person who uses AI chatbots a lot, this could well be the best solution. Not only will you find that you're getting the best results by focusing on their expertise, but it will also allow you to get a better understanding of how each of them works.
If you're currently using just one chatbot, try experimenting with the competitors to better understand which best fit your needs. It might be that there is just one that works best for you, or that a combination fits your needs even more.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
