ChatGPT vs THE REST

Although you probably have a favourite search engine and web browser, you may be undecided about which AI chatbot to use. Spearheaded by ChatGPT, there are now loads of tools to choose from. While you can easily switch between chatbots, it’s still useful to know which gives you the most reliable information, generates the highest-quality content and offers the most features. ChatGPT may be the most popular, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best. In this feature, we help you decide which one to use, by pitting ChatGPT against nine other leading contenders.

HOW WE TESTED THE CHATBOTS

We tested the 10 free versions of AI chatbots through their websites, using their default language models and without enabling additional tools (unless necessary). To get a broad range of responses, we entered these 10 questions and prompts (with our reasons in brackets):

• What is the best smart TV you can buy for under £300? (recommendations)

• Do I need a visa to go on holiday to the EU this summer? (topical)

• What will the weather be like in Torquay this weekend? (predictive)

• Can I upgrade my unsupported Windows 10 PC to Windows 11? (technical)

• What is the best way to fix a leaking kitchen tap? (lifestyle)

• Write a letter of complaint to South Western Railway (text generation)

• Summarise the content of this Computeractive feature (text analysis)

• Compile a round of general-knowledge quiz questions (creative)

• Identify the species of flower in this photo (image recognition)

• Create an image of a man drinking tea on a rollercoaster (image generation) After completing our tests, we rated each chatbot out of five for Features (how many options you can use for free), Performance (speed and detail of response) and Quality (accuracy and helpfulness). We then gave each tool an Overall score.

GOLD AWARD

Gemini

Gemini let us customise and export its excellent letter of complaint

https://gemini.google.com

Originally called Bard, Google’s AI chatbot received a lukewarm response when it launched in March 2023. Many users found it lacking compared with ChatGPT and it was accused of providing inaccurate information (www.snipca.com/54876). After Bard was rebranded as Gemini a year later, Google made numerous improvements to its performance and capabilities, and it’s now the best AI assistant you can use for free.

As well as typing commands and questions into Gemini’s message box, you can click its microphone icon to speak them. Its apps for Android (www.snipca.com/54877) and iOS (www.snipca. com/54878) include a clever Live feature that lets you talk aloud to the chatbot like you’re chatting to a real person. You can upload images and documents, or add them from Google Drive, to ask Gemini to analyse their content, and use its Deep Research function to get in-depth answers to your queries.

ChatGPT previously had the extra advantage of custom GPTs, which expand its capabilities with extra tools, but now Gemini has them too in the form of Gems (www.snipca.com/54896). Although it has less ‘personality’ than ChatGPT, our tests found that Gemini is generally faster, better informed and more thorough in its responses.

Our first question to Gemini was: ‘What is the best smart TV you can buy for under £300?’ (see screenshot below). After pointing out that the ‘best’ smart TV would depend on our “specific needs and priorities”, Gemini listed the top contenders (though without citing its sources). It summarised the benefits of each model, explained the key factors to consider when buying a new TV and ultimately recommended the Hisense 43A6KTUK.

More disappointing was its weather forecast, which simply showed a basic three-day graphic from Google Weather, without any comment or extra information.

Gemini replied to our smart TV query with a detailed and helpful answer

When we asked Gemini whether we’d need a visa to visit the EU this summer, its response included both the current rules and the imminent changes. Citing several official sources, it outlined the new ‘European Travel Information and Authorisation System’ (ETIAS), when it’s likely to be introduced and how much it will cost. It clarified that ETIAS is a ‘visa waiver’, not a visa, and that the EU is introducing a separate Entry/Exit system (EES) that uses biometric data.

Gemini also gave an impressive reply to our question about upgrading an unsupported Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. It warned of the risks before providing detailed instructions for two methods: one involving registry edits and the other bypassing hardware requirements using Rufus (www.snipca.com/53499).

Our final search query for Gemini was: ‘What is the best way to fix a leaking kitchen tap?’. Its comprehensive answer included step-by-step guidance for repairing three types of tap leak – spout, handle and base. Although we would have welcomed some pictures or links to sources, Gemini’s advice was reliable and clearly explained.

We next asked Gemini to perform three text-based tasks, starting with writing a letter of complaint to South Western Railway. It quickly produced an excellent template in its Canvas editor. This included an accurate list of ‘issues’ (such as delayed, cancelled and overcrowded trains) and examples of bad journeys, which we could customise with specific dates and times. Gemini also let us export the letter to Google Docs (see screenshot above). For the next task, we uploaded the ‘dark web’ feature from page 62 of this issue and asked Gemini to summarise its content. It quickly and accurately picked out all the key points, without repetition.

Lightening the mood, we got Gemini to compile a round of general-knowledge questions for a quiz. It came up with 20, spanning a wide variety of topics and difficulty, including ‘Who invented the worldwide web?’.

Gemini produced a realistic image - aside from the glass of tea

Next, we uploaded a photo of a flower and asked Gemini to identify its species. The chatbot said it was a species of Dietes, most probably an African iris or fortnight lily (dietes iridioides). It couldn’t be certain without a “clearer view of specific features”, but its assertion was correct.

For the final round, we tested Gemini’s image-generation abilities by asking it for a picture of a man drinking tea on a rollercoaster. Despite the tea being black and in a glass, the result (pictured above) was impressively detailed and realistic, from the man’s beard to the curve of the tracks. Gemini lets you download high-resolution copies of images, without a watermark, and (as with text prompts) it doesn’t specify a limit on how many you can create per day – it will tell you when you hit your personal quota.

VERDICT