Guide · Choosing an AI assistant
An honest comparison for New Zealand businesses: what each is good and bad at, what they cost in NZ, the different ways to use them, and how to choose without locking yourself in.
"Which AI should we use?" is one of the most common questions I get, and the honest answer is that for everyday work the big assistants are more alike than different. I often compare OpenAI and Anthropic to iPhone and Android: essentially the same thing in a different wrapper. All of them draft, summarise, analyse, search the web and read your documents well.
For what it is worth, I use Claude most days. That is personal preference, not a verdict: I use Claude Code for hands-on work on my computer and the Claude desktop app for polishing documents. For most business work, ChatGPT would do the job just as well.
The best way to choose is to ask your people what they actually want to use it for. The answers usually point to a tool on their own.
| If the main job is… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Formulas and analysis in Excel | Copilot | It works inside Excel, on the spreadsheet in front of you. |
| Email, meetings and documents in Microsoft 365 | Copilot | It sits in Outlook, Teams and Word and respects the permissions you already have. |
| Gmail, Google Docs and Meet | Gemini | It is built into Google Workspace and included in most business plans. |
| Reviewing or writing code | ChatGPT or Claude | Both are strong at code and have dedicated coding tools. |
| Long documents, reports and proposals | Claude or ChatGPT | Both handle long material well; try each on a real document of yours. |
| Automating a business process | Any of them, via the API | This is a build, not a subscription. See how to implement AI. |
Whether you run on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace does not change the recommendation much. It mostly means one assistant comes bundled with the software you already pay for, so try that one first.
Each of the four has a clear sweet spot and a clear catch.
| Assistant | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | The one most staff already know. The widest range of features in one app, including voice, images, agents and connections to other apps. | The plan line-up changes often. Many staff already have personal accounts, so moving work into a company account takes a deliberate push. |
| Claude | Strong at writing, editing and working through long documents. Strong at code, with Claude Code included in paid plans. Extensions for Chrome and Microsoft 365. | Less familiar to most staff. Heavy users may need a premium seat to avoid hitting usage limits. |
| Microsoft Copilot | Works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, on your own files and emails, within the permissions you already have. Copilot Chat is free with most Microsoft 365 business plans. | The full version is a per-person add-on on top of Microsoft 365, best priced on an annual commitment. It is worth most when staff spend their day in Office. |
| Google Gemini | Bundled into Google Workspace Business Standard and above at no extra cost, inside Gmail, Docs and Meet. | Only Gmail on the Starter plan. Less useful if your business does not run on Google Workspace. |
A business seat costs roughly NZ$30 to $45 per person per month, and in some cases nothing extra because it is bundled into software you already pay for. Prices as at 28 September 2026, excluding GST. Plans billed in US dollars are converted at about US$1 = NZ$1.75.
| Plan | Price per person per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Business | US$20 annual / US$25 monthly (about NZ$35 / $44) | Standard seat. Premium seats with 5x usage are US$100 annual. |
| Claude Team | US$20 annual / US$25 monthly (about NZ$35 / $44) | Standard seat, 2 to 150 users, includes Claude Code. Premium seats US$100 annual. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | NZ$29.14 annual (promotional) / NZ$40.80 monthly | Add-on to an existing Microsoft 365 plan; normal annual price NZ$34. Or NZ$38 annual for Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot included. |
| Gemini in Google Workspace | Included from NZ$21 (Business Standard) | Starter (NZ$10.50) includes Gemini in Gmail only. |
| Personal plans, for comparison | ChatGPT Plus US$20, Claude Pro US$20 | Controlled by the individual, not the business. See is it safe for staff to use their own accounts? |
At those prices a seat costs about a couple of hours' wages a month. For anyone who uses it daily, that is very easy to win back.
Choosing an assistant is only half the decision. The same AI can be used in quite different ways, and the right one depends on the job.
The industry is moving fast enough that a recommendation made today could be out of date within months. New models arrive, prices change and features leapfrog each other several times a year.
So pick the one that fits how your team works now, put it on a business plan, and look at the choice again every six to twelve months. Build any automations so the AI model underneath can be swapped without starting again. That way you are never stuck with last year's best option.
There is no single best one. Start with how your staff want to use it: Copilot if the work lives in Excel, Word and Outlook, Gemini if you run on Google Workspace, ChatGPT or Claude for writing, research and code. For most everyday work, any of the four will do the job well on a business plan.
For everyday business work they are closer than most comparisons suggest, a bit like iPhone and Android. The best test is to give both the same real task from your business and see which your team prefers.
Most small businesses do well with one main assistant for everyone, plus whatever is bundled into their Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan. Add a second paid tool only where a specific job clearly needs it.
Not much. It mainly decides which assistant comes bundled with software you already pay for, so try that one first before buying anything else.
Every six to twelve months. Prices, models and features change several times a year, so a choice that was right a year ago may not be now.
A free 30-minute call is enough to work out which assistant suits how your team actually works, and whether anything is worth automating beyond it. Discovery is always free.
Book a free call