Practical guide: when to use ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity
- Context, role, and expectation are the 3 pillars of every good prompt – without these elements, you'll get generic, superficial answers
- ChatGPT is best for brainstorming and creative work – ideal for ad copy, content variations, and rapid iterations
- Claude excels with long documents and coding – offering up to 200,000 tokens of context and a natural, human-like tone
- Perplexity is best for current research – providing real-time data with automatic source citation in 2-4 minutes
- The smartest professionals combine all three – each tool for its strengths within a single workflow
- Free versions are enough to start – only upgrade to paid (€20-200/month) when you see clear ROI
You've finally decided to use AI for your work. You open ChatGPT and type: "Write a good marketing text." The result? A generic text full of buzzwords that doesn't help you at all. The problem isn't with the tool, but with how you talk to it.
Most people use AI tools as if they were a Google search engine. They throw in a few words and hope for magic. But AI assistants work fundamentally differently. They need context, a clear role, and concrete expectations before they can deliver valuable output.
In this practical guide, you'll discover exactly when to use ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. With concrete example prompts, practical scenarios, and workflows you can use tomorrow. No theoretical comparisons, but hands-on tips directly applicable to performance marketing, AI automation, and content creation.
The secret to good AI prompts: context, role, and expectation
Before we delve into which tool to use when, you first need to understand how to communicate with AI tools in the first place. The difference between a useless and a brilliant answer lies in three elements that must be present in every prompt.
Context: Provide the AI with enough background to understand your situation. Without context, AI produces generic answers that are the same for everyone.
Role: Explicitly define the role the AI should assume. A copywriter writes differently than a data analyst or SEO specialist.
Expectation: Be specific about what you expect. What format, what length, what tone, what structure?
Compare these two prompts:
Bad: "Write a text about SEO."
Good: "You are an SEO specialist advising SMEs on search engine optimization. Write a practical email (250 words) for a Belgian webshop owner who has just started with Shopify. Explain why product descriptions are important for SEO, without technical jargon. Conclude with one concrete action he can take tomorrow. Use a personal, encouraging tone."
The difference? The second prompt contains all three elements and delivers immediately usable output that fits your specific situation. These prompt engineering principles work for all three tools, but each tool has its own strengths.
Experience shows that professionals who consistently apply context, role, and expectation achieve 3-5x better results than those who only ask short questions. For AI marketing strategies, this principle is essential.
“Marketing will change drastically in 2025. Instead of scaling traffic, we need to scale attention. That's different. Marketers need to learn a new skillset. Much of the scientific side of marketing will be automated by AI, leaving more time for the craft.”
When to use ChatGPT: creative work and rapid iterations
ChatGPT is the Swiss Army knife among AI tools. Versatile, reliable, and good at many things without being truly bad at anything. Use ChatGPT when you need creative output, want to iterate quickly, or generate multiple variations.
Ideal situations for ChatGPT
Brainstorming and ideation
ChatGPT excels at generating ideas, concepts, and creative angles. Perfect for advertising strategies and campaign development where you want to quickly explore many options.
Ad copy and social media content
The tool writes naturally and can effortlessly produce multiple variations for A/B testing. Ideal for AI ad creation where you want to test 10-20 variants.
Rapid code prototypes and debugging
ChatGPT understands programming logic well and can handle debugging and code explanations. Useful for Shopify development where you want to quickly try something out.
Conversational workflows
ChatGPT's cross-conversation memory makes it perfect for projects where you work step-by-step and want to maintain context between sessions.
Example ChatGPT prompt (ad copy)
Scenario: You need to write Facebook ads for an e-commerce client
You are a performance marketer specializing in Facebook Ads for e-commerce.
CONTEXT:
- Belgian webshop: sustainable bamboo toothbrushes
- Target audience: environmentally conscious families, 28-45 years old
- USP: 100% biodegradable, Belgian made
- Price: €12.99 for a set of 4
TASK:
Write 5 different ad copies (max 125 characters each) using these hooks:
1. Pain point (plastic waste)
2. Curiosity
3. Social proof
4. Discount (15% first order)
5. Storytelling
EXPECTATIONS:
- Informal Dutch
- No emojis
- Direct call-to-action
- Focus on benefit, not featureThis type of prompt immediately provides 5 usable variations that you can test in your campaigns. ChatGPT's iterative capability allows you to further refine each variant: "Make variant 3 slightly more urgent" or "Add a time indication to variant 1."
For SEO content and blog articles, ChatGPT is a solid choice, although Claude often writes more naturally for longer texts.
When NOT to use ChatGPT
Avoid ChatGPT for current market data (knowledge cutoff March 2025), very long documents exceeding 50 pages, or when you need strictly factual information with source attribution.
“AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a practical tool that fundamentally changes the way we work. The key lies in understanding when to use which tool for which task.”
When to use Claude: natural texts and complex analyses
Anthropic's Claude stands out with its long context window and nuanced, human-like writing style. While ChatGPT can sometimes sound overly enthusiastic or formal, Claude writes in a way that feels as if an experienced professional penned it.
Ideal situations for Claude
Analyzing or writing long documents
With a 200,000 token context, Claude can process entire reports, strategies, or whitepapers. Perfect for CRO analyses where you want to process all data in one session.
Coding and refactoring
Claude Opus 4 is currently the best coding model in the world and can independently perform complex programming tasks. Ideal for Shopify apps and custom development where quality is more important than speed.
Natural, professional texts
If you need texts that don't sound "AI-like," Claude is your best choice. The output feels calmer and more thoughtful. Perfect for customer communication and internal documents.
Sensitive or compliance-related content
Claude has stricter safety protocols and is more reliable for HR texts, legal content, or medical information.
Example Prompt Claude (document analysis)
Scenario: You have a comprehensive marketing plan that you want to have evaluated
You are a senior marketing consultant advising SMEs on digital strategy.
CONTEXT:
I am uploading our 25-page marketing plan for 2026. The plan is written for a B2B SaaS company in the HR tech sector. Budget: €180k/year. Team: 2 marketers + external agency.
ANALYZE THE DOCUMENT FOR:
1. Three strengths that we have elaborated well
2. Three weaknesses or gaps in the strategy
3. Two concrete quick wins we can implement this quarter
4. One critical question for our management team to consider
EXPECTATIONS:
- Clear, direct language without marketing jargon
- Maximum 800 words total
- Specific references to page numbers where relevant
- Honest feedback, even if it's painfulChatGPT can also perform this type of analysis, but Claude maintains better coherence with complex documents and provides more nuanced feedback. The 200k context window means you don't have to summarize or upload parts.
Claude is also excellent for rewriting AI-generated texts that sound too AI-like. Upload a ChatGPT output to Claude with the instruction to make it more human and natural – the result is often surprisingly good.
For AI copywriting where naturalness is crucial, Claude has an edge over the competition. Especially for longer texts such as whitepapers, case studies, or extensive blog articles.
Example Prompt Claude (code refactoring)
Scenario: You have Shopify Liquid code that you want to optimize
You are a senior Shopify developer with expertise in Liquid templating and performance optimization.
CONTEXT:
I have a product page template that loads slowly (3.2s) and is difficult to maintain. The code is 350 lines, with nested loops and inline styling. Shopify speed score: 42/100.
TASK:
1. Analyze the code and identify performance bottlenecks
2. Refactor according to best practices (DRY, separation of concerns)
3. Optimize loops and Liquid filters
4. Add inline comments to complex sections
5. Prioritize load time improvement
EXPECTATIONS:
- Retain all functionality
- Max 30% fewer lines of code
- Clear comments on changes
- Briefly explain the 3 most important optimizationsClaude's coding strength lies in understanding complex context and producing clean, maintainable code. For quick fixes, use ChatGPT; for thorough refactoring, choose Claude.
When NOT to use Claude
Avoid Claude for time-sensitive information (limited internet access), when you need to quickly complete multiple short tasks (ChatGPT is faster), or for pure research with source attribution (Perplexity is better).
“In the world we operate in today, mindset is more important than skillset. Technology is evolving rapidly, so we need to look for people with an open, creative growth mindset and a passion for learning and trying new things.”
When to use Perplexity: current research and data gathering
Perplexity is not a traditional chatbot but an answer engine with real-time internet access. Where ChatGPT and Claude are limited to their training data, Perplexity retrieves current information from the web and automatically provides sources.
Ideal situations for Perplexity
Market research and trends
Current data on e-commerce trends, competitor analyses, and industry developments. Perplexity Deep Research can generate a complete market overview in 2-4 minutes.
Fact-checking and verification
Verify claims, figures, and statistics with automatic source attribution for your content marketing. Essential for reliable publications.
Financial data and company information
Real-time stock prices, quarterly figures, and company news for B2B research. The new Finance features offer current stock data and company analyses.
SEO keyword research
Discover current search trends and popular topics for keyword research. Perplexity shows what people are searching for now.
Technical documentation and tutorials
Find the latest frameworks, libraries, and best practices for development. Perfect for AI tool comparisons.
Example Perplexity prompt (market research)
Scenario: You want current e-commerce trends for a client presentation
Provide a complete overview of the top 5 e-commerce trends in Belgium for 2026.
FOCUS ON:
- Consumer behavior and preferences
- Technological developments (AI, personalization)
- Sustainability and local fulfillment
- Payment methods and checkout optimization
- Social commerce and new channels
PER TREND:
- Concrete figures and percentages
- Minimum of 2 reliable sources (preferably Belgian retailers, Comeos, Thuiswinkel.org, or BeCommerce)
- Practical implications for webshops
RESULT FORMAT:
Structured markdown with headings per trend, bullets for details, sources at the bottom of each section.Perplexity delivers a structured overview with all requested elements and clickable sources to the original articles within 2-4 minutes. The automatic source attribution saves hours of fact-checking work.
For local SEO, Perplexity is indispensable because it can find current information about local markets, competitors, and trends that ChatGPT and Claude miss due to their knowledge cutoff.
Example Perplexity prompt (competitor analysis)
Scenario: You want to know what competitors are doing on social media
Analyze the social media strategy of the top 3 Belgian sustainable fashion brands in 2026.
FOCUS:
- Which platforms do they use (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn)?
- Posting frequency and content types
- Engagement rates and community size
- Influencer collaborations
- Unique tactics or campaigns
Provide concrete examples and figures where possible. Sources should not be older than 3 months.The major drawback of Perplexity: it is weak in purely creative tasks. Do not ask it to write ad copy or blog articles – use it only for research and data gathering. However, for structured data research, it is unbeatable.
When NOT to use Perplexity
Avoid Perplexity for creative writing, coding, long document analyses, or when you don't need internet access. It is a specialized research tool, not a general AI assistant.
Practical workflows: the 3-tool strategy
Most professionals who effectively deploy AI do not use just one tool but a combination of all three. Each tool is used for its strengths within one integrated workflow.
Workflow 1: Develop Content Marketing Strategy
Step 1 - Research (Perplexity, 15-30 min)
Gather current market data, competitor analyses, and trend information. Use Perplexity to find recent studies, statistics, and best practices for your industry.
Step 2 - Analysis (Claude, 20-40 min)
Upload all research to Claude and request a strategic analysis. Claude processes large amounts of information and distills key insights with strategic recommendations.
Step 3 - Creation (ChatGPT, 30-60 min)
Use ChatGPT to translate the strategy into concrete content. Write blog articles, social posts, ad copy, and email flows based on the strategy.
Step 4 - Refinement (Claude, 15-30 min)
Have Claude rewrite the ChatGPT output for a more natural, human-like tone that better suits your brand.
Step 5 - Verification (Perplexity, 10-20 min)
Use Perplexity to verify critical figures and claims before publishing.
This workflow works for almost any type of project: from Google Ads optimization to LinkedIn marketing strategies. The total time investment of 90-180 minutes yields output that would otherwise take days.
Workflow 2: Shopify Webshop Optimization
For Shopify webshops, use this combination:
Perplexity - Competitor analysis and e-commerce trends research (20 min)
Claude - Analyze your complete site structure and conversion funnel (30 min)
ChatGPT - Write optimized product descriptions and ad copy (45 min)
Claude - Review and polish all copy for a natural tone (20 min)
Perplexity - Verify SEO claims and best practices (15 min)
Total time: 130 minutes for a complete conversion optimization audit with concrete output.
Workflow 3: Performance Marketing Campaign
For performance marketing campaigns:
Perplexity - Current benchmark data and competitor ad research (25 min)
ChatGPT - Brainstorm 20+ ad concepts and write variations (40 min)
Claude - Analyze target audience insights and write targeting strategy (30 min)
ChatGPT - Generate final ad copy, headlines and call-to-actions (30 min)
Perplexity - Fact-check all claims and figures in ads (10 min)
This approach combines the creativity of ChatGPT, the analytical power of Claude, and the research capabilities of Perplexity for optimal results.
“A successful AI strategy begins with a solid infrastructure. By addressing fundamental components like data unification and governance through a single underlying system, organizations can focus their attention on bringing use cases into production, where they can truly create value for the business.”
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even experienced AI users make systematic mistakes that undermine their results. Here are the five biggest pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Overly short, vague prompts
Symptom: You type "Write a blog post about SEO" and receive generic, unhelpful content.
Solution: Invest 2-3 minutes in a thorough prompt with context, role, and expectation. The extra time will be recouped in better, immediately usable output.
Practical Tip: Create a prompt template for recurring tasks. Save successful prompts and reuse their structure.
Mistake 2: Expecting AI to come up with everything on its own
Symptom: You ask AI for a strategy without context and receive generic advice that applies to everyone.
Solution: AI tools are assistants, not replacements for your expertise. Provide them with your knowledge, unique insights, and business context. AI enhances what you already know; it doesn't replace it.
Practical Tip: Always upload relevant documents (briefings, brand guidelines, previous campaigns) before requesting new content.
Mistake 3: No iteration or refinement
Symptom: You accept the first output without asking questions or providing feedback.
Solution: The first output is rarely perfect. Ask follow-up questions, refine, and provide feedback. Phrases like "Make the tone more direct" or "Add a concrete example to point 3" often yield better results than starting over.
Practical Tip: Allocate 30% extra time for refinement. Three iterations typically produce 2x better output than using the first version directly.
Mistake 4: Using the wrong tool for the job
Symptom: You use Perplexity for creative copy or ChatGPT for current research and are disappointed with the results.
Solution: Learn which tool excels at what and respect those boundaries. Employ the 3-tool strategy and switch between tools depending on your project's phase.
Practical Tip: Create a simple decision tree: "Need current info? → Perplexity. Long document? → Claude. Creative work? → ChatGPT."
Mistake 5: Blind trust without verification
Symptom: You use AI-generated figures, sources, or claims without checking their accuracy.
Solution: All AI tools sometimes hallucinate – they invent facts, sources, or statistics. Always verify critical information, especially figures and quotes. For AI audits, human verification is essential.
Practical Tip: Use Perplexity to verify critical claims. Specifically search for the source AI claims to have used. If it doesn't exist, remove the claim.
For AI agents and automated workflows, human oversight is even more crucial because errors can spread exponentially throughout your systems.
From Free to Paid: When to Upgrade
All three platforms offer free versions, but when is it worthwhile to upgrade to paid accounts?
Start with Free Versions
ChatGPT Free - Access to GPT-4o mini, sufficient for brainstorming and simple copy.
Claude Free - Limited access to Sonnet 3.7, sufficient for document analysis of 20-30 pages.
Perplexity Free - Basic search with 5 Pro searches per day, fine for light research.
For most users, this is enough to get started and discover which tool suits them. Test intensively for at least 2 weeks before paying.
Upgrade to paid (€20/month) when:
You work with AI for several hours daily
With intensive use, you'll encounter rate limits on free accounts. Paid versions have higher limits and priority for server capacity.
Speed and reliability are crucial
Free accounts have lower priority during peak hours. For professional work, uptime is important.
You need access to the latest models
GPT-5, Claude Opus 4, and Perplexity Pro features are only available to paying users. These models are significantly better.
ROI Calculation: If AI saves you 2-3 hours per week at your hourly rate, even the most expensive subscription pays for itself within a month.
Premium (€80-200/month) is useful for:
Development teams
Who need Claude Opus 4 for complex coding projects with conversion optimization goals.
Marketing agencies
Who use ChatGPT Pro for unlimited access to all models and features for lead generation.
Research-intensive professionals
Who utilize Perplexity Max for extensive deep research capabilities and real-time data without limits.
For digital marketing experts, time savings are often 10-20 hours per week, making premium subscriptions effortlessly pay for themselves.
Which combination works best?
Minimum Package (€40/month): ChatGPT Plus + Claude Pro
Covers 80% of your needs. Use Perplexity Free for occasional research.
Optimal Package (€60/month): ChatGPT Plus + Claude Pro + Perplexity Pro
Complete coverage for professional work. No more limitations.
Maximum Package (€240/month): ChatGPT Pro + Claude Max + Perplexity Max
For agencies or teams that centrally deploy AI. Unlimited access to the best models.
Ready to deploy AI strategically?
AI tools are only valuable if you know when to use which one. ChatGPT for creativity, Claude for analysis, Perplexity for research - each tool has its place in an effective workflow.
Start today with the free versions and test them for a week in your daily work. Apply the context-role-expectation principle with every prompt. Combine tools instead of choosing one favorite. Professionals who best utilize AI are not loyal to a single platform but pragmatic in their tool selection.
The biggest difference between effective and ineffective AI users? Effective users know exactly when to switch tools. They don't use ChatGPT for everything just because they're familiar with it; instead, they consciously choose the best tool for each task.
Do you want to implement AI structurally in your business? Discover our AI for Growth services and learn how to use AI for measurable results. Or start with a free AI audit to discover which AI solutions best suit your organization.
The AI revolution won't wait. Companies that learn how to effectively use these tools now will build a lasting competitive advantage. For more practical AI insights, check out our complete AI marketing guide or learn about ChatGPT for advanced users.
It doesn't matter if you start with ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. What counts is that you start, experiment, and learn which tool works best for your specific situation and when. In three months, you'll likely be working with all three – and wonder how you ever managed without them.
🚀 More leads, higher conversion, better ROI
This article provided you with insights. Now it's time for action. Whether you want to build a profitable webshop, generate more revenue from performance marketing or SEO, or grow with AI marketing - we provide concrete support to help you move forward.
💬 Discuss your challenge directly with Frederiek: Schedule a free strategy consultation or send us a message
📧 Prefer to email? Send your question to frederiek@clickforest.com or call +32 473 84 66 27
Strategy without action remains theory. Let's take your next step together.
Frequently Asked Questions about ChatGPT, Claude & Perplexity
-
Yes, and that's even the best approach. Use Perplexity for research, Claude for analyzing long documents, and ChatGPT for creative output. Most professionals who effectively use AI leverage all three tools side-by-side for their specific strengths. The workflows in this article demonstrate how to combine them.
-
All three tools work well with Dutch, but Claude often writes the most naturally in Dutch. ChatGPT is slightly more American English-oriented in its phrasing, which can sometimes show through in Dutch texts. Perplexity retrieves Dutch-language sources but writes less frequently in Dutch itself. For professional Dutch copy: Claude first, ChatGPT for variations.
-
Focus on the three core principles: context, role, and expectation. You don't need to explain everything – just provide the information essential for a good answer. Start short, see what you get, and then add details where necessary. Iteration works better than specifying everything upfront. A good prompt is 100-300 words, not 1000+.
-
Yes. Do not upload confidential customer data, personal information, or company secrets to public AI tools. Claude has the strictest privacy standards, but no free tool guarantees complete privacy. For sensitive data, enterprise versions with specific data processing agreements are required. Read the privacy policies of each tool before sharing sensitive information.
-
Claude Pro (€20/month) offers the best price-performance with access to powerful models and a large context window. ChatGPT Plus (€20/month) is similarly priced but has a shorter context. Perplexity Pro (€20/month) is the most economical for research-intensive work because you get unlimited access to current data without extra costs per search query.
-
Absolutely. ChatGPT is strong in generating SEO content and meta-descriptions. Claude writes natural, human-like texts that resonate well with readers. Perplexity assists with keyword research and current trend analyses. For complete SEO strategies, combine all three: Perplexity for research, Claude for strategy, ChatGPT for content production.
-
Use the context-role-expectation principle with clear tone of voice instructions. Have Claude rewrite texts that sound too AI-like. Always add your own expertise, examples, and personal insights. AI is a tool, not a replacement for human input. Mix AI output with your own writing (60% AI, 40% you works better than 100% AI).
-
Yes, but with caveats. For technical fields, you often need domain-specific knowledge that AI lacks. Claude is the most cautious with medical and financial advice. Use AI for drafts and analyses, but always have a subject matter expert validate the output. For compliance-sensitive content, always conduct a legal review.
-
Pro subscriptions (€20/month) provide access to better models and higher usage limits. Premium subscriptions (€80-200/month) offer access to the very best models, such as Claude Opus 4 or ChatGPT Pro with unlimited use. For most users, Pro is sufficient. Upgrade to Premium only if you encounter limits or truly need the top-tier models.
-
Yes. All three platforms have APIs that allow you to automate workflows. For marketing teams, AI chatbots and automated content generation are powerful use cases. Claude also has Projects for reusable prompt templates. ChatGPT has Custom GPTs for specific tasks. Automation pays off with 10+ repetitions per month.
-
ChatGPT releases major updates approximately every 2-3 months. Claude updates its models roughly every 3-4 months. Perplexity ships small improvements weekly and larger features monthly. Follow their blogs or release notes for updates. The AI world evolves rapidly – what's cutting-edge today might be outdated in 6 months.
-
No. For daily use, you don't need programming knowledge. The tools are designed for anyone who can type. You only need development skills if you want to build API integrations or develop AI agents. For marketing, content, and research, no code is required. Prompting is writing, not programming.
Sources & References
AI Research and Productivity
MIT News – Study finds ChatGPT boosts worker productivity for writing tasks – https://news.mit.edu/2023/study-finds-chatgpt-boosts-worker-productivity-writing-0714
Stanford HAI – 2025 AI Index Report – https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report
Harvard Business Review – Embracing generative AI at work: practical guidance – https://hbr.org/2024/09/embracing-gen-ai-at-work
AI tools and platforms
Anthropic – Claude 4 model family announcement and capabilities – https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-4
Databricks Blog – Strategic priorities for data and AI leaders in 2025 – https://www.databricks.com/blog/strategic-priorities-data-and-ai-leaders-2025
Databricks Blog – Introducing the Databricks AI Governance Framework – https://www.databricks.com/blog/introducing-databricks-ai-governance-framework
Business impact and economic research
McKinsey Digital – The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier – https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/tech-and-ai/our-insights/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai-the-next-productivity-frontier
Marketing and content creation
HubSpot – 2025 State of Marketing Report – https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
HubSpot Blog – State of AI Report: Key findings from 1000+ marketing professionals – https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-ai-report
Content Marketing Institute – 2025 content marketing trends and benchmarks – https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/strategy-planning/trends-content-marketing
