Practical guide: when to use ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity
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 gets you nowhere. The problem is not in the tool, but in how you talk to it.
- Context, role, and expectation are the 3 pillars of any good prompt – without these elements, you get generic, superficial answers
- ChatGPT is best for brainstorming and creative work – ideal for ad copy, content variations, and quick iterations
- Claude dominates with long documents and coding – up to 200,000 tokens of context and a natural, human tone
- Perplexity wins with up-to-date research – real-time data with automatic source citation in 2-4 minutes
- The smartest professionals combine all three – each tool for its strengths within one workflow
- Free versions are enough to start – only upgrade to paid (€20-200/month) if you see a clear ROI
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 deploy ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity. With concrete example prompts, real-world scenarios and workflows that you can start using tomorrow. No theoretical comparisons, but hands-on tips that you can apply directly to performance marketing, AI automation and content creation.
The secret of good AI prompts: context, role, and expectation
Before we go into which tool to use when, you must first understand how to communicate with AI tools at all. The difference between a useless and a brilliant answer lies in three elements that must be present in every prompt.
Context: Give the AI enough background to understand your situation. Without context, AI produces generic answers that are the same for everyone.
Role: Explicitly define which 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 who advises 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.
Practice shows that professionals who consistently apply context, role, and expectation achieve 3-5x better results than those who only ask short questions. This principle is essential for AI marketing strategies.
“Marketing will drastically change 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 is being automated by AI, leaving more time for the craft.”
Source: HubSpot - State of Marketing Report 2025
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 really 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.
Quick code prototypes and debugging
ChatGPT understands programming logic well and can handle debugging and code explanation. 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 prompt ChatGPT (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 set of 4
TASK:
Write 5 different ad copies (each max 125 characters) with these hooks:
1. Pain point (plastic waste)
2. Curiosity
3. Social proof
4. Discount (15% first order)
5. Storytelling
EXPECTATION:
- Informal Dutch
- No emojis
- Direct call-to-action
- Focus on benefit, not featureThis type of prompt directly delivers 5 usable variants that you can test in your campaigns. ChatGPT's iterative capacity allows you to further refine each variant: "Make variant 3 a bit 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 over 50 pages, or when you need strictly factual information with source citations.
“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.”
Source: Stanford HAI - AI Index Report 2025
When to use Claude: natural texts and complex analyses
Claude from Anthropic distinguishes itself by its long context window and nuanced, human writing style. Where ChatGPT sometimes sounds too enthusiastic or formal, Claude writes in a way that feels like an experienced professional wrote it.
Ideal situations for Claude
Analyzing or writing long documents
With 200,000 tokens of context, Claude can process complete reports, strategies, or white papers. 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 execute 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 security protocols and is more reliable for HR texts, legal content, or medical information.
Example prompt Claude (document analysis)
Scenario: You have an extensive marketing plan that you want to have evaluated
You are a senior marketing consultant who advises SMEs on digital strategy.
CONTEXT:
I am uploading our 25-page marketing plan for 2025. 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 that we can implement this quarter
4. One critical question that we as a management team need to consider
EXPECTATION:
- 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 do this type of analysis, but Claude keeps track of complex documents better and gives 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 white papers, 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 to best practices (DRY, separation of concerns)
3. Optimize loops and liquid filters
4. Add inline comments to complex sections
5. Prioritize loading time improvement
EXPECTATION:
- Maintain 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. Use ChatGPT for quick fixes, choose Claude for thorough refactoring.
When NOT to use Claude
Avoid Claude for time-sensitive information (limited internet access), when you need to do multiple short tasks quickly (ChatGPT is faster), or for pure research with source citation (Perplexity is better).
“In the world we now operate in, 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.”
Source: Databricks - Strategic Priorities for Data and AI Leaders in 2025
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
Check claims, figures, and statistics with automatic source citation for your content marketing. Essential for reliable publications.
Financial data and company information
Real-time rates, 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-tools vergelijkingen.
Perplexity example prompt (market research)
Scenario: You need up-to-date e-commerce trends for a client presentation
Give me a complete overview of the top 5 e-commerce trends in Belgium for 2025.
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
- At least 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 the requested elements and clickable sources to the original articles within 2-4 minutes. The automatic source citation saves hours of fact-checking work.
For local SEO, Perplexity is indispensable because it can find up-to-date 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 your competitors are doing on social media
Analyze the social media strategy of the top 3 Belgian sustainable fashion brands in 2025.
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 be no older than 3 months.The major drawback of Perplexity is its weakness in purely creative tasks. Don't ask it to write ad copy or blog articles – use it only for research and data gathering. However, for structured data research, it's unbeatable.
When should you NOT use Perplexity?
Avoid using Perplexity for creative writing, coding, long document analyses, or when you don't need internet access. It's a specialized research tool, not a general AI assistant.
Practical workflows: the 3-tool strategy
Most professionals who effectively use AI don't rely on just one tool, but rather a combination of all three. Each tool is used for its strengths within one integrated workflow.
Workflow 1: Develop a 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 sector.
Step 2 - Analysis (Claude, 20-40 min)
Upload all research to Claude and ask for 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 turn 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 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 virtually any type of project: from Google Ads optimization to LinkedIn marketing strategies. The total time investment of 90-180 minutes delivers 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 - Up-to-date 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 starts with a solid infrastructure. By addressing fundamental components such as data unification and governance through one underlying system, organizations can focus on putting use cases into production, where they can actually create value for the company.”
Source: Databricks - Strategic Priorities for Data and AI Leaders in 2025
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Even experienced AI users make systematic errors that undermine their results. Here are the five biggest pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Prompts that are too short and vague
Symptom: You type "Write a blog post about SEO" and get generic rubbish.
Solution: Invest 2-3 minutes in a thorough prompt with context, role, and expectation. You'll earn back the extra time with better output that is immediately usable.
Practical: Create a prompt template for recurring tasks. Save successful prompts and reuse the structure.
Mistake 2: Expecting AI to come up with everything itself
Symptom: You ask AI for a strategy without context and receive general advice that is the same for everyone.
Solution: AI tools are assistants, not replacements for your expertise. Provide them with your knowledge, your unique insights, and your business context. AI enhances what you already know; it doesn't replace it.
Practical: Always upload relevant documents (briefings, brand guidelines, previous campaigns) before requesting new content.
Mistake 3: No iteration or refinement
Symptom: You accept the initial output without asking questions or providing feedback.
Solution: The first output is rarely perfect. Ask follow-up questions, refine, and provide feedback. Suggestions like "Make the tone more direct" or "Add a concrete example to point 3" often yield better results than starting over.
Practical: Plan an extra 30% of time for refinement. Three iterations usually deliver 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 topical research and you're disappointed with the results.
Solution: Learn which tool excels at what and respect those boundaries. Use the 3-tool strategy and switch between tools depending on the phase of your project.
Practical: Create a simple decision tree: "Need current information? → Perplexity. Long document? → Claude. Creative work? → ChatGPT."
Mistake 5: Blind trust without verification
Symptom: You're using AI-generated figures, sources, or claims without checking if they're accurate.
Solution: All AI tools hallucinate sometimes – they make up facts, sources, or statistics. Always verify critical information, especially figures and quotes. Human verification is essential for AI audits.
Practical: Use Perplexity to verify critical claims. Specifically look for the source that AI claims to have used. If it doesn't exist, remove the claim.
For AI agents and automated workflows, human oversight is even more critical because errors can spread exponentially through your systems.
From free to paid: when to upgrade
All three platforms offer free versions, but when is it worth upgrading to paid accounts?
Start with free versions
Free ChatGPT - Access to GPT-4o mini, sufficient for brainstorming and simple copy.
Claude for free - Limited access to Sonnet 3.7, good enough for document analyses of 20-30 pages.
Perplexity Free - Basic search with 5 Pro searches per day, perfect for light research.
For most users, this is sufficient to get started and discover which tool suits them best. Test intensively for at least 2 weeks before paying.
Upgrade to paid (€20/month) when:
You work with AI for several hours every day
With intensive use, you will encounter rate limits with free accounts. Paid versions have higher limits and priority for server capacity.
Your speed and reliability are crucial
Free accounts have lower priority during peak hours. Uptime is important for professional work.
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 beneficial for:
Development teams
That need Claude Opus 4 for complex coding projects with conversion optimization goals.
Marketing agencies
Using ChatGPT Pro for unlimited access to all models and features for lead generation.
Research-intensive professionals
Who use Perplexity Max for extensive deep research capabilities and real-time data without limits.
For digital marketing experts, the time saved is often 10-20 hours per week, easily justifying premium subscriptions.
Which combination works best?
Minimum package (€40/month): ChatGPT Plus + Claude Pro
Covers 80% of your needs. Use Perplexity for 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 use AI centrally. Unlimited access to the best models.
Ready to strategically implement AI?
AI tools are only valuable when 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 in your daily work for a week. Use the context-role-expectation principle with every prompt. Combine tools instead of choosing one favorite. The professionals who use AI best are not loyal to one 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 know it, but consciously choose the best tool for each task.
Do you want to structurally implement AI in your company? 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 is here. Companies that learn how to use these tools effectively 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 whether 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 probably be working with all three – and wondering how you ever managed without them.
🚀 More leads, higher conversion, better ROI
This article gave you 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'll help you move forward concretely.
💬 Discuss your challenge directly with Frederiek: Schedule a free strategy session 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
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Yes, and that's actually the best approach. Use Perplexity for research, Claude for analyzing long documents, and ChatGPT for creative output. Most professionals who use AI effectively utilize all three tools alongside each other for their specific strengths. The workflows in this article demonstrate how to combine them.
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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 sometimes leaks into Dutch texts. Perplexity retrieves Dutch-language sources but writes in Dutch itself less often. For professional Dutch copy: Claude first, ChatGPT for variations.
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Focus on the three core principles: context, role, and expectation. You don't need to explain everything – just provide the information that is essential for a good response. Start short, see what you get, and then add details where necessary. Iteration works better than specifying everything immediately. A good prompt is 100-300 words, not 1000+.
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Yes. Do not upload confidential customer data, personal information, or trade 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 necessary. Read the privacy policies of each tool before sharing sensitive information.
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Claude Pro (€20/month) offers the best price-performance ratio 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 cost-effective for research-intensive work because you get unlimited current data without extra costs per search.
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Absolutely. ChatGPT excels at generating SEO content and meta descriptions. Claude writes natural, human-like texts that resonate well with readers. Perplexity assists with keyword research and up-to-date trend analysis. For comprehensive SEO strategies, combine all three: Perplexity for research, Claude for strategy, and ChatGPT for content production.
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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. Mixing AI output with your own writing (60% AI, 40% you) works better than 100% AI.
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Yes, but with caveats. For technical fields, you often need domain-specific knowledge that AI doesn't possess. Claude is 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 get a legal review.
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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 really need the best models.
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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.
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ChatGPT releases major updates on average every 2-3 months. Claude updates its models approximately every 3-4 months. Perplexity ships small improvements weekly and larger features monthly. Follow their blogs or release notes for updates. The AI world is evolving rapidly – what's top-notch today may be outdated in 6 months.
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No. You don't need programming knowledge for daily use. The tools are designed for anyone who can type. Development skills are only required if you want to build API integrations or develop AI agents. No code is required for marketing, content, and research. Prompting is writing, not programming.
Sources and references
AI research and productivity:
MIT News: "Study shows that ChatGPT increases productivity in writing tasks" - https://news.mit.edu/2023/study-finds-chatgpt-boosts-worker-productivity-writing-0714
Stanford HAI: "AI Index Report 2025: Comprehensive AI trends and data" - 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/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-economic-potential-of-generative-ai-the-next-productivity-frontier
Marketing and content creation:
HubSpot: "State of Marketing Report 2025: AI trends and strategies" - 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
