Platform Comparison
A quick reference comparing the five AI platforms used throughout this course.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”| Feature | Claude | ChatGPT | Gemini | Ollama | LM Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | Open-source | Open-source | |
| Runs | Cloud | Cloud | Cloud | Local | Local |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free (local) | Free (local) |
| Config File | CLAUDE.md | Custom Instructions (free) / Custom GPTs (paid) | Gems (paid) | Modelfile | System Prompt UI |
| Best For | Writing, analysis, safety | General purpose, plugins, images | Multimodal, Google integration | Privacy, no cost per use | Easy local setup, GUI |
| Auto-Memory | Yes | Yes | Limited | No | No |
| Skills/Workflows | Yes (Skills) | Yes (Custom GPTs, paid) | Yes (Gems, paid) | Via Modelfile | Via presets |
Cloud Platforms
Section titled “Cloud Platforms”Claude (Anthropic)
Section titled “Claude (Anthropic)”- Website: claude.ai
- Free tier: Yes, with usage limits
- Strengths: Excellent at following complex instructions, strong writing quality, thoughtful and safe responses, Projects feature for organizing work
- Configuration: CLAUDE.md file or Project instructions
- Best for: Detailed writing tasks, analysis, following nuanced instructions
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Section titled “ChatGPT (OpenAI)”- Website: chatgpt.com
- Free tier: Yes, with usage limits
- Strengths: Largest ecosystem, Custom GPTs marketplace, image generation (DALL-E), web browsing, plugin support
- Configuration: Custom Instructions (free) or Custom GPTs (requires paid plan)
- Best for: General purpose tasks, creative work, when you need image generation
Gemini (Google)
Section titled “Gemini (Google)”- Website: gemini.google.com
- Free tier: Yes, with usage limits
- Strengths: Deep Google integration (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Maps), strong multimodal capabilities (understands images, video), very large context window
- Configuration: Gems (requires Gemini Advanced) or paste system prompt at start of conversation
- Best for: Tasks involving Google products, multimodal work with images/video
Local Platforms
Section titled “Local Platforms”Ollama
Section titled “Ollama”- Website: ollama.com
- Free tier: Completely free (runs on your hardware)
- Strengths: Full privacy (data stays on your computer), no usage costs, many model options, command-line interface
- Configuration: Modelfile
- Requirements: Modern computer with 8GB+ RAM (16GB recommended)
- Best for: Privacy-sensitive work, experimentation, when you want to avoid cloud costs
LM Studio
Section titled “LM Studio”- Website: lmstudio.ai
- Free tier: Completely free (runs on your hardware)
- Strengths: User-friendly GUI, easy model downloads, visual chat interface, no command line needed
- Configuration: System Prompt field in settings
- Requirements: Modern computer with 8GB+ RAM (16GB recommended)
- Best for: Beginners who want to try local models without using the command line
Which Should You Use?
Section titled “Which Should You Use?”Choose based on your priority:
- Easiest start: ChatGPT or Gemini (most people already have Google/OpenAI accounts)
- Best instruction following: Claude
- Most features: ChatGPT (Custom GPTs, image generation, plugins)
- Google integration: Gemini
- Privacy / no cost: Ollama or LM Studio
- No command line: LM Studio (among local options)