In 2026 the frontier models have converged more than the discourse suggests. Where they differ is texture: how they handle long context, how they refuse, how they format.
ChatGPT is the default general workhorse. Best in class for code and tool use; the ecosystem is the moat.
Claude wins editorial and long-document work. Its refusal behavior is the most predictable of the three.
Gemini is the multimodal specialist. If your input is an image, a video, or a spreadsheet, start here.