ChatGPT and Gemini are two of my favorite chatbots for wildly different reasons. ChatGPT has better memory and knows my preferences, but Gemini has features within Google Workspace that I consistently return to for tackling my workday. Although I use both in tandem, I wondered which one is ultimately the better productivity assistant.
To find out, I tested ChatGPT and Gemini side by side as my virtual productivity partners. I let them plan my workdays, summarize meetings, draft emails and even help me focus when my to-do list got out of control. What I usually use one chatbot for, I asked the other to do, and vice versa.
1. Daily planning and focus
Prompt: “Plan my workday based on my tasks and energy levels.”
Gemini was a little more casual and asked me only a few questions about my schedule. I answered the questions and Gemini responded appropriately.
ChatGPT before I even uploaded my calendar, ChatGPT gave me a plug and play document to share my tasks and energy levels. I hadn’t thought about breaking it down in this way, but it was helpful for me to visualize the biggest time and energy vampires within my schedule.
Winner: ChatGPT wins this round for helping me articulate and notice where my energy and time was really going throughout the week. This was a surprise, because I have always used Gemini for scheduling.
2. Writing and editing
Prompt: “Edit this article to point out where I could be more detailed or specific.”
Gemini started by giving me editorial suggestions rather than praise, which I appreciate. Rather than tackling the edits line by line, it told me what areas might need clarification or details.
ChatGPT did what it always does first: praise me. While I appreciate the flattery, I wish it would cut to the chase. What followed was line by line edits, that felt a little too much like it was taking my pen and making the corrections for me.
Winner: Gemini wins for being a better editor. This was a surprise, I thought for sure ChatGPT would have the better editorial instinct.
3. Meeting prep and summaries
Prompt: “Summarize this meeting transcript and create action items.”
Gemini offered a highly structured, forward-looking summary focused on action items and key predictions, prioritizing what an organization should do next.
ChatGPT provided a more comprehensive and well-rounded summary that not only captures the key insights from the discussion but also includes immediate, concrete next steps for the journalist who conducted the interview.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for a summary that successfully bridges the gap between the interview's content and the user's immediate professional context, making it more practical and directly useful for the intended audience.
4. Learning and research
Prompt: “Summarize this PDF and create flashcards for key terms.”
Gemini did not immediately respond. In fact, at first it told me it cannot summarize a PDF. This was obviously a hallucination. Once I re-prompted it, eventually it came up with a summary and flashcards, complete with accompanying citations.
ChatGPT offered a solid summary and also created flashcards, however overall, it was not as thorough.
Winner: Gemini wins for a better learning experience, even if it messed up at the beginning. This is not a surprise to me as Gemini is often my go-to for flashcards, either when I’m learning something new or helping my kids with schoolwork.
5. Automation and workflows
Prompt: “Create a workflow that organizes my notes, tasks and emails.”
Gemini provided a strong, principle-based framework by adapting the "Getting Things Done" (GTD) methodology, offering a solid philosophical foundation for organizing work.
ChatGPT delivered a more practical and immediately usable guide by specifying concrete tools, creating clear folder structures and providing automation tips and a real-world example.
Winner: ChatGPT wins this round for a more actionable response that is user-friendly; translating the concept of a workflow into a ready-to-implement system with specific steps and integrations.
6. Brainstorming and idea generation
Prompt: “Help me come up with five new ideas for my AI podcast"
Gemini offered a list of solid, creative and well-conceived podcast concepts with a broad, general audience appeal.
ChatGPT delivered podcast ideas that were expertly tailored to my role at Tom’s Guide and what it knows about me. This made them immediately more relevant and actionable.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for creating a list of ideas that were personally tailored to me, underscoring it’s depth of memory, context and reasoning.
7. Time management and accountability
Prompt: “Keep me on track throughout the day and remind me to stay focused.”
Gemini created a comprehensive, interactive coaching plan that requires the user to provide information and engage in a back-and-forth dialogue to be effective.
ChatGPT won by delivering an immediate, automated and hands-off solution that directly answers the core desire for reminders and nudges without requiring any initial setup from the user.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for it’s ability to keep me on task and focus without requiring anything from me.
Final thoughts
Just when I thought I was using the best chatbot for the job, this test proves that maybe I need to switch in some instances. This side-by-side testing left me with a new appreciation for just how different these two AI assistants really are. Gemini feels like an extension of my workspace.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, helps me think through tasks rather than just execute them. Whether it’s refining an article draft, planning a day around my energy levels or generating ideas with intention, it consistently goes deeper and adds human-like reasoning to every response.
In the end, ChatGPT is the overall winner, but the real win here is knowing what tool is the best one for the job.
How do you use these chatbots for productivity? Share in the comments.
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