I've been spending a lot of time vibe coding lately. Both Gemini 2.5 Pro and ChatGPT-5 have been my go-to for assets because neither one requires coding skills to build websites, apps, or games.
Seperately, they both have capabilities that make vibe coding a breeze. That's why I just had to know how they stack up against each other. To that end, I tested them both with a series of five beginner-friendly coding tasks.
Both models returned functional code, but one consistently added polish, visual flair, and thoughtful extras that made the results easier to use and far more engaging. Here’s how the showdown played out, and which chatbot I’d actually trust for building my next side project.
1. Interactive website
Prompt: “Create a responsive one-page website that promotes a fictional coffee shop. Include a hero section, a menu with 3 items, hours, and a contact form. Use HTML and CSS only.”
ChatGPT designed an inviting website with a dark color palette to match a coffee shop theme. It was easy to read with clean copy to provide a positive user experience.
Gemini also designed a website with dark colors, but the hero section appears to have the copy layered over other copy, making it hard to read.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for a more appealing and aesthetic website that caters to users looking for information about the coffee shop without trouble.
2. Simple browser game
Prompt: “Write JavaScript code for a simple browser game where the user clicks on a moving circle to score points. The circle should move every second.”
ChatGPT generated a game that was more intuitive while also showing the user how to play upon entering the site. The color scheme and aesthetic are overall simple, but not as basic as Gemini.
Gemini created a game that was basic but overall way too generic. And upon entering the site, the ball does not move immediately, making it appear as if the game is broken.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for generating a simple yet interesting game that doesn’t skimp on style.
3. Animated CSS element
Prompt: “Create a CSS animation that makes a square bounce up and down like it's on a trampoline. It should loop indefinitely.”
ChatGPT delivered a very similar aesthetic to the game for this animation. The dark background helps to make the focus (square) pop. The chatbot took the prompt literally and created a platform like a trampoline.
Gemini followed through with the prompt and once again delivered the asset on a stark background; however, it seemed to work this time.
Winner: Gemini gets the win for this one for only generating lively animation without anything else (like a platform) to take away from the asset.
4. Build a dynamic chart
Prompt: “Create a webpage using HTML and JavaScript that displays a bar chart of weekly exercise data using Chart.js.”
ChatGPT developed an interactive exercise chart that could be adjusted according to the exercise goal. Although it did not give a preview and I had to copy the code and save it into notepad, the extra step was worth it.
Gemini quickly generated a bar chart that was easy to read but nice enough for a presentation.
Winner: ChatGPT wins for a more sophisticated bar chart that better adheres to the prompt while also adding workable features to enhance the design.
5. Login form with validation
Prompt: “Code a login form using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that includes client-side validation for email format and password strength.”
ChatGPT designed a login that was bold and instructional, with extras such as “remember me” and character limit reminders, as well as password requirements.
Gemini also offered password requirements, but did not call out a “valid email address” and did not explain why someone would need to sign in the way ChatGPT stated, “to continue.”
Winner ChatGPT wins again for developing a clear, user-friendly form with extra reminders and features to make the form superior.
Overall winner: ChatGPT
When comparing the two chatbots across five different coding prompts, ChatGPT consistently stood out for delivering more polished, user-friendly, and visually appealing results. From the coffee shop website to the login form with validation, its output not only fulfilled the requirements each time, but also added thoughtful touches that improved usability and design.
While Gemini provided functional code much faster and each asset was ready to run (whereas ChatGPT required an extra step to save to notepad), the chatbot often lacked refinement or left out small but important details. In the end, ChatGPT’s ability to combine accuracy with style and clarity makes it the clear winner in this head-to-head test.
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