ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude: all current models, full comparison and next developments (July 2025)

What types of models are currently available on major platforms?

Right now, every major chatbot platform offers its own “family” of models, each with distinct characteristics and strengths.

ChatGPT users can choose from a range of models—some optimized for fast and direct answers, others for advanced writing or deeper logical analysis, and some built specifically for working with long texts or automations. Several models excel in handling mixed content like text, images, and voice, while others are ideal for coding, technical workflows, or large projects.

Gemini users have a more streamlined choice: there are fewer models but they cover the spectrum from speed to handling complex files, with support for multimedia content and large text windows. Both free and paid tiers are available for those who want more advanced capabilities.

Claude’s models focus on clarity, safety, and stability. They’re particularly appreciated for their ability to write, summarize, and reason without fuss, with special attention to long documents and privacy—offered both in a free version and a professional tier for advanced needs.

Here are the models you can select today

Only those models that actually appear in the app menus or web versions. No APIs, no hidden options.

Platform	Models visible as of July 6, 2025
ChatGPT (OpenAI)	GPT-4o · GPT-4.5 (preview) · o3 · o4-mini · o4-mini-high · GPT-4.1 · GPT-4.1-mini
Gemini (Google)	Gemini 2.5 Flash · Gemini 2.5 Pro
Claude.ai	Claude Sonnet 4 · Claude Opus 4

ChatGPT: all the models available now and what they’re for

Model Name	Max Context	What It Does	When to Use
GPT-4o	128,000 tokens	Writes, reads images, speaks	The go-to, fits most needs
GPT-4.5 (preview)	128,000 tokens	Smoother writing, richer texts	Plus only; leaving API soon
o3	128,000 tokens	Better reasoning, math, code	When you want deeper answers
o4-mini / o4-mini-high	128,000 tokens	Fast, lower cost	Best for lots of short replies
GPT-4.1 / 4.1-mini	up to 1 million (API only), 32,000 in chat	Handles long documents	Paid plans or complex tasks

✅ GPT-4o is available for everyone, even on the free plan.

⚠️ GPT-4.5 is on its way out, but still in the menu.

🧠 o3 and o4 are your pick if you want answers that go beyond the basics.

ℹ️ GPT-4.1 in chat goes up to 32,000 tokens, and up to a million via API.

Gemini: just two names, both powerful

Model Name	Context Window	What It Can Do	Who Can Use It
Gemini 2.5 Flash	1 million tokens (theoretical*)	Reads, writes, speaks, sees video	Everyone, free
Gemini 2.5 Pro	1 million tokens	Deeper reasoning, better code	Free with limits, unlimited with paid

✅ Flash is the fastest, always available. Google doesn’t specify a hard limit: for most, it feels unlimited, but heavy users can be throttled.

⚙️ Pro activates when you need more advanced or complex work.

Google’s approach is simple: just two models, no confusion.

Claude: few models, but very solid

Model Name	Max Context	What It’s Good At	Who Uses It
Sonnet 4	200,000 tokens	Fast replies, summaries, tidy text	Everyone, free
Opus 4	200,000 (up to 1M for some enterprise)	Automation, code, long tasks	Paid only

✅ Sonnet 4 works well even on the free plan.

💻 Opus 4 is for those who work with scripts, workflows, or complex data.

Claude doesn’t change often. It’s stable. Users know what to expect.

When to pick which model: real-world tips

• If you want voice chat, image uploads, and rapid answers → pick GPT-4o or Gemini 2.5 Flash.

• If you need to analyze large files or read very long PDFs → Gemini 2.5 Pro is better.

• If you write code, work with structured data, or build agents → Claude Opus 4 is the most reliable.

• If you need security or strict policies (for work, school, or public offices) → go for Claude.

• If you want simplicity and speed at zero cost → GPT-4o and Gemini Flash are perfect.

What has changed lately

OpenAI keeps things moving: one month there’s GPT-4.5 in preview, the next it’s gone from the API, and new models keep popping up with names that sound like rocket codenames. Google, on the other hand, has tidied things up: all the old Gemini models are gone, and now everyone just sees 2.5 Flash and 2.5 Pro. Anthropic has never been chaotic: Sonnet 4 free for all, Opus 4 for paying customers—simple as that. Those who used Sonnet 3 or other models have already adapted to the changes.

How user habits really change when models are updated

A lot of people have realized it’s now normal to check every week which models are still available. Some keep quick browser shortcuts just to see the latest list, others leave a tab open to monitor updates. In many companies, meetings now often include a quick check on which model to pick, just to avoid unpleasant surprises halfway through a project. “Technical choices” now often start in a chatbot’s menu, not just in a dev environment.

••••••

All current models available in ChatGPT: details, advantages, and real limitations

GPT-4o is the model you see by default when you open ChatGPT, and you don’t even need a paid plan to use it. It’s genuinely changed how people use chat, since it handles images, text, and voice smoothly and with a speed that, even a year ago, seemed unreal. If you want to analyze a photo, dictate a text, or turn a table into structured data, GPT-4o does it almost seamlessly. Many now use it just to take voice notes, translate on the fly, summarize PDFs, or create ready-to-send presentations in seconds. The speed and natural feel of its replies have made it the new benchmark—especially for those working at a fast pace or who don’t want to waste time over-explaining.

GPT-4.5 (preview) is a bit of a special case: it’s only for Plus, Team, or higher plans, and it’s about to leave the API. It was designed to offer richer, more nuanced answers, especially on complex texts or prompts that need a “human” writing style. Users often notice it structures arguments and narratives more cleanly and less mechanically than earlier models. That’s why many have used it for important emails, company reports, official letters, or content meant for publication. Its main limitation? It’s retiring soon, so those who love it will have to adapt yet again.

o3 is the favorite for those who face logic puzzles, math, or advanced coding. It stands out because it “thinks” through more complex problems without losing track, even with very long or multi-step prompts. It’s not the fastest of the bunch, but if you ask it to analyze formulas, debug code, or write involved scripts, o3 often delivers more reliable answers than the standard models. People who work with structured data, automations, or want real depth in their answers go straight to o3, because it doesn’t settle for the easy solution and rarely stays on the surface.

o4-mini and o4-mini-high are for those who want maximum speed and zero waiting: perfect for long sessions with lots of short questions, educational use, or quick brainstorming with colleagues. The difference between the two is in their ability to handle load: “mini-high” is for paying users, and in many user tests, it’s managed to handle even dozens of sequential prompts without freezing or lagging. These models are ideal for customer support, real-time summarizing, group chat, or even just challenging the bot with quizzes, games, or problems you want solved in seconds.

GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1-mini round out the set for those working with very long texts, endless tables, or who need to analyze entire books, transcripts, or databases. While the chat UI caps at 32,000 tokens, the API can go up to a million—enabling automated workflows and true data analysis. In chat, many Plus users use 4.1 and 4.1-mini as a backup if they hit other models’ limits, or for “data cleanup” tasks where you need the largest window possible without losing answer quality. These aren’t the flashiest models, but they deliver reliability and consistency, especially on long-form work where other models risk dropping details.

Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro: speed, huge context, but Google can throttle heavy use

With Gemini 2.5 Flash, Google has put all its chips on speed: just type a question and you have an answer in less than a second, often with links to reliable sources or up-to-date citations. You don’t have to worry about tight limits—even free users can work with huge texts, audio files, or ask for summaries of long videos. It’s worth noting that Google, if it detects excessive or abnormal usage, can slow things down to prevent abuse. If you need more—like code analysis, deeper solutions, or longer reasoning—you can switch to Gemini 2.5 Pro. Here the difference is clear, especially when using “Gems” features or tackling complex projects: the answer is more structured, and it sometimes feels like having a real expert colleague on hand, not just a bot. No complexity: two models, totally transparent.

Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4: reliability, security, and advanced writing

Claude is the go-to for two reasons: reliability and safety. Sonnet 4 is free, gives tidy, well-structured answers, and when it comes to summarizing large amounts of text or analyzing long paragraphs, it’s hard to beat. Even students or writers working on long texts appreciate the clarity of its replies. Opus 4, on the other hand, is for those who want more: you can automate tasks, write complex code, and rely on a level of control that the other models just don’t offer. What regular Opus 4 users love most are its “extended thinking sessions”—you can have it work on a task for minutes or even hours, without losing the thread. Anthropic rarely changes its models: those who use Claude know that what’s available today will be there tomorrow.

•••••

What to expect in the future for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude

ChatGPT: new models coming and possible surprises

For ChatGPT users, the future still looks like one of frequent updates and a few curveballs. OpenAI has gotten everyone used to new names and variants every few months—there’s always a new “mini,” a preview, or a code-named model appearing in the menu, sometimes just for certain users or internal testing. Rumor has it that the next big thing will be GPT-5 (or a new “o” generation that’s even faster and more versatile), with even more focus on real-time conversation and image capabilities—possibly even improved handling of video and huge files directly in chat. Users are hoping for faster replies and better understanding of complex prompts, but also for more clarity: many want OpenAI to reduce model confusion and let you pick more easily, with fewer “previews” or unclear names. Pricing might also shift, maybe with more generous limits for free users.

Gemini: toward a unified platform and deeper integration

On the Google side, the feeling is that the focus is on simplification: just a few clear models, all easily accessible via browser or app, increasingly integrated with other Google services. Expectations are that Gemini will gain even more “multimodal” features, handling images, video, audio, and text all together, and better automation with Gmail, Drive, and the rest of the suite. In the future, we might see even faster versions of Flash, or a Pro version with advanced customization—especially for business or large-scale automation. Users also want more transparency about actual usage limits and new privacy assurances, since data management is still a hot topic.

Claude: continuity, security, and possibly even more powerful business models

Anthropic has always been careful and deliberate: model changes are rare, but when something new arrives, it’s a real upgrade. In the coming months, we’ll likely see an Opus version with an even larger context window, maybe even for non-enterprise users, and a stronger Sonnet focused on summarizing, synthesis, and “human” writing. People who use Claude expect more tools for repetitive tasks and more precise autonomous agents. As for security, the promise is to maintain strict policies and controls that reassure even the most privacy-conscious companies. We may also see some integration with external tools, so features can expand without losing the simplicity that has made Claude a favorite for those who don’t want to get lost in endless menus.

So... nobody expects less speed, less automation, or less choice. What everyone hopes is that, with all these new features, these tools never lose the ease of use that makes them truly useful day after day.

__________

FOLLOW US FOR MORE.

DATA STUDIOS

datastudios.org