ChatGPT
by OpenAI
A general AI assistant for writing, research and everyday office tasks.
Best for Teams that want one general assistant for many tasks
Free plan, paid plans from Business Standard seat: $20 per user per month, billed yearly
AI directory · 5 tools
AI assistants for small business teams
AI assistants answer questions, draft emails and summarize documents in plain language. A small business can use one to speed up writing, research and everyday office tasks. The right pick often depends on the tools your team already pays for.
Key takeaways
- Gemini and Microsoft 365 Copilot sit inside the office apps many teams already use.
- ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity are standalone assistants with their own team plans.
- Check what each vendor says about training on your business data before paying.
AI assistants at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Teams that want one general assistant for many tasks | Yes | Business Standard seat: $20 per user per month, billed yearly |
| Claude | Teams that work with long documents and written content | Yes | Pro: $17 per month, billed yearly |
| Gemini | Teams already paying for Google Workspace | Not listed | Business Starter: $7 per user per month with a 1-year commitment |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Teams already paying for Microsoft 365 | Not listed | Copilot Business add-on: $18.00 per user per month, paid yearly (promotional through December 31, 2026) |
| Perplexity | Owners who do a lot of online research | Yes | Pro: $17 per month, billed yearly |
Prices as listed on each vendor’s pricing page. Follow a tool’s page for its source.
The tools
Claude
by Anthropic
An AI assistant for writing, analysis and working through long documents.
Best for Teams that work with long documents and written content
Free plan, paid plans from Pro: $17 per month, billed yearly
Gemini
by Google
Google's AI assistant, built into Gmail, Docs and Meet for Workspace teams.
Best for Teams already paying for Google Workspace
Paid plans from Business Starter: $7 per user per month with a 1-year commitment
Microsoft 365 Copilot
by Microsoft
Microsoft's AI assistant that works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
Best for Teams already paying for Microsoft 365
Paid plans from Copilot Business add-on: $18.00 per user per month, paid yearly (promotional through December 31, 2026)
Perplexity
by Perplexity
An AI search assistant that answers questions with web sources.
Best for Owners who do a lot of online research
Free plan, paid plans from Pro: $17 per month, billed yearly
How to choose
- Check which office suite your team already uses, because Gemini and Copilot connect to it.
- Ask what the vendor says about using business data for model training.
- Count your users and compare per-seat prices on the official pricing page.
- Start with a free plan or trial on a few real tasks before you buy for everyone.
Head-to-head comparisons
Guides
- How to Choose an AI Assistant for Your Team
- How to Draft Email Replies with Zapier and AI
- How to Set Up ChatGPT for Your Business
- How to Set Up Claude for Your Team
- How to Set Up Gemini in Google Workspace for Your Team
- How to Set Up Microsoft 365 Copilot for Your Team
- How to Set Up Perplexity for Your Team (Enterprise Pro)
- How to Write an AI Use Policy for Your Small Business
AI assistants: common questions
What should a small business look for in AI assistants?
Look at price per user, how the tool handles your business data, and whether it connects to the apps you already use. A short trial on real tasks shows more than a feature list.
Are AI assistants safe to use with customer information?
It depends on the plan and the vendor's data terms. Read each vendor's data page and avoid pasting private customer details until your admin has set clear rules.
About the author
Andy Kang, AI Partner Team. Andy Kang writes the AI directory for AI Partner Team, which sets up and builds AI tools for small businesses alongside managed IT. Each page is written from the vendor’s own pricing, help and trust pages, and shows the day those pages were checked.
- Facts come from the vendor’s own website and help docs, linked on every page.
- Each page shows the date we last read those sources.
- We do not score or rank tools. We say who each one suits and who it does not.
- If a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.
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