Most small teams need one primary tool, not four subscriptions. In 2026 the main options are ChatGPT (GPT-5.5), Claude (Opus 4.7), Gemini (3.1 Pro), and Perplexity for search-heavy work.
List your three most frequent tasks. For each, note duration, frequency, and data sensitivity.
Match task type to model strength: long writing and proposals fit Claude best; research and reasoning fit Gemini; broad integrations and everyday chat fit ChatGPT; time-sensitive web lookups fit Perplexity.
Indicate whether the task requires long documents, code, images, or live web results — these narrow the field further.
Set a monthly budget cap and name who maintains prompts and access.
Score fit to the workflow — not public benchmarks. The tool your team will actually open every day is the right one.
If two options tie, standardize on one for thirty days before adding another.