Boredom at Work

Google Gemini Review: Is It Better Than ChatGPT in 2026?

By bored chap • • 12 min read
AI Google Gemini Productivity Review

Honest review of Google Gemini after months of daily use. What it does well, where it falls short, and whether it's worth switching from ChatGPT.

Google Gemini Review: Is It Better Than ChatGPT in 2026?

Google’s AI assistant has come a long way from its rocky Bard launch. Rebranded as Gemini, it’s now a serious contender in the AI assistant space.

But is it actually good enough to replace ChatGPT? After using Gemini daily for months, here’s my honest take.

The Bottom Line (For Busy Readers)

Gemini is great for:

  • Real-time information (news, weather, prices)
  • Google Workspace integration (Gmail, Drive, Docs)
  • Quick research with source citations
  • Image understanding and generation
  • Coding help with up-to-date documentation

Gemini falls short on:

  • Long-form creative writing
  • Complex multi-step reasoning
  • Following nuanced instructions
  • Consistency in responses

Verdict: Excellent as a second AI assistant. Not quite ready to replace ChatGPT as your primary tool — but getting close.

What Is Google Gemini?

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant, powered by their Gemini family of language models. It replaced Google Bard in February 2024 and has evolved significantly since then.

The Model Lineup (2026)

ModelBest ForAvailability
Gemini 3 FlashFast, everyday tasksFree + AI Pro
Gemini 3 ProComplex reasoning, codingAI Pro only
Gemini 2.5 ProLong context (1M tokens), deep thinkingAI Pro only
Gemini 2.5 FlashFast with controllable thinkingFree + AI Pro

The free tier gives you access to Gemini 2.5 Flash and limited Gemini 3 Flash usage. Google AI Pro ($20/month, formerly Gemini Advanced) unlocks everything. Google also offers an AI Ultra tier at ~$250/month for power users.

Gemini Free vs AI Pro: Quick Comparison

FeatureFreeAI Pro ($20/mo)
Gemini 3 FlashLimitedFull
Gemini 3 Pro❌✅
Gemini 2.5 Pro (1M context)❌✅
Google Workspace integration❌✅
Image generation (Imagen 4)LimitedFull
Deep Research❌✅
Gems (custom AI)LimitedFull
Priority access❌✅
Google One storage❌2TB included

The $20/month for AI Pro includes 2TB of Google One storage, which alone costs $10/month. If you need cloud storage anyway, AI Pro is effectively $10/month for the AI features.

What Gemini Does Really Well

1. Real-Time Information

This is Gemini’s biggest advantage over ChatGPT.

Ask Gemini: “What’s the weather in Berlin this weekend?” Result: Accurate forecast pulled from Google Weather.

Ask Gemini: “What happened in tech news today?” Result: Current headlines with sources.

Ask Gemini: “What’s the current price of Bitcoin?” Result: Live price data.

ChatGPT can browse the web, but Gemini’s integration with Google Search is faster and more reliable. For anything requiring current information, Gemini wins.

2. Google Workspace Integration (AI Pro)

This is the killer feature for Google users.

With Google AI Pro connected to your Google account:

Gmail:

  • “Summarize my unread emails”
  • “Find that email from John about the project deadline”
  • “Draft a reply to Sarah’s meeting request”

Google Drive:

  • “Summarize the Q4 report in my Drive”
  • “Find all documents mentioning the Berlin project”
  • “Compare these two spreadsheets”

Google Calendar:

  • “What’s on my schedule tomorrow?”
  • “Find a time for a 1-hour meeting with the team next week”
  • “Remind me about the dentist appointment”

Google Docs:

  • “Help me edit this document” (opens in Docs)
  • “Create a presentation outline from this doc”

No other AI assistant has this level of integration with productivity tools. If you live in Google Workspace, this alone might justify AI Pro.

3. Multimodal Capabilities

Gemini handles images, audio, and video natively.

Image understanding:

  • Upload a photo and ask questions about it
  • Analyze charts and graphs
  • Read text from images (OCR)
  • Identify objects, plants, products

Image generation (Imagen 4):

  • Generate images from text prompts
  • Edit existing images
  • Create variations

Video and audio:

  • Upload videos for analysis
  • Summarize YouTube videos (paste the URL)
  • Transcribe audio files
  • Generate video with Veo 3 (AI Pro)

The image generation with Imagen 4 has caught up significantly with DALL-E. Both produce impressive results now.

4. Coding with Current Documentation

Gemini’s connection to Google Search means it can reference up-to-date documentation.

Example: Ask about a new API or framework released last month.

  • ChatGPT might have outdated information
  • Gemini searches and finds current docs

For web development, Gemini often provides more accurate answers about modern frameworks and libraries.

5. Long Context Window

Gemini 2.5 Pro offers a 1 million token context window — about 700,000 words.

Use cases:

  • Analyze entire codebases
  • Process book-length documents
  • Maintain context across very long conversations

ChatGPT’s 128K tokens is generous, but Gemini’s 1M is in a different league for handling large documents.

6. Deep Research Mode (AI Pro)

Similar to ChatGPT’s research mode, Gemini can:

  • Search multiple sources
  • Synthesize information
  • Create comprehensive reports
  • Provide citations

It’s particularly good at research that benefits from Google’s search index.

Where Gemini Falls Short

1. Creative Writing Quality

This is where ChatGPT and Claude clearly beat Gemini.

Gemini’s writing tends to be:

  • More generic and formulaic
  • Less engaging and creative
  • Prone to corporate-speak
  • Repetitive in structure

For blog posts, marketing copy, or any creative content, ChatGPT produces better first drafts. Claude is even better.

Example prompt: “Write a compelling intro for an article about productivity.”

Gemini gives you something functional but bland. ChatGPT gives you something you might actually use.

2. Complex Reasoning

For multi-step problems and nuanced analysis, Gemini struggles more than competitors.

Issues I’ve noticed:

  • Sometimes misses steps in complex instructions
  • Can contradict itself in long conversations
  • Less reliable for math and logic puzzles
  • Tends to oversimplify when depth is needed

Gemini 3 Pro improved this significantly, but ChatGPT and Claude still feel more reliable for complex tasks.

3. Following Specific Instructions

When you give Gemini detailed formatting requirements or specific constraints, it sometimes ignores them.

Example: “Write exactly 5 bullet points, each under 10 words.”

ChatGPT follows this precisely. Gemini might give you 6 bullets with 12-word points.

This inconsistency is frustrating when you need predictable output.

4. Personality and Engagement

Gemini feels more robotic than ChatGPT or Claude.

Conversations with Gemini are functional but not enjoyable. It rarely surprises you, pushes back thoughtfully, or adds unexpected insights.

For quick tasks, this doesn’t matter. For extended work sessions, it makes a difference.

5. Ecosystem and Features

ChatGPT still has a broader feature set:

  • DALL-E integration is polished and reliable
  • Sora 2 video generation (though Gemini now has Veo 3)
  • Custom GPTs are more mature than Gems
  • The GPT Store offers thousands of specialized assistants
  • More third-party integrations

Gemini is catching up fast — especially with Veo 3 for video — but ChatGPT’s ecosystem remains larger.

Gemini vs ChatGPT: Head-to-Head

CategoryGeminiChatGPTWinner
Real-time info⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Creative writing⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ChatGPT
Coding help⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Tie
Complex reasoning⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ChatGPT
Image generation⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ChatGPT
Video generation⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ChatGPT
Workspace integration⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Context window⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Free tier value⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Overall polish⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ChatGPT

Overall: ChatGPT is still the more complete product, but Gemini wins in specific areas.

Gemini vs Claude

For completeness, here’s how Gemini compares to Claude:

CategoryGeminiClaudeWinner
Writing quality⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Claude
Reasoning⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Claude
Real-time info⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Image analysis⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Tie
Image generation⭐⭐⭐⭐❌Gemini
Workspace integration⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini
Context window⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Gemini

Claude beats Gemini on quality. Gemini beats Claude on features and integration.

For detailed comparisons, see our Claude vs ChatGPT guide.

Who Should Use Gemini?

Definitely Use Gemini If:

  1. You live in Google Workspace

    • Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar integration is unmatched
    • AI Pro is worth it for this alone

  2. You need real-time information

    • News, weather, prices, current events
    • Research with up-to-date sources

  3. You work with very large documents

    • 1M token context window is massive
    • Entire codebases, long reports, book manuscripts

  4. You want a capable free tier

    • Gemini Free is more generous than ChatGPT Free
    • Good for testing before committing to paid

  5. You’re already paying for Google One

    • 2TB storage included with AI Pro
    • Effectively cheaper if you need storage

Probably Skip Gemini If:

  1. Writing quality matters most

    • ChatGPT or Claude produce better content

  2. You need top-tier video generation

    • Sora 2 (ChatGPT) is still ahead of Gemini’s Veo 3

  3. You want the most polished experience

    • ChatGPT feels more refined

  4. You rely on custom AI assistants

    • GPTs are more mature than Gems

How I Use Gemini (Actual Workflow)

After months of testing, here’s how Gemini fits my workflow:

Primary Use Cases:

  • Quick research with current info
  • Searching my Gmail and Drive
  • YouTube video summaries
  • Checking schedules and calendar

Secondary (When Gemini Works):

  • Code debugging (especially for current frameworks)
  • Document analysis (long PDFs)
  • Image generation (when I don’t need perfect results)

Still Use ChatGPT/Claude For:

  • Blog post writing
  • Complex analysis
  • Creative work
  • When I need reliable output

Bottom line: Gemini is my go-to for anything requiring current info or Google integration. Everything else goes to ChatGPT or Claude.

Tips for Getting the Most from Gemini

1. Connect Your Google Account

Without Workspace integration, you’re missing Gemini’s biggest advantage. Go to Settings → Extensions → Enable Google Workspace. Requires AI Pro subscription.

2. Use It for Real-Time Queries

Lean into what Gemini does best. “What’s in the news about X?” “Current price of Y?” “Weather for Z?“

3. Try the YouTube Integration

Paste any YouTube URL and ask for a summary. This works surprisingly well for learning and research.

4. Leverage the Long Context

Upload large documents that would overwhelm other AIs. Gemini handles them gracefully.

5. Use Gems for Repetitive Tasks

Create custom Gems (like GPTs) for tasks you do frequently. They’re less mature than GPTs but still useful.

6. Don’t Fight Its Weaknesses

If you need great writing, switch to ChatGPT or Claude. Use each tool for what it’s best at.

Gemini Pricing: Is AI Pro Worth It?

Free Tier

  • Gemini 2.5 Flash (unlimited)
  • Limited Gemini 3 Flash
  • Basic image generation
  • No Workspace integration

Verdict: Surprisingly capable. Good for trying Gemini and casual use.

Google AI Pro ($20/month, formerly Gemini Advanced)

  • All models including Gemini 3 Pro
  • 1M token context (2.5 Pro)
  • Full Google Workspace integration
  • Unlimited image generation (Imagen 4)
  • Deep Research mode
  • Veo 3 video generation
  • 2TB Google One storage included

Verdict: Worth it if you use Google Workspace heavily OR need the cloud storage. The storage alone is worth $10/month.

Compared to Competitors

ServicePriceBest For
Google AI Pro$20/moGoogle users, real-time info
ChatGPT Plus$20/moAll-around, images, video
Claude Pro$20/moWriting, reasoning
Perplexity Pro$20/moResearch, citations

All premium AI assistants cost $20/month. Pick based on your primary use case.

The Verdict

Google Gemini has evolved from an embarrassing Bard launch to a genuinely useful AI assistant. It’s not the best at everything, but it’s the best at some things.

Strengths:

  • Best-in-class Google Workspace integration
  • Excellent for real-time information
  • Massive context window
  • Generous free tier
  • Good value with included storage

Weaknesses:

  • Writing quality lags behind competitors
  • Complex reasoning needs work
  • Fewer features than ChatGPT
  • Less refined user experience

My recommendation:

  • Google power users: Get AI Pro. The Workspace integration alone is worth it.
  • General AI users: Stick with ChatGPT Plus as primary, use Gemini Free for real-time queries.
  • Writers and analysts: Use Claude or ChatGPT. Gemini isn’t there yet.
  • Budget-conscious: Gemini Free + Claude Free is a powerful free combo.

Gemini isn’t going to replace ChatGPT for most people. But it’s absolutely worth having in your toolkit, especially if you live in Google’s ecosystem.

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