We’ve discussed what AI is and learned that it’s a “probability calculator that drafts answers.” But now the question is: With so many AI tools on the market, which one should you use?
This chapter introduces the most mainstream AI tools, including their websites, how to use them, and their features. After reading this chapter, you’ll know which one to choose.
The Big Three from Abroad: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
ChatGPT - The Most Famous One
Website: chat.openai.com
VPN Required: Yes
Developer: OpenAI (USA)
Latest Models:
- GPT-5 Series: Includes GPT-5 Instant (fast), GPT-5 Thinking (reasoning), GPT-5 Thinking Pro (strongest reasoning)
- GPT-5.2 Series: Flagship released in December 2025, best performance on professional knowledge tasks
Pros: Smartest, most feature-rich (chat, code, image generation, web search), best ecosystem (GPTs store), fastest updates
Cons: Difficult to access from China, many restrictions on free version, $20/month for paid
Best for: Those who want the most advanced AI, have budget, and have VPN access
Claude - The Most “Human” One
Website: claude.ai
VPN Required: Yes
Developer: Anthropic (USA)
Latest Models:
- Claude Opus 4.5: World’s best for coding and agent tasks
- Claude Sonnet 4.5: World’s best coding model, leading on SWE-bench
- Claude Haiku 4.5: Fast, low-cost model
Pros: High-quality responses, strong long-text processing (200K-1M tokens), top-tier coding ability, Claude Code CLI tool
Cons: Requires VPN, relatively fewer features, Pro $20/month. Notably, this company is not very friendly to China and has strict account bans.
Best for: Writers, programmers, those who prioritize response quality
Gemini - Google’s All-Rounder
Website: gemini.google.com
VPN Required: Yes
Developer: Google (USA)
Latest Models:
- Gemini 3 Pro: Beats competitors in 19/20 benchmarks
- Gemini 3 Flash: Fast and low-cost, now the default model
- Gemini 3 Deep Think: Deep reasoning mode
Pros: Strong web search capabilities, powerful multimodal, integrated with Google ecosystem, generous free tier on AI Studio, can use student plan for a year free, Banana model for text-to-image is world-class
Cons: Difficult to access from China
Best for: Those who frequently use Google services and need to process multimedia content
🎁 Freebie Tip: Google AI Studio
URL: aistudio.google.com
This is a gem! A developer platform from Google, but also usable by regular people. Simply put: Gemini’s free premium version.
Why recommend it:
- Completely free: 60 requests per minute, more than enough for personal use
- Latest models: Access to Gemini 3 Pro and Flash latest versions, already includes Banana model for text-to-image
- No conversation limits: Unlike the official website version which has usage limits
- Can generate API keys: For use with other tools
How to use: Open the URL, log in with a Google account (VPN required), click “Create new prompt” to start chatting. The interface is in English, but you can ask questions in Chinese. The only downside is that the interface is more developer-oriented and not as polished as the official website, but it’s equally powerful.
The Domestic Four: DeepSeek, Doubao, GLM, MiniMax
DeepSeek - China’s Pride
Website: chat.deepseek.com
VPN Required: No
Latest Models:
- DeepSeek-V3.2: Matches GPT-5 and Gemini 3 performance
- DeepSeek-V4: Expected release in February 2026
Pros: Completely free, very capable, outstanding coding ability, smooth access in China, open source
Cons: May be slow during peak hours, slightly weaker creativity, strict content moderation
Best for: First choice for domestic users! Students, programmers, those on a budget
Doubao - The Most User-Friendly AI
Website: doubao.com
VPN Required: No
Latest Models:
- Doubao Large Model 1.8: Supports comprehensive capabilities in seeing, writing, doing, and planning
- Doubao Real-time Voice Model: End-to-end ultra-human-like conversation
- Seedance Video Generation: Precise audio-video synchronization
Pros: Smooth voice conversations, simple interface, free, good localization, over 100 million DAU
Cons: Average professional capabilities, strict content moderation
Best for: Voice conversations for elderly/children, daily chat. If you have a curious child at home or want to learn English, highly recommend using the phone call feature on the mobile app to talk directly with the AI.
GLM (Zhipu Qingyan) - A Coding Alternative
Website: chatglm.cn
VPN Required: No
Latest Models:
- GLM-4.7: Released December 2025, 355B parameters, 73.8% on SWE-bench (highest open-source score), can directly subscribe to Coding Plan
Core Advantages:
- Coding ability comparable to Claude Sonnet 4.5
- Fully compatible with mainstream tools like Claude Code, Cline, etc.
- Silicon Valley recognized: Used by star products like Cursor, Windsurf
- Extremely low price: API cost about $0.44 per million tokens
- MIT open source: Can be deployed locally
Pros: Top-tier coding ability, cheap, strong agent capabilities, open-source friendly
Cons: Less well-known, relatively weaker multimodal
Best for: Programmers (Claude alternative), multilingual developers, enterprise users
MiniMax
Website: minimaxi.com
VPN Required: No
Latest Models:
Text Generation:
- MiniMax-M2.1: Focused on multilingual coding and office scenarios
- MiniMax-M2: 230B parameters, optimized for coding and agents
Video Generation:
- Hailuo 02: World’s #2 video model
- Hailuo 2.3: Best cost-performance globally, supports 1080P
Pros (Text): Top-tier coding ability, strong agent performance, good multilingual support
Pros (Video): High video quality, fast speed, unbeatable cost-performance
Cons: Average text conversation, short video duration
Best for: Video creators, programmers (agent workflows), multilingual developers
Summary: Which One Should You Choose?
💰 If You Don’t Want to Spend Money:
- First choice: DeepSeek - Free, capable, accessible directly in China
- Alternative: Google AI Studio - Requires VPN, but generous free tier, world-class large model
- Daily chat: Doubao - Convenient voice conversations
🚀 If You Want the Best:
- Overall best: ChatGPT (GPT-5.2)
- Best for coding: Claude (Opus 4.5 or Sonnet 4.5)
- Multimodal processing: Gemini 3
👨💻 If You Are a Programmer:
- First choice abroad: Claude Opus 4.5 - #1 coding ability
- Domestic alternative: GLM-4.7 or MiniMax-M2.1 - Affordable, comparable capabilities
👴👶 If It’s for Family Use:
- Elderly/children: Doubao - Simple voice conversations
- School students: DeepSeek - Learning and Q&A