Which AI platform should you use for what?
These platforms overlap, but each is built around a different way of working. Pick by the job, where your work already lives and how much you want the AI to do on its own. We don't publish benchmark scores; every capability below links to the vendor's own docs.
Independent reviews. IonBin has no partnerships with the tools on this page and was not paid for these listings. Our evaluations are our own, based on public documentation and our research. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. How disclosure works.
Pick by the job
| Job | Good fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Write and ship code | Claude (incl. Claude Code), OpenAI Codex, Google Antigravity, Devin, Hermes Agent | Coding agents that edit files, run commands and work against a GitHub repo. |
| Hand off work that runs in the background | OpenAI Codex, Google Antigravity, Devin | Agents that keep working in the cloud while you do something else. |
| Test or operate websites in a browser | Claude (incl. Claude Code), Google Antigravity, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Manus, Hermes Agent | Platforms with documented browser control. |
| Connect your business tools (MCP / connectors) | Claude (incl. Claude Code), OpenAI Codex, Google Antigravity, ChatGPT, Manus, Devin, Hermes Agent | Platforms that act as MCP clients or offer connectors and plugins. |
| Write, edit and analyze documents | Claude (incl. Claude Code), ChatGPT, Gemini | General assistants built for long-form text and file analysis. |
| Research with sources | Claude (incl. Claude Code), ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Manus | Assistants and answer engines that search and cite. |
| Try many models from one account | Perplexity | Multi-model platforms that route to many vendors. |
| Generate images, video or music | Platforms with many creative models in one place. |
Claude Code and OpenAI Codex
Both are agentic coding tools: each reads a codebase, edits files and runs commands. Neither vendor's documentation compares the two, and IonBin hasn't tested them head to head, so this section describes only what each vendor documents. Codex spans a CLI, an IDE extension, the ChatGPT app and Codex Cloud, where each task runs in its own isolated workspace; it fits teams already on ChatGPT that want background tasks. Claude Code runs in the terminal, IDEs, a desktop app and the web, and can drive Chrome through the Claude in Chrome extension; it fits teams that work in the terminal and already use Claude for writing and analysis. Try each on the same real task before committing.
Capabilities at a glance
| Platform | Type | MCP / connectors | Browser control | Runs code | Works with files |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (incl. Claude Code) Anthropic | Assistant + coding agent | YesCustom connectors via remote MCP; Claude Code adds local or remote MCP serversdocs ↗ | YesClaude Code with the Claude in Chrome extension (Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers)docs ↗ | YesClaude Code edits files and runs commandsdocs ↗ | YesWorks on the files in your project; chat accepts attachmentsdocs ↗ |
| OpenAI Codex OpenAI | Coding agent | YesShared MCP config for the CLI, IDE extension and ChatGPT desktop appdocs ↗ | YesOnly in the ChatGPT desktop app; not in the Codex CLI or IDE extensiondocs ↗ | YesEdits files and runs commands locally; cloud tasks run in isolated workspacesdocs ↗ | YesWorks on local repositoriesdocs ↗ |
| Google Antigravity | Agent-first dev platform | YesMCP servers from the MCP Store or a config filedocs ↗ | YesBrowser subagent via /browser, documented as an Antigravity App feature; the IDE has separate browser docsdocs ↗ | YesAgents edit code and run tasksdocs ↗ | YesWorks on local projects and worktreesdocs ↗ |
| ChatGPT OpenAI | Assistant | YesConnect MCP servers on web and desktop; the desktop app shares MCP config with the Codex CLI and IDE extension; workspace admins control plugins and publishingdocs ↗ | YesBrowser opens websites and takes actions in ChatGPT on the web and in the desktop appdocs ↗ | YesCodex runs in the ChatGPT desktop app, edits files and runs commandsdocs ↗ | YesCreate, preview and refine documents, presentations, spreadsheets and PDFsdocs ↗ |
| Gemini | Assistant | YesCustom MCP apps for personal accounts only: 18 or over, in the US, English; added in the web appdocs ↗ | YesChrome auto browse on desktop; Gemini asks for confirmation before each browsing taskdocs ↗ | NoThe Gemini app reads uploaded code folders and GitHub repos; it isn't documented as running or editing code locallydocs ↗ | YesUpload up to 10 files per prompt, or add from Drivedocs ↗ |
| Perplexity Perplexity | Answer engine | YesCustom remote MCP connectors (Streamable HTTP or SSE, HTTPS required), added per account or shared by Enterprise admins; plan availability not stated on this pagedocs ↗ | YesComet, Perplexity's agentic browserdocs ↗ | NoNot documented as a coding tool in the pages checked (2026-10-17) | YesUpload files up to 40 MB, within a rolling weekly allowance by plandocs ↗ |
| Manus Manus | General-purpose AI agent | YesPrebuilt MCP connectors on all plans, plus custom MCP serversdocs ↗ | YesCloud browser Manus operates; you can sign in to accounts in itdocs ↗ | YesBuilds websites and apps with managed backend, database and storagedocs ↗ | YesProjects keep shared instructions and filesdocs ↗ |
| Devin Cognition | AI software engineer | YesMarketplace plugins or custom STDIO, SSE or HTTP MCP servers, at personal, organization or enterprise scopedocs ↗ | YesSession Browser you can watch and take overdocs ↗ | YesShell and IDE in its own environmentdocs ↗ | YesWorks on repositories in its session environmentdocs ↗ |
| Replit Agent Replit | AI app builder | YesSign in to pre-listed MCP servers or add a custom HTTPS serverdocs ↗ | NoGeneral browser automation isn't documented in the pages checked (2026-10-17); Agent tests the apps it builds | YesWrites code, sets up infrastructure and tests the resultdocs ↗ | YesUpload documents, spreadsheets, images or screenshots to a chatdocs ↗ |
| Hermes Agent Nous Research | Open-source AI agent | YesMCP support ships with the standard install; servers go in ~/.hermes/config.yamldocs ↗ | YesBrowser automation toolset (agent-browser, installed by default)docs ↗ | YesTerminal toolset runs commands, with command approvaldocs ↗ | YesFile Operations toolset on your own machinedocs ↗ |
What each is best at
Claude (incl. Claude Code)
Anthropic's assistant for writing, analysis and research, plus Claude Code, an agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDE, desktop and web.
- Long-form writing, analysis and research over documents
- Terminal-first coding with Claude Code
- Connecting business tools through connectors and remote MCP servers
OpenAI Codex
OpenAI's coding agent across a CLI, IDE extension, the ChatGPT app and Codex cloud, for writing, reviewing, debugging and automating software work.
- Delegating scoped coding tasks and reviewing diffs
- Long or parallel background tasks in Codex cloud
- Teams already standardized on ChatGPT
Google Antigravity
Google's agent-first development platform: an app for running agents in parallel, a CLI, IDE extensions, a standalone IDE and an SDK.
- Running several agents in parallel and reviewing their output
- Browser testing through a browser subagent
- Teams already in Google tooling
ChatGPT
OpenAI's general assistant for chat, writing and analysis, with a built-in browser, file work, Codex for coding and MCP connections.
- General writing and analysis
- Teams standardized on OpenAI
Gemini
Google's assistant with connected apps, file uploads, Chrome auto browse and, for eligible personal accounts, custom MCP apps.
- Teams in Google Workspace
- Multimodal questions
Perplexity
An answer engine that searches the web and cites sources, with access to several models and an API.
- Cited web research
- Quick market and competitor questions
Manus
An autonomous AI agent that plans and carries out multi-step tasks in its own cloud environment, with a cloud browser and MCP connectors.
- Hand-off research and report tasks
Devin
Cognition's autonomous coding agent that works in its own cloud environment, with a shell, IDE and browser you can watch, and MCP servers from a marketplace.
- Delegating well-scoped coding tasks for review
Replit Agent
Replit's agent builds, tests and publishes apps from plain-language prompts inside Replit, and connects to external tools over MCP.
- Prototype apps from a prompt and deploy in one place
Hermes Agent
An open-source (MIT) AI agent from Nous Research that runs on your own machine or server, with persistent memory, skills, MCP and browser tools.
- Self-hosted agent experiments
If you want many models in one place
A multi-model platform such as Perplexity gives you several vendors' models behind one account. See access many AI models from one platform.
Checked 2026-10-16 against each vendor's public docs. "To verify" marks anything not yet confirmed. Plans, limits and prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy.