Business

The Best Artificial Intelligence for SMEs: A Practical Comparison for 2026

Discover the best artificial intelligence for SMEs: a comparison between ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for analytics and automation. Find the right tool.

Artificial intelligence has become accessible even to small and medium-sized businesses. But with hundreds of options available, how do you choose the right one? This guide analyzes the most relevant AI platforms for SMEs, organized by specific use case.

In this article, you will find:

  • A practical comparison of the leading AI platforms
  • Analysis of pros, cons, and prices for each solution
  • Clear guidance on when to use one tool rather than another
  • Direct links to evaluate each platform

The goal is simple: to help you choose the AI that solves your specific problems, not the one that is most heavily advertised.

AI for Data Analysis: Electe

Who it's for: SMEs that want to transform business data into strategic decisions without a technical team.

Electe a platform specializing in predictive analytics for European SMEs. Unlike generative AI tools, it focuses on a specific problem: extracting actionable insights from your business data.

How it works

Connect your data sources (QuickBooks, Xero, over 50 integrations), and the platform automates pre-processing, pattern detection, and report generation. In about 5 minutes, you get forecasts on sales, cash flow, and risks.

Strengths

Speed and simplicity: No-code interface with one-click reports. No data scientist required.

Security: Hosting in Germany, compliant with GDPR and PCI DSS. Crucial for financial data.

Focus: Designed for business analytics, not general tasks. Includes business-specific AI predictions.

Prices

  • Starter: From $39/month - Basic analysis, 90 days of history
  • Professional: From $59/month - Advanced AI forecasts, unlimited history, API
  • Enterprise: Custom - Account manager, white-label

Free trial: 14 days

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Immediate setup without technical expertise
  • Visual reports accessible to everyone
  • High security standards (GDPR, PCI DSS)
  • API for custom integrations

Cons:

  • Advanced features on upper floors
  • Limited basic plan for growing teams
  • Focused on analytics, it does not replace generative AI

Website: electe.net

Generative AI: Universal Assistants

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Who it's for: Anyone looking for a versatile assistant for productivity, content, and analytics.

ChatGPT is the benchmark for generative AI. It excels at content creation, document analysis, and programming support.

Key features:

  • File analysis (PDF, CSV, images)
  • Custom GPTs for repetitive tasks
  • Advanced Data Analysis for Graphs and Python Code
  • Real-time web search (GPT-4o)

Prices:

  • Free: Basic templates with limitations
  • Plus: $20/month + VAT - GPT-4o access, higher limits

Pros: Mature ecosystem, intuitive interface, enormous versatility
Cons: VAT costs in the EU, variable accuracy in niche areas

Website: openai.com/chatgpt

Claude (Anthropic)

Who it is for: Companies that work with complex documents and require in-depth reasoning.

Claude stands out for his ability to manage large documents and his focus on security and accuracy.

Key features:

  • Large context window (hundreds of thousands of words)
  • Excellent at structured writing and coding
  • Excellent multilingual support, including Italian
  • Clean and focused interface

Prices:

  • Free: Basic access with daily limits
  • Pros: €18/month + VAT - Limits 5x higher
  • Team: €28/user/month + VAT

Pros: Great for long documents, transparent pricing in the EU, clean interface
Cons: Fewer plugins than ChatGPT, less developed multimodal capabilities

Website: claude.ai

Gemini (Google)

Who it's for: Companies already integrated into the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Gemini works as a co-pilot directly in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, enhancing the tools you already use.

Key features:

  • Native integration with Google Workspace
  • Advanced search with web access
  • Plans combined with cloud storage (2TB)
  • Dedicated mobile app

Prices:

  • Free: Standard version
  • Google One AI Premium: $21.99/month - Gemini Advanced, 2TB storage

Pros: Seamless integration with Google, excellent search, storage included
Cons: Less flexible outside the Google ecosystem

Website: gemini.google.com

Microsoft Copilot

Who it's for: Companies operating in Microsoft 365.

Copilot integrates natively with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, operating securely on your business data.

Key features:

  • Integration across all Microsoft 365 apps
  • Grounded chat about company data
  • Copilot Studio for custom automations
  • High safety standards

Prices:

  • Copilot Pro: $22/month - For individual users
  • Copilot for Microsoft 365: $32.99/month - For businesses (requires 365 license)

Pros: Perfect for the Microsoft ecosystem, high security, custom automations
Cons: Requires 365 licenses, cumulative costs, depends on data quality

Website: microsoft.com/us-en/microsoft-365/copilot

AI Creative: Visual Generation

Midjourney

Who it's for: Designers, marketers, and creatives who need high-quality images.

Midjourney is the benchmark for image generation, known for its superior artistic and photorealistic results.

Key features:

  • Exceptional visual quality
  • Access via web and Discord
  • Fast and Relax modes to manage costs
  • Advanced control over style and consistency

Prices:

  • Basic: $10/month - Limited generations
  • Standard: $30/month - More Fast hours + unlimited Relax mode
  • Pros: From $60/month - For intensive use + Stealth mode

Pros: Superior quality, active community, constant updates
Cons: No public API, no permanent free plan

Website: midjourney.com

Adobe Firefly

Who it's for: Professionals working in Creative Cloud.

Firefly is integrated into Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro, with commercial guarantees on the content generated.

Key features:

  • Native integration with Creative Cloud
  • Generative fill in Photoshop
  • Secure assets for commercial use
  • Predictable credit system

Prices:

  • Included in Creative Cloud plans (e.g., 1,000 credits/month)
  • Firefly Premium: From $5/month for 100 credits

Pros: Seamless integration with Adobe, clear commercial licenses
Cons: Tied to Creative Cloud, variable costs depending on location

Website: adobe.com/it/products/firefly.html

Resources for Developers: Hugging Face

Who it's for: Technical teams who want to experiment with open source models.

Hugging Face is the go-to ecosystem for the open-source community in machine learning.

Key features:

  • Millions of models, datasets, and applications
  • Standard libraries (Transformers, Diffusers)
  • Inference Endpoints for Managed Deployment
  • Spaces for interactive demos

Prices:

  • Free: Public access to models and datasets
  • Pro: $9/month - Private hosting
  • Enterprise: Custom
  • Inference Endpoints: Pay-as-you-go

Pros: Vast open source selection, simplified integration, strong community
Cons: Requires technical expertise, attention to licenses and security

Website: huggingface.co

How to Choose the Right AI

1. Distinguish between Generative AI and Analytical AI

USE GENERATIVE AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for:

  • Writing content
  • Summarize documents
  • Brainstorming and ideation
  • Programming support

USE ANALYTICAL (Electe) for:

  • Sales forecasts
  • Cash flow analysis
  • Risk assessment
  • Strategic decisions based on your data

2. Consider the Total Cost, Not Just the Price

Consider:

  • Learning time for the team
  • Easy integration with existing systems
  • Security and compliance (GDPR for EU data)
  • Hidden costs (setup, training, maintenance)

A GDPR-compliant no-code solution can deliver higher ROI by reducing complexity.

3. Start Small, Scale Gradually

There's no need to revolutionize everything right away:

  1. Identify a single process to automate
  2. Test with free tools or trials
  3. Measure concrete results
  4. Moving towards more strategic solutions

Conclusion

The real challenge is not finding AI, but integrating the right one into your strategy. For an SME, adopting artificial intelligence must produce tangible results: freed-up time, faster decisions, and a concrete competitive advantage.

Generative AI answers your questions.
Analytics platforms show you the questions you didn't know you needed to ask.

While ChatGPT helps you write better and Claude helps you reason through complex documents, Electe your data into reliable predictions. It's not about replacing intuition, but enhancing it with data-driven insights.

Ready to turn your data into strategic decisions?

Try Electe for 14 days →

Resources for business growth