Every big AI company now has a pitch for small businesses. Meta launched Muse for Small Business on 29 September 2026, Anthropic sells Claude for Small Business, OpenAI has ChatGPT Business, and Microsoft and Google build AI into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Choosing the best AI for your small business starts with seeing that most of these share one model: a general assistant, priced per seat, that connects to the apps you already pay for. This guide compares what each offers and where an all-in-one suite like Ergora fits.
Claude, ChatGPT and Muse for small business: the quick comparison
Prices below are the published figures on each vendor's pricing page as of 29 September 2026. Check the vendor for current pricing before you buy.
| Offering | What you get | Connections | Team seats | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muse for Small Business (Meta) | A personal AI agent that works across your business apps, with approval before anything publishes, sends or spends | 15 named apps plus custom connectors | Not described in Meta's announcement | Free for most use, with subscription plans for more; US and Canada only |
| Claude for Small Business (Anthropic) | 15 ready-to-run workflows across finance, operations, sales, marketing, HR and support, run in Claude Cowork | QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Yes, on the Team plan | Team seats $20 a month billed annually ($25 monthly); Premium seats, which include Cowork, $100 ($125 monthly) |
| ChatGPT Business (OpenAI) | A shared workspace for ChatGPT with projects and connected apps | Google, Microsoft, Slack, Notion and more | Yes | UK: £15 a seat a month billed annually (£18 monthly); Premium seats £75 (£90 monthly) |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams | Microsoft 365, plus agents built in Copilot Studio | Yes, through Microsoft 365 admin | $21 a user a month paid yearly, currently offered at $18, added to a Microsoft 365 plan |
| Google Workspace with Gemini | Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Meet | Workspace plus approved integrations | Yes | Included in Workspace business plans (see Google's pricing page) |
| Perplexity Enterprise Pro | An answer engine that also searches your company knowledge, plus the Comet browser | Drive, SharePoint, Slack, Notion and more | Yes | Published per-seat plans (see Perplexity's pricing) |
| Ergora | An AI business suite: PR, legal, sales, marketing and finance specialists with the tools built in | Shopify, HubSpot, Xero, Stripe and more | Yes | From $99 a seat a month plus specialist packs from $59 a month each, 50% off your first month |
Sources: Meta, Anthropic, Claude pricing, ChatGPT pricing, Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing, Google Workspace pricing, Perplexity Enterprise, Ergora pricing.
What connectors really mean for your costs
A connector lets an assistant read from and act in an app you already use. It does not replace that app. Whether you use Muse, Claude, ChatGPT or Ergora, you still need your own account with QuickBooks, Shopify, HubSpot or Xero.
The bigger difference is the specialist work your apps do not do. Most small businesses have jobs like these:
- Tracking what the press and the public say about the business
- Finding the right journalists and drafting pitches
- Checking an NDA or a supplier contract before signing
- Researching a prospect before a sales call
- Producing images and designs for campaigns
A general assistant can write about these jobs, but it cannot track mentions or scan a contract against your clause library unless you connect a tool that does. That usually means another subscription per job: a monitoring tool, a journalist database, a contract review tool. The seat price looks low, but the stack grows.
Ergora includes those tools. Its PR specialist works alongside Journalist Database, Brand Mentions, the Sentiment Dashboard and Pitch Tracker. The Legal specialist works alongside Contract Scanner and Clause Library. Sales has Call Prep and Prospect Research, and marketing has content, image and design studios. It is one platform and one bill for the whole team.
Where each one is strongest
Muse for Small Business
Best for owner-operators in the US and Canada who run their business in the apps Muse connects to, including Facebook and Instagram. It is free for most use, but it is not available in the UK at launch. We cover it in more detail in Muse for Small Business vs Ergora.
Claude for Small Business
Best if your stack matches its connectors and you want ready-made workflows for things like payroll planning, month-end close and invoice chasing, with approval before anything sends or pays. Note that Cowork, where the workflows run, comes with Premium seats on the Team plan.
ChatGPT Business
Best as a broad, general-purpose assistant for a team, with a large directory of apps and a shared workspace.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business and Google Workspace with Gemini
Best if your business already runs on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace and you want AI inside the documents and email you already use.
Perplexity Enterprise Pro
Best for research and finding answers across the web and your company's own knowledge.
Ergora
Best for small teams that want the specialist work done, not just written about. PR, legal, sales, marketing and finance specialists come with the tools they need, in one workspace your team shares. See how it works for PR, legal and sales.
Our verdict for small teams
If you want a general assistant for everyday writing and questions, any of the big names will serve you well, and the one that matches your existing software is usually the easiest choice.
If you want an AI department for your business, with specialists that monitor your brand, find journalists, check contracts and prepare sales calls, Ergora is the better fit. You get the specialists and their tools on one platform, with one bill for the whole team, rather than a per-seat assistant plus a separate subscription for every specialist job.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI assistant for a small business?
It depends on the job. For everyday writing and questions, the assistant that matches your existing software is usually easiest, such as Copilot for Microsoft 365 users or Gemini for Google Workspace users. For specialist work across PR, legal, sales and marketing in one place, Ergora is built for small teams and includes the tools those jobs need.
What is Claude for Small Business?
Claude for Small Business is Anthropic's package of 15 ready-to-run workflows across finance, operations, sales, marketing, HR and customer support. It runs inside Claude Cowork and connects to tools such as QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
How much does ChatGPT Business cost?
On OpenAI's UK pricing page as of 29 September 2026, a standard seat is £15 a month billed annually or £18 billed monthly, and a Premium seat is £75 a month billed annually or £90 billed monthly. Check ChatGPT's pricing page for current prices in your region.
Is Muse for Small Business available in the UK?
Not at launch. Meta says Muse is available in the US and Canada.
Do AI connectors cost extra?
The connector itself is usually part of the assistant's plan, but each connected app needs its own account. Connecting QuickBooks or HubSpot does not include a QuickBooks or HubSpot subscription.
Can an AI assistant replace tools like media monitoring or contract review?
Not on its own. A general assistant can draft and explain, but tracking mentions, building journalist lists or scanning contracts needs a tool that does that work. Ergora includes those tools alongside its specialists on one platform, so a small team is not juggling a separate subscription for each one.