The Goal of This Article
What you do is simple: create one account and try your first question. That alone is enough to get a feel for AI. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini share almost the same sign-up flow, so we organize the steps together and only note where each differs. No difficult setup—just a browser, a few minutes.
Before You Start: Don't Agonize—Make One
Which suits you was covered in the previous (comparison) article. Here the goal is simply to make one. What all three share:
- No dedicated app needed—usable right in a browser (mobile apps exist but are fine later)
- All have a free range to try. Free is enough at first
- Sign-up is basically "open the site → sign up → verify identity → chat screen"
Creating an Account (by Service)
The common flow: (1) open the official site → (2) Sign up → (3) register with Google / Apple / Microsoft or email → (4) confirmation code/email verification → (5) agree to terms → (6) brief initial setup → (7) go to the chat screen. SSO (logging in with an existing Google etc. account) is fastest and least error-prone (skips password creation, less likely to trigger bot checks).
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- URL: chatgpt.com (beware look-alike URLs; typing it directly is safer)
- "Sign up" → register with Google / Apple / Microsoft / email
- Depending on region, traffic, or VPN use, you may be asked for SMS (phone) verification
- The free range is relatively generous and lets you try features like image generation for free. Available models and limits change—check the official page
Claude (Anthropic)
- URL: claude.ai
- Register with an email address or Google
- Phone verification is required (as of 2026, it cannot be skipped—an anti-spam measure). Have a mobile number ready
- The free range has a cap on "messages per time window" and is somewhat limited—but its writing, summarization, and coding ability is strong
Gemini (Google)
- URL: gemini.google.com
- Just log in with an existing Google account. A new sign-up or separate phone verification is often unnecessary
- Free to use, and integrates easily with Gmail, Google Docs, and Drive
