Claude Duet vs ChatGPT Dots vs Gemini small business owners face a simple choice on price and access. Duet is $20 a month on Claude Pro, in the US only, by waitlist. Dots starts at $100 a month on ChatGPT Pro. Gemini's small business hub is free inside the Gemini app.
Claude Duet vs ChatGPT Dots vs Gemini small business: what launched
Three agents launched in a space of three weeks, from 29 September to 21 October 2026. ChatGPT Dots launched on 29 September 2026. The Gemini small business hub launched on 20 October 2026. Claude Duet went into preview on 21 October 2026. Meta Muse for Small Business also launched on 29 September 2026, so there are now four agents aimed at the same owner, and they are not the same product. One is a free hub inside an app you may already use. One is a waitlist preview for paying users. One starts at $100 a month.
Claude Duet: proactive, US only, by waitlist
Claude Duet is Anthropic's proactive agent app. It sends a morning brief, checks your connected apps every few hours, takes on tasks you hand it, and keeps working in the cloud after you close the app. It runs on Claude Opus 5.5, and it asks before it takes an important external action. It lives as a standalone app on iOS and Android, and it is also open on the web at claude.ai.
Duet opened as a research preview on 21 October 2026, by waitlist, for US Claude Pro and Max subscribers. There is no separate price. It is included in Pro at $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually, and in Max from $100 a month. It draws on the same usage limits as the rest of Claude, so background checks use your allowance. Team and Enterprise plans are not included yet, which is a real catch for a small firm that pays for Claude as a team. Check the current terms on the Claude pages before you plan around Duet, because a preview can change fast.
Who Duet fits, and who should wait
Duet fits a solo owner in the US who already pays for Claude Pro and lives in email, docs, and calendars. The morning brief alone could save that owner half an hour a day, if it is accurate. It does not fit a firm outside the US, a firm on a Team plan, or a firm that needs a date for when access will arrive. Joining the waitlist does not guarantee a date. If you are in one of those groups, use Claude chat for now, and check the Duet page once a month.
ChatGPT Dots: one dot, $100 a month, and a narrow door
ChatGPT Dots are always on agents inside ChatGPT. A dot gets its own cloud computer and browser, connects to the apps you already use, and keeps working after you close the laptop. It can read your inbox, calendar, and project threads, flag what slipped, and chase the next step. It works in ChatGPT, Slack, and Teams. At launch you get one dot per account. OpenAI says you will be able to add more dots later, but it has not published a price for extra dots.
The price is the barrier. Your first dot is included in ChatGPT Pro, at $100, $200, or $500 a month, or in a Business Premium seat at $100 a month billed annually, or $125 monthly. Free, Go, and Plus plans do not get a dot. Personal Pro users in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland cannot get one yet, even if they pay for Pro. Business Premium is rolling out worldwide, and Enterprise needs an admin to turn it on. Check the current access list on the ChatGPT pages, because the rollout is gradual and OpenAI says you may not see a dot at once, even if your plan is eligible.
For a small business, $100 a month is a lot for one agent that you may not even see yet. It makes sense if you already pay for Pro, you live in ChatGPT all day, and you have a clear job for the dot, such as chasing invoices or keeping a project list honest. It does not make sense as a first AI buy. A $20 plan that you use every day beats a $100 plan that you wait for.
Gemini small business hub: free, and inside tools you know
The Gemini small business hub is a landing page inside the Gemini app, announced by Google on 20 October 2026. It brings brand visuals, financial analysis, and customer insights together, and it connects Gemini to your Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Workspace, and apps like Shopify and Xero. The hub itself is free for every Gemini app user, and it is rolling out worldwide. That is the cheapest way in of the three, by a wide margin.
What you pay decides which model answers you and how much you can use it. Google AI Plus is $4.99 a month, Google AI Pro is $19.99 a month, and Google AI Ultra starts from $99.99 a month, on the US prices checked in late October 2026. If your firm already runs on Google Workspace, Gemini is included in Business Starter at $7, Business Standard at $14, and Business Plus at $22 per user a month on annual billing. Gemini Enterprise, a separate agent platform for teams, starts at $21 per seat a month for its Business edition. Check the current prices on the Gemini pages, because Google changes plan names and prices often.
One claim to skip: a few pages list a separate Gemini small business package at $29, $79, and $149 a month. We could not verify those prices on Google's own pages, and the hub guide we checked says the hub itself is free for every Gemini app user. Do not budget for a $29 plan that may not exist. Use the free hub, and pay only for a Gemini plan you already want.
Meta Muse for Small Business: the fourth option
Meta Muse for Small Business, announced on 29 September 2026, is not a new product or plan. It is 15 named business connectors, including Shopify, QuickBooks, Stripe, Klaviyo, Slack, and Canva, plus your Facebook, Instagram, and ad accounts, added to the same Muse app. It plans, analyses, and drafts. You approve. Nothing publishes, sends, or spends without your approval, per Meta.
Muse is free with a weekly usage limit, with Power at $20 a month and Maximum at $100 a month. The small business skills are for adults in the US and Canada. If your shop sells and advertises on Facebook and Instagram, Muse is worth a look, because it can read your shop sales, books, and ad results in one place. If your customers are not on Meta, it is less useful. Keep it in mind, but do not treat it as a fourth equal choice for every firm. It fits Meta sellers first.
Side by side: price, access, and what each one does
| Agent | Launched | Price to get in | Access now | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Duet | 21 Oct 2026 | $20 a month, Pro, no extra fee | US Pro and Max, by waitlist | Morning brief, background checks, tasks in the cloud |
| ChatGPT Dots | 29 Sep 2026 | From $100 a month, Pro or Business Premium | Pro outside EEA, UK, and Switzerland; Business Premium rolling out | Always on agent in ChatGPT, Slack, and Teams |
| Gemini hub | 20 Oct 2026 | Free hub; plans from $4.99 a month | Rolling out worldwide for Gemini app users | Brand, finance, and customer work inside Google tools |
| Meta Muse | 29 Sep 2026 | Free, then $20 or $100 a month | US and Canada, adults | Plans and drafts across 15 business connectors |
Which one should a small business pick now
Start with Gemini if you already use Google tools. The hub is free, the rollout is worldwide, and the paid plans start at $4.99 a month. Use it for the jobs it does well: drafting a post from your Business Profile, checking what an ad spent, and pulling a simple view of sales. Give it one job a day for two weeks, and keep the result in front of you before you trust it with a customer facing task.
For a wider view, read the best AI tools for small businesses in 2027 and which small business tasks to automate and which to keep. For help sounding like a person when you write with any of these tools, see how small businesses use ChatGPT without sounding robotic. The agent matters less than the job you give it, and the check you run before it acts.
The bottom line on Claude Duet vs ChatGPT Dots vs Gemini
Claude Duet vs ChatGPT Dots vs Gemini small business is not a close race on price and access. Gemini is free to start and open worldwide. Duet is $20 a month, US only, and by waitlist, with Team plans left out for now. Dots starts at $100 a month, with a narrow door for personal Pro users. Start with Gemini, join the Duet waitlist if you are eligible, and buy Dots only if you already pay for Pro and have a job that pays for it.