Pick by where your team already works, then by the shape of the job. For a reusable procedure that should load automatically inside any conversation and travel between tools, Claude Skills are the most mature option, and ChatGPT skills now follow the same open format on business plans. For a configured assistant anyone can open from a link, including free users, custom GPTs are still the widest reach. Gemini Gems are mid-migration: on personal accounts they become Gemini skills on November 17, 2026, so build new ones as skills. In a Microsoft 365 company with SharePoint at the centre, Copilot agents win on access to work data, at $30 per user per month.
All four products answer the same need: stop retyping the same instructions and context. They differ in where the instructions run, what they can reach, and who can use what you made. Everything below comes from the vendors' own pricing and help pages, opened on October 31, 2026; plan details in this market change monthly, so the source link sits next to each claim.
What each one is
Claude Skills are folders with a SKILL.md file of instructions plus optional files and scripts. Claude sees only each skill's name and description until a request matches, then loads the instructions and any files it needs (Anthropic docs). They run in Claude's code sandbox, so code execution has to be on, and they work across Claude's apps, Claude Code and the API. Skills follow the open Agent Skills specification.
Custom GPTs are configured versions of ChatGPT with instructions, prompt starters, up to 20 knowledge files, built-in capabilities (web browsing, image generation, data analysis) and custom actions that call outside APIs described with an OpenAPI schema (OpenAI help). You open a GPT and chat with it. ChatGPT also now has skills: reusable workflows that ChatGPT uses automatically when they help, which OpenAI says follow the Agent Skills open standard, generally available on Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu plans (OpenAI help).
Gemini Gems are saved custom instructions with optional knowledge files from your device, Google Drive or NotebookLM (Google help). Their replacement, Gemini skills, are "reusable custom instructions" you call with / or that Gemini applies automatically, with a 100 MB total file limit; sharing is promised "in the coming weeks" but not yet available (Google help).
Microsoft 365 Copilot agents built in Agent Builder are assistants grounded in SharePoint content and Copilot connectors, with optional web content, that you can keep private, share with people or groups, share org-wide, or submit to your organisation's agent catalogue (Microsoft Learn). Agent Builder can't author actions that call external services; for that you copy the agent into Copilot Studio (Microsoft Learn).
Side by side
| Claude Skills | Custom GPTs | Gemini Gems → skills | Copilot agents (Agent Builder) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it's used | Loads by itself when a task matches, or by / |
You open the GPT and chat | Gem: open it. Skill: / or automatic |
You open the agent in Copilot |
| Reference files | Any files in the skill folder, opened on demand | Up to 20 knowledge files | Device, Drive or NotebookLM; skills cap 100 MB total | SharePoint content and Copilot connectors |
| Runs code | Yes, in Claude's sandbox (required) | Yes, via data analysis | Not described for Gems or skills | Not in Agent Builder |
| Calls other systems | Through connectors (MCP) and plugins | Custom actions via OpenAPI | Not described | Copilot connectors for knowledge; actions need Copilot Studio |
| Sharing | Personal, shared with colleagues, org-provisioned on Team and Enterprise | Link, workspace, GPT Store | Gems: shareable. Skills: sharing not yet live | Private, people or groups, org-wide, org catalogue |
| Portable format | Yes (Agent Skills spec) | No | Not stated | No |
| Who can build | Pro and above per the skills docs | Paid plans (Go and above) | Signed-in personal accounts over 18 (skills) | Depends on the tenant's Copilot licences |
Sources: Claude skills docs, Claude pricing, OpenAI GPT help, ChatGPT pricing, Gemini Gems help, Gems to skills transition, Microsoft Learn: Agent Builder. Checked October 31, 2026.
One inconsistency worth knowing: Claude's pricing page lists Skills under the Free plan, while its skills documentation says skills are available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. We've used the documentation's narrower statement in the table.
What it costs
| Plan | Price (USD) | What it unlocks here | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Pro | $20/month, or $17/month billed annually | Skills, Projects, connectors, Claude Code | claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Max / Ultra | $100 / $200 per month | More usage; Max includes $100 of monthly API credits, Ultra $200 | claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Team | Standard $25/seat monthly ($20 annual); Premium $125 ($100 annual) | Org-provisioned skills, usage figures per skill | claude.com/pricing |
| ChatGPT Go | $8/month (US) | Create and share GPTs | OpenAI, pricing |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/month | GPTs, apps connected to internal tools | OpenAI help |
| ChatGPT Pro | $100 or $200 per month (two tiers, different Codex limits) | Workspace sharing of GPTs | MacRumors, Apr 2026, pricing |
| ChatGPT Business | $25/user monthly, $20 billed annually (2+ users) | Workspace GPTs, skills (GA), 60+ apps | openai.com/business/pricing |
| Google AI Plus / Pro | $4.99 / $19.99 per month | Gems are listed from the free tier up; the page doesn't mention skills by plan | gemini.google/subscriptions |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | $30/user/month paid yearly, or $31.50 monthly with an annual commitment | Custom agents grounded in work data; needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence | microsoft.com |
| Copilot Studio | $200 per pack of 25,000 Copilot Credits per month, or pay-as-you-go | Agents with actions, connectors and workflows | microsoft.com |
Prices are list prices in USD as shown on the linked pages on October 31, 2026, before tax. ChatGPT's pricing page didn't render its amounts in our fetch, so Go, Plus and Pro prices come from OpenAI's help and announcement pages and one news report; check the live page before you buy.
Which to pick
Choose Claude Skills if the job is a procedure: the same steps, the same templates, the same checks, used by several people inside conversations they're already having. The on-demand loading means you can install dozens without bloating every chat, the scripts let a skill produce identical files every time, and the open format means the work isn't trapped in one vendor. The trade-off is that skills need the code sandbox switched on, and on Team and Enterprise plans an owner controls that.
Choose a custom GPT if you want to hand someone a link to a ready-made assistant, especially someone outside your company or on a free plan, since every plan can use GPTs. Custom actions are also the simplest way in this group to call an outside API without running a server. The trade-off is that the GPT is a destination people have to open, and its knowledge files don't move to any other tool.
Choose Gemini skills, not Gems, if your team lives in Google Workspace and personal Gemini accounts. Anything you build as a Gem on a personal account today will be converted in November, and the transition page lists file types that won't carry over (audio, video, legacy Office formats, archives). Wait for skill sharing to ship before you plan a team rollout around it.
Choose Copilot agents if your company's knowledge is in SharePoint and Teams and you already license Microsoft 365. Grounding an agent in the sites people already maintain is the strongest data story of the four, and org-catalogue publishing gives IT a review step. The costs are the $30 per user licence, the fact that shared agents only work for users whose licence covers the agent's capabilities, and the jump to Copilot Studio credits once you need actions.
Where this fits on the ladder
All four sit on the second and third rungs of the build ladder: saved instructions with files, and packaged procedures. None of them, on its own, gives the model live access to your other systems; that comes from connectors (MCP servers for Claude and increasingly ChatGPT, Copilot connectors for Microsoft). If your task needs that access, or needs to run with nobody starting it, the decision tool will say so, and the registry comparison shows where to find connectors and published skills.
Questions people ask
Are Gemini Gems being discontinued?
Yes, on personal accounts. Google's help centre says Gems become read-only and convert to Gemini skills on November 17, 2026, and are removed on December 17, 2026. Workspace business and enterprise accounts move in March 2027 and education accounts in June 2027.
Can I use a Claude skill in ChatGPT?
Often, yes. Claude skills follow the open Agent Skills specification, and OpenAI says ChatGPT skills follow the same standard. A skill that only uses instructions and files usually moves cleanly; one that depends on Claude-specific tools or scripts may need changes.
Which is cheapest for a small team?
On list price, ChatGPT Business and Claude Team standard seats are both $20 per user per month billed annually ($25 monthly), and Google AI Pro is $19.99 per month for individuals. Microsoft 365 Copilot is $30 per user per month on top of a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence.
Do custom GPTs still matter now that ChatGPT has skills?
For now, yes. GPTs are still the way to publish a configured assistant other people can open, including on the GPT Store, and free users can use them. Skills are the better fit for procedures you want loaded automatically inside any conversation.