Bard vs ChatGPT: Differences And Similarities in 2025

ChatGPT and Google Bard are leading AI models that sparked the AI boom in the last few years.

While both are Large Language Models built on Natural Language Processing, they operate quite differently. ChatGPT focuses more on text generation, making it great for writing and structured responses. 

On the other hand, Google Bard leans towards a more conversational approach and has the advantage of real-time data access.

Choosing the right one requires careful consideration and research. But don’t worry—this Bard vs ChatGPT breakdown covers everything you need to know, helping you make the best decision based on your needs. 

Bard vs ChatGPT – Overview

ChatGPT and Bard are AI models that leverage Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to comprehend human requests and provide credible responses. 

OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late November 2022, and it quickly became a game-changer, reaching 100 million users in under two months. The AI model uses the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4 (GPT-4) model, which allows users to generate summaries, paragraphs, and text-based answers. 

ChatGPT’s knowledge is based on information until September 2021, which means it has limited awareness of events beyond that point. 

However, ongoing interactions and improvements have refined it over time. Users are still advised to verify recent information, as the model may not always have the latest updates.

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Google Bard, on the other hand, is a Google product created four months after ChatGPT came out. The model uses the Pathways Language Model (PaLM 2), a conversationally designed model that can access the internet to provide real-time answers. 

After ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022, Google fast-tracked the development of Bard. The push to accelerate Bard’s growth came from the growing competition in the generative AI space, especially after Microsoft integrated ChatGPT into Bing.

Despite the rush, Bard successfully entered the market. Its ability to provide more up-to-date responses comes from its latest language model and real-time internet access. 

Bard has long upgraded to Gemini, which provides more potent tools as you can integrate it with Google products and services. 

Below is a table giving an overview of the two AI models. 

ChatGPT Vs Bard – Key Differences

We start this piece by looking at the main differences between the models. 

Training data

ChatGPT was trained on a massive dataset drawn from the internet, including articles, books, websites, and documents. 

Since its training data stops at 2021, ChatGPT doesn’t have real-time awareness of recent events. However, its responses can sometimes be inconsistent. I asked the same question twice and got two different answers.

Google Bard is powered by the language model LaMDA. This model was trained on web text and public dialogue data totaling 1.56 trillion words. 

Although Bard is built on a larger dataset, its training data has raised some concerns. Google has disclosed that only 25% of its data comes from sources like the C4 dataset and Wikipedia, while the rest is gathered from the internet. However, the company hasn’t provided full transparency on sourcing this data.

This has sparked debates about the risks of training AI on such extensive datasets, particularly regarding potential biases, inaccuracies, and the ethical implications of data sourcing.

Language Models

The GPT models have evolved into four generations as follows. Here’s the table breakdown.

The AI model comes with two language models: The free version of ChatGPT uses GPT-3.5 Turbo as its base model, while the paid users use GPT-4.o, the most advanced option. 

Google Bard uses Google’s Gemini family of language models. Based on your pricing plan, Bard runs on different versions of the Gemini model. 

The free version of Bard runs on Gemini Pro, while Bard Advanced (the premium subscription) uses Gemini Ultra, Google’s most potent AI model.

Google continues to develop and improve the Gemini models, releasing updated versions that enhance Bard’s capabilities while keeping the same model family name.

Internet Access

Google Bard features native internet access, retrieving current information directly from Google Search. This allows Bard to provide up-to-date answers about recent events and breaking news without additional steps from users.

ChatGPT’s base version operates without internet connectivity, relying solely on its training data. However, ChatGPT Plus subscribers can access Bing search through plugins, but this requires manual activation for each query and doesn’t provide the same seamless updating as Bard’s implementation.

The difference becomes most apparent with time-sensitive information, where Bard automatically checks multiple sources for recent developments, while ChatGPT Plus users must explicitly request web searches for similar capabilities.

Multimodal Capabilities

Both Bard and ChatGPT can analyze images and process text inputs, enabling users to upload pictures for identification, description, or analysis. 

However, a key difference is in how they present responses. Bard can directly incorporate images into its answers, often pulling relevant visuals from the web. This makes its responses more interactive and visually engaging, as it can illustrate concepts with diagrams or provide image-based examples alongside explanations.

ChatGPT can analyze uploaded images but cannot independently search for or generate visual content to include in its responses. This limitation creates a text-only output experience even when the conversation involves visual elements.

ChatGPT Vs Bard – Strengths and Weaknesses

Both options have points where they excel against the other and vice versa. 

Google Bard Pros

• Provides human-like conversational responses.
• Offers features like text generation, translations, and summaries.
• Integrates with Google services for enhanced functionality (e.g., retrieving data from Gmail)
• Real-time information access
• A user-friendly interface that features responses that are well-formatted and enhance the user experience

Google Bard Cons

• Inconsistent responses; may claim to perform tasks it cannot execute (e.g., document analysis).
• Does not cite sources or provide links for verification, limiting its use for research purposes.
• Cannot save entire conversations; only retains prompts temporarily
• Bard hallucinates a lot, hence sometimes providing inaccurate answers that need human verification.

ChatGPT Pros

• Excels in natural language understanding and generation.
• Handles diverse topics and maintains context across conversations.
• Cost-effective solution for businesses with scalability and flexibility.
• ChatGPT has a flexible plugin system for seamless integrations across various platforms. With the plugins, users can enhance their functionality to fit their specific needs, whether for productivity or automation.

ChatGPT Cons

• Struggles with multitasking and requires fine-tuning for specific use cases.
• Limited to outdated information unless using plugins; may produce incorrect responses.
• ChatGPT often produces detailed and wordy responses, making it harder to quickly find key information at a glance.
• Ethical concerns due to potential biases in training data.

Use Cases Comparison

Google Bard and ChatGPT are powerful AI models with similar applications, but each stands out in different areas thanks to their unique features and integrations.

Content Creation

ChatGPT is particularly strong at generating long-form content thanks to its extensive training data. This capability is available even in the free version.

As a result, it has become popular for marketing teams looking to ramp up their content creation without burning the budget. According to a study on ChatGPT’s business adoption, 58% of businesses use ChatGPT for creating content or copywriting. 

The model is also great for brainstorming creative ideas and storytelling. However, users should be mindful of potential inaccuracies and verify information for reliability.

Bard’s real-time access to the internet is one of its advantages over ChatGPT when it comes to content creation. This means that content includes current references and trends, making it particularly valuable for timely topics. 

Due to its smaller training dataset, Bard falls short compared to ChatGPT in generating long-form content. However, it excels at drafting emails, blog posts, outlines, and creative pieces like poems or short stories.

Research Assistance

Both AI models offer valuable research capabilities, whether you’re writing an article, conducting market analysis, or preparing an academic thesis.

Google Bard provides more comprehensive responses thanks to its training on diverse customer feedback and market research data. Its connection to Google’s search engine gives it access to current information, making it exceptionally reliable for factual trends and recent developments.

ChatGPT relies exclusively on its training data for research tasks. While this data is extensive, it lacks real-time updates. However, if you’ve subscribed to the pro version, it can use the Bing search engine.

Technical Support

ChatGPT has gained popularity among developers because of its advanced coding capabilities. It excels at generating functional code, debugging complex problems, and providing clear technical explanations. 

Plus, the platform’s support for third-party plugins and UI extensions creates a more customizable experience for technical users.

Developers particularly value ChatGPT’s ability to understand programming concepts across multiple languages and frameworks. It can follow specific coding conventions, explain its reasoning through detailed comments, and adapt to various development environments. 

This technical precision and its straightforward interface make it a preferred tool for coding assistance and technical problem-solving.

Bard Vs ChatGPT – User Experience

User experience is perhaps the biggest differentiator between Bard and ChatGPT. Both options try to combine UX with aesthetics to boost the user experience. 

However, Bard goes a bit further. It isn’t just visually appealing—it also lets you edit questions after submission and provides multiple response options for added flexibility. 

Bard includes a sound icon in the top-right corner for users who prefer auditory interaction. This icon allows Bard to read responses aloud for added convenience.

Beyond that, Bard includes several unique features:

• More prompt input options
• A text-to-speech feature that lets Bard read its responses aloud.
• Exporting responses to a Google Doc or Gmail
• Bard allows you to edit your prompts

ChatGPT has enhanced its user experience by focusing on personalization, efficiency, and expanded capabilities.

A notable new feature in ChatGPT is the ability to customize its tone, style, and personality traits, such as making it more “chatty” or adopting a “Gen Z” tone, through updated custom instruction settings.

The AI model enables smooth multilingual English, Spanish, and French communication, ensuring global accessibility. ChatGPT now supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to interact simultaneously, perfect for brainstorming sessions or virtual meetings.

Future Developments

Both ChatGPT and Bard are set for significant upgrades. ChatGPT is expected to boost its internet access without requiring manual plugin activation, allowing continuous data updates instead of relying on a fixed knowledge cutoff. This will be an upgrade on what they did in 2023. 

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Meanwhile, Google is actively strengthening Bard’s coding abilities through specialized training on programming repositories. Recent test versions show marked improvements in syntax accuracy and debugging.

ChatGPT will probably expand its structured data handling to better process spreadsheets and databases, while Bard may soon integrate directly with Google’s developer tools and GitHub repositories. 

For example, developers might soon write code in Bard and immediately deploy it to Google Cloud without switching platforms.

Bard Vs ChatGPT – The Takeaway

Picking the better option between the two will ultimately go back to your needs. Figure out the tasks you’ll be undertaking, the level of technicality, and your budget. 

Due to its extensive training data, ChatGPT is a strong choice for complex tasks like content creation, coding, and research. If you need quick, up-to-date information with a conversational tone, Bard may be a better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions