Best AI Chatbot solutions for small business: 2026 comparison Find out which AI assistant to choose for your SME among OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and open-source alternatives

What types of chatbots are there?

Generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a corporate AI chatbot can increase productivity, speed up internal responses, improve knowledge management, and provide user support. But which solution should you choose? In this article, we analyze and compare the main options available in 2024 for a company with around 30–40 employees, evaluating costs, features, Microsoft 365 integration, data privacy, and flexibility.

1. OpenAI ChatGPT Team and Enterprise

ChatGPT Team is a ready-to-use solution that provides access to the latest version of the GPT model, shareable chat saving, optional chat history, and customization tools (Custom GPTs). ChatGPT Enterprise offers advanced user management features, SSO, SLAs, and compute priority.

  • Price: $25/month per user (Team) | Custom pricing (Enterprise)
  • M365 integration: Indirect via API or Zapier. No native integration.
  • Data residency: EU not guaranteed. No training on data.
  • Customization: Yes, via RAG and Custom GPTs.

2. Anthropic Claude Team / Enterprise

Claude is known for its deep contextual understanding (up to 200,000 tokens). Claude Team is designed for workgroups, while Claude Enterprise includes more granular controls.

  • Price: $30/month per user (Team)
  • M365 integration: None directly. APIs available.
  • Data residency: Claude EU active since 2024 (in Ireland). No training on user data.
  • Customization: Yes, via RAG / API.

3. Microsoft Copilot (for M365)

Copilot is the AI assistant integrated directly into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other M365 tools. Perfectly integrated with your Microsoft Business Premium infrastructure.

  • Price: €28.10/month per user (excluding VAT)
  • M365 integration: Full, it is native.
  • Data residency: EU possible with a European tenant.
  • Customization: Yes, via Microsoft Graph and enterprise data semantics.

4. Google Gemini (formerly Duet AI for Workspace)

Gemini is the AI assistant integrated into Google Workspace. Suitable for companies working with Google Docs, Gmail, and Sheets.

  • Price: €27/month per user (Gemini for Workspace add-on)
  • M365 integration: None. Google Workspace only.
  • Data residency: EU not always guaranteed (depends on plan and data center).
  • Customization: Limited, more focused on textual assistance.

5. Open Source Models (Mistral, LLaMA2, etc.)

Open-source models allow you to retain full control over your data, but require your own infrastructure or the use of platforms such as Hugging Face or AWS Bedrock.

  • Price: Variable. From free (self-hosted) to pay-as-you-go cloud costs.
  • M365 integration: Possible via API, but requires custom development.
  • Data residency: Fully under control if self-hosted.
  • Customization: Yes, via RAG, fine-tuning, or embeddings on enterprise documents.

Comparison Table

Solution Price Main features Data & Integration
OpenAI ChatGPT Team $25/month/user GPT-5, Custom GPTs No EU residency, no training, APIs
Claude Team $30/month/user Large context, Claude EU EU data available, APIs
Microsoft Copilot €28.10/month/user Integrated in Word/Excel/Outlook EU residency, full M365 integration
Google Gemini €27/month/user Integrated in Google Workspace Google only, uncertain EU data
Open-source (Mistral, LLaMA2) Variable / usage-based Full control, flexibility Fully custom, EU residency if self-hosted

Conclusion: which one should you choose?

If your company already uses Microsoft 365, Microsoft Copilot is the most natural choice, perfectly integrated and with options for EU data protection. For a more flexible and creatively advanced approach, ChatGPT Team is an excellent low-cost choice. Claude represents a strong balance for those seeking contextual power and European data residency. Open-source solutions are ideal for those with technical teams and a priority on privacy and customization.

About Ryan

IT Project Manager, Web Interface Architect and Lead Developer for many high-traffic web sites & services hosted in Italy and Europe. Since 2010 it's also a lead designer for many App and games for Android, iOS and Windows Phone mobile devices for a number of italian companies. Microsoft MVP for Development Technologies since 2018.

View all posts by Ryan

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