🛠️ I Built 3 Apps Using AI — One Model Had a Secret Advantage

Claude, Gemini, and GPT-4 go head-to-head in the world of app building

Once upon a time, building apps took hours of coding, compiling, and debugging. But in 2025, you can create fully working applications with nothing but… a prompt.

In this week’s issue of AI Unboxed, we spotlight a fascinating real-world test:
Can top AI models build useful apps in just minutes? And which one does it best?

🧪 The Test Setup

Tech journalist Ryan Morrison challenged three AI models to build three basic apps:

1. A to-do list

2. A currency converter

3. A weather app

The contenders:

• 🧠 Claude 3 Opus (Anthropic)

• 🧠 Gemini 1.5 Pro (Google)

• 🧠 ChatGPT (GPT-4) (OpenAI)

He gave each the same prompts and judged them on speed, accuracy, and ease of use.

⚔️ How Each AI Performed

✅ Claude 3 Opus: Smooth and Smart

Claude generated clean, functional code quickly and handled follow-up questions like a pro. It also offered optimization tips—like using localStorage for saving to-do lists.

But the real edge?
🔑 Claude had strong memory. It remembered earlier prompts and made changes without needing to be reminded of the full context. That’s a huge productivity win.

⚠️ Gemini 1.5 Pro: Good, But Clunky

Gemini did the job—but with a few hiccups:

• Slower responses

• Required more manual debugging

• Sometimes forgot parts of the original instruction

It wasn’t bad, but it felt more like a helpful intern than a confident developer.

💪 GPT-4 (ChatGPT): Still a Solid Contender

ChatGPT was consistent and quick. It:

• Understood tasks well

• Wrote accurate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

• Handled logic cleanly

• Was great with follow-up questions and improvements

While it didn’t have Claude’s long-context memory, GPT-4 was dependable and efficient—especially for UI-rich tasks.

🏁 The Final Verdict

So, which AI wins the no-code showdown?

• Best for context awareness: Claude 3 Opus

• Most reliable overall: GPT-4 (ChatGPT)

• Most improved, but needs work: Gemini 1.5 Pro

If you want a truly hands-off AI dev experience, Claude 3 is the closest thing to “fire-and-forget.” But GPT-4 still gives you versatility, especially if you’re iterating on more complex or creative apps.

💡 What This Means for You

You no longer need to be a developer to build apps.

With the right AI prompt, you can turn ideas into working code in less time than it takes to finish a coffee. Whether you're launching a startup, prototyping a feature, or just playing around—these tools are your new secret weapon.

📥 Next Issue of AI Unboxed:
“No-Code, Low-Code, AI-Code — Which One Should You Use in 2025?”
We break down the pros and cons of each for entrepreneurs, educators, and creators.

📝 Source:
Originally inspired by Ryan Morrison’s article on Tom’s Guide.
Full credit to the author and publication.