✅ Prerequisites

Before you
begin.

Two things to sort before Beacon 1 — a Gmail account and a quick look at what's free. Five minutes, and you're ready.

📧 Step one

You'll need a Gmail account

All three tools in this course — ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini — can be accessed with a free Google account. If you already have Gmail, you're all set.

If not, here's how to create one:

  1. 1Go to accounts.google.com/signup
  2. 2Enter your name and choose a Gmail address
  3. 3Create a password and complete the short verification
  4. 4That's it — your Google account is ready
💡 Two-factor authentication: Google may ask you to add a phone number for security during setup. This is optional but recommended — it protects your account and makes recovery easier.
💸 Step two

Your three essential tools

All three essential tools have a free tier that's more than enough for this course. Here's exactly what you get — and where the limits are.

These three tools will carry you through the first part of the course. Later Beacons introduce additional tools — each one explained from scratch when you need it.

ChatGPT

GPT-5 family · Free tier

ModelGPT-5 (limited)
Message limitRolling 5-hr window
Web search✓ Included
File uploads✓ Included
Image generation✓ Limited
Custom GPTsPaid only

Claude

Claude Sonnet · Free tier

ModelSonnet (mid-tier)
Message limit~15–40 / 5 hrs
Context window200K tokens
File uploads✓ 20 files/chat
Web search✓ Included
Opus modelPaid only

Gemini

Gemini 2.5 Flash · Free tier

Model2.5 Flash
Message limitGenerous for most
Context window1M tokens
Image generation✓ ~100/day
Google Workspace✓ Included
Pro modelsPaid only

For everyday use — writing, research, translation, image creation, planning — all three free tiers are more than enough. You won't need to pay anything to complete this course.

⚠️ Heads up: None of the three tools publish exact message limits — they're managed dynamically. If you hit a limit, the tool will let you know and suggest waiting a short time. It happens rarely during normal use.
🔄 Free tier details change from time to time. If something looks different from what's described here, that's normal — just ask the tool directly: "What can I do for free on this plan?"
🎯 The verdict

Which one should you start with?

All three are excellent. There's no wrong choice. But here's a quick feel for each — pick whichever sounds most like you.

🟢

ChatGPT

If you want the most widely used tool with the broadest feature set.

🟠

Claude

If you prefer careful, thoughtful answers and love working with long documents.

🔵

Gemini

If you already use Google tools and want the smoothest integration.

You'll get to know all three during the course — so there's no pressure to commit now. Try one today, and switch whenever you feel like it.

You're ready — go to Beacon 1 →