Option A: Claude: digests the history, you check, it drafts the skeleton
Best when: You want a staged outline with a correction between
What it does: Claude digests and drafts; you check and approve
Strong at: Drafts and edits text in many formats
Limit: Unsupported statements slip in if your check misses them
Free plan: Yes, limited (5-hour and weekly usage caps)
Option B: ChatGPT: drafts the skeleton from your digest
Best when: Wording is delegated, not historical reading
What it does: ChatGPT drafts from your digest; you approve
Strong at: Answers questions; writes and rewrites text
Limit: Historical reading and the digest stay with you
Free plan: Yes, limited (file uploads, images, voice, data analysis)
Option C: Gemini Notebook extracts, Claude lists discrepancies
Best when: You want ownership of the section structure
What it does: Gemini Notebook extracts; you write; Claude critiques
Strong at: Answers grounded in the sources you provide
Limit: You reconcile critique notes as well as write
Free plan: Gemini Notebook: Yes, limited (500,000-word sources); Claude: Yes, limited (5-hour usage caps)