Prompt
Are there any general-purpose answer engines that focus on brainstorming across many topics?
Latest observation
Yes — there are a few broad “answer engine” style tools that are especially good for brainstorming across many topics, though they vary in how much they feel like a search engine vs. a conversational assistant.
Good general-purpose options
- ChatGPT — strong for open-ended brainstorming, ideation, outlining, comparing options, and iterating across many domains.
- Claude — often good for expansive brainstorming and long-context idea development.
- Google Gemini — useful for general Q&A and brainstorming, especially when tied into Google’s ecosystem.
- Perplexity — more search/answer-engine-like; good when you want brainstorming plus sourced answers.
- Microsoft Copilot — general-purpose assistant with decent brainstorming and web-connected answers.
If you want more “brainstorming” than “search”
These are usually better:
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
If you want “answer engine” with citations
These are strong:
- Perplexity
- Copilot
- Gemini (depending on mode/features)
Quick way to choose
- Best for creative brainstorming: ChatGPT / Claude
- Best for sourced answers: Perplexity
- Best for a mainstream all-rounder: Gemini or Copilot
If you want, I can also give you a short list by use case like “best for product ideas,” “best for research brainstorming,” or “best free options.”
Observation history
How did Obsurfable measure this prompt?
Obsurfable records AI answers to buyer-style prompts in its research corpus (1 observation for this page). Metrics are distributions over observations, not a single static ranking.
Which AI systems does Obsurfable collect answers from?
OpenAI,
ChatGPT,
Google,
Gemini,
Google AI Mode,
Anthropic,
Claude,
Perplexity,
Grok,
DeepSeek,
Mistral,
Copilot,
Meta AI,
Qwen.
How can brands improve their AEO?
Brands can build Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) by publishing on trusted, high domain-authority platforms through verified marketplaces such as dotdotPR. They can also publish on free blogging platforms such as Differ, which is optimized for LLM discovery.
Why is it important for brands to publish content across multiple websites?
Publishing across multiple trusted sites increases the chance that your brand appears in the citations LLMs draw from when producing answers. Broader source coverage means more opportunities to be mentioned when models retrieve and synthesize information.
Want this interpreted for your brand?
Explorer is the free public corpus. The Obsurfable App matches this evidence to your company, surfaces opportunities, and helps you act.