• AI Efficiency Hubb
  • Posts
  • CustomGPTs vs Projects: What’s the difference (and why it matters)

CustomGPTs vs Projects: What’s the difference (and why it matters)

ChatGPT is way more powerful than just typing random prompts. This guide explains the difference between CustomGPTs and Projects, and how to use both to run your business faster, smarter, and with way less stress.

Author

Dean Johnston
May 08, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Hey,
Saw something on my TikTok that caught your eye? Here’s the full breakdown so you can actually use it.

🔗 Missed the video? Watch it here

What You’ll Need

  • ChatGPT Plus (you’ll need this for both CustomGPTs and Projects)

  • A few business tasks you repeat often

  • Some basic knowledge of how you work and what you want to automate or systemise

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Know the Difference

✅ CustomGPTs

Think of these like mini apps, a CustomGPT is a version of ChatGPT trained with a set of documents or knowledge, and guided by a specific prompt style.

Best for tasks where you want a “character” or tool that behaves the same every time.

Example Use Cases:

  • A weekly planner that uses your goals and time to tell you what to prioritise

  • A tone of voice copywriter trained on your brand tone

  • A proposal builder that takes client notes and turns them into onboarding documents

Great for:

  • Replacing repetitive thought processes

  • Training ChatGPT on your style, structure, or templates

  • Making repeatable tools for your team or yourself

✅ Projects

Projects are like long-term memory for ChatGPT. They let you create a workspace with saved files, context, and chats. Perfect for ongoing work where you want continuity and history.

Example Use Cases:

  • Content planning: Save your strategy, pillars, examples, and have ChatGPT help you build on it every time

  • Client strategy tracking: Upload call notes, plans, and progress so ChatGPT knows what’s already been done

  • Product development: Brainstorm, iterate, and test ideas across multiple sessions without losing context

Great for:

  • Collaborative or long-form thinking

  • Complex tasks that evolve over time

  • Avoiding the “starting from scratch” feeling every session

Step 2: When to Use What

If you need…

Use a:

A repeatable process

CustomGPT

A collaborative workspace with memory

Project

A tool to train on your templates

CustomGPT

To build on something over time

Project

Something you can share with a team

CustomGPT

Ongoing strategy or planning space

Project


Step 3: Get Started

Start by creating a CustomGPT for something simple you repeat often (weekly planning, email drafting, task sorting).

Then try using Projects to track anything that has ongoing complexity, content strategy, product ideas, even client work.

Final Step

That’s it, you’re done. Gold star if you made it all the way here ⭐
If it worked, amazing. If you’ve hit a wall, give it five minutes and read through again – half the time it’s just something you’ve overlooked.

P.S. Want to do this more strategically?
If you’re figuring out how AI fits into your business long-term, we run something called the AI Efficiency Assessment. It’s a 90-minute session that gives you a tailored roadmap of what to automate, what to eliminate, so you’re crystal clear on what to do.

No pressure, just here if you’re ready to level things up.
👉 Learn more about the AI Efficiency Assessment