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AI Subscription Comparison (2026)
Every major consumer AI plan — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok — by price, what models and features you get, and the usage limits. Filter by provider or price. Verified June 2026 (and the market moved a lot this year).
- Anthropic ClaudeFreeFree
Claude Opus/Sonnet/Haiku family on web/iOS/Android/desktop; writing, coding, vision, web search, memory
- Limits: Daily limits (unpublished, vary with demand)
- Best for: Quality-seekers on a budget
Top-tier writing/coding quality, free
- Google GeminiFreeFree
Gemini 3.5 Flash + limited 3.1 Pro; image/video, Deep Research, Gemini Live; 15 GB storage
- Limits: Standard limits reset ~every 5 hrs
- Best for: Google-ecosystem users
Free Deep Research + Gemini Live in your Google account
- OpenAI ChatGPTFreeFree
GPT-5.3 Instant (falls back to a mini model at the cap); web search, basic image gen, file uploads
- Limits: ~10 msgs / 5 hrs on the top model, then a mini model · US Free now shows ads
- Best for: Casual free use
The most-used free AI assistant
- PerplexityFreeFree
Unlimited basic search, auto model selection, basic uploads, Comet AI browser
- Limits: ~5 Pro Searches/day · no frontier-model picker
- Best for: Sourced answers, free
Best free answer-engine with real citations
- xAI GrokFreeFree
Grok 4 / 4.1 basic, real-time X + web search, basic Grok Imagine, limited voice
- Limits: ~10 prompts / 2 hrs
- Best for: X users wanting live context
Real-time access to X posts + Grok's personality
- Google GeminiGoogle AI Plus$7.99/mo
Gemini 3.1 Pro (higher tier), 2× usage, video, Gemini in Gmail/Docs, ~200 GB storage
- Limits: ~2× free-tier usage
- Best for: Light paid users wanting Gmail/Docs AI
Cheapest paid major-provider tier
- OpenAI ChatGPTGo$8/mo
Unlimited GPT-5.3 Instant, file uploads, image creation; ~10× Free messages
- Limits: ~10× Free allowance · US Go still shows 'Sponsored Tips' ads
- Best for: Budget users past the Free cap
Cheapest paid OpenAI tier
- Google GeminiGoogle AI Pro$19.99/mo
Full Gemini 3.1 Pro (incl. Search), 4× usage, Deep Research, NotebookLM 5×, 5 TB storage, YouTube Premium Lite
- Limits: ~4× free-tier usage
- Best for: Mainstream value pick
Bundles 5 TB storage + YouTube perks
- Anthropic ClaudePro$20/mo$204/yr
All Claude models, Claude Code, Cowork, Design, Research, M365 integration
- Limits: Usage limits apply · includes a $20/mo programmatic credit (since Jun 2026)
- Best for: Devs, writers, analysts
Bundles Claude Code (terminal coding agent)
- OpenAI ChatGPTPlus$20/mo
GPT-5.5, Deep Research, Sora video, Codex, Agent Mode, advanced voice
- Limits: Deep Research ~10/mo · rolling message caps
- Best for: Most paying individuals
Full frontier feature set at the mainstream price
- PerplexityPro$20/mo$200/yr
Model picker (GPT-5.x, Claude Opus/Sonnet, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok, Sonar); Deep Research; Comet
- Limits: 300+ Pro Searches/day · ~20 Deep Research/mo
- Best for: Researchers wanting model choice
Switch the underlying model per query
- OpenAI ChatGPTBusiness / Team$30/mo$300/yr
GPT-5.5 with higher limits, shared workspaces, admin/SSO, no training on your data
- Limits: Higher per-user limits (min ~2 seats)
- Best for: Small teams
Team workspace + data-privacy guarantee
- xAI GrokSuperGrok$30/mo$300/yr
Full Grok 4 (128K context), Grok Imagine, AI agents; Grok 4.3 rolling out in stages
- Limits: Much higher limits than Free
- Best for: Daily Grok users
Highest-context standalone Grok + agents
- Google GeminiGoogle AI Ultra$99.99/mo
Full Gemini suite incl. experimental, ~5× Pro usage, 20 TB storage, full YouTube Premium, Gemini Spark agent
- Limits: ~5× Pro usage (a $200 Ultra tier gives up to 20×)
- Best for: Advanced creators/devs
Gemini Spark autonomous agent + YouTube Premium
- Anthropic ClaudeMax 5×$100/mo
All models, 5× Pro usage, higher output, priority access, Claude Code + Cowork
- Limits: 5× Pro per session · +$100/mo programmatic credit
- Best for: Occasional power users
Priority access + 5× headroom
- OpenAI ChatGPTPro ($100)$100/mo
GPT-5.5 Pro, extended reasoning, ~5× Plus usage, Deep Research ~50/mo
- Limits: ~5× Plus limits
- Best for: Heavy users below the $200 tier
5× Plus power for people who keep hitting caps
- Anthropic ClaudeMax 20×$200/mo
All models, 20× Pro usage, highest output, earliest features, Claude Code + Cowork
- Limits: 20× Pro per session · +$200/mo programmatic credit
- Best for: All-day Claude (esp. coding)
Most headroom Anthropic sells to individuals
- OpenAI ChatGPTPro ($200)$200/mo
Highest GPT-5.5 Pro usage, ~20× Plus, near-unlimited frontier access
- Limits: ~20× Plus limits
- Best for: All-day power users
Effectively unlimited best-model access
US prices, verified June 2026 — AI plans change fast and vary by region. Usage limits (messages/window, Deep Research/month) move frequently and several vendors don't publish exact caps, so treat them as approximate. Microsoft retired standalone Copilot Pro (now Microsoft 365 Premium, ~$20/mo); the legacy add-on sunsets Aug 2026. Confirm on the vendor's page before subscribing.
Frequently asked
- What's the cheapest way to get a paid AI chatbot in 2026?
- Google AI Plus at $7.99/month is currently the cheapest paid tier from a major provider, followed by ChatGPT Go at $8/month and X Premium/Grok at $8/month. All three sit between the free tier and the flagship $20 plans. Prices are US-based and change frequently.
- Which $20/month plan should a normal person pick?
- The mainstream $20 plans are ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Google AI Pro (Perplexity Pro is also $20 but it's an answer-engine, not a general chatbot). Pick ChatGPT Plus for the broadest feature set (Sora video, agents, Deep Research), Claude Pro for the best writing/coding quality plus the Claude Code tool, and Google AI Pro if you want Gemini in Gmail/Docs plus 5 TB of storage and YouTube Premium Lite — which arguably makes it the best value of the three.
- Why does ChatGPT show two different 'Pro' prices ($100 and $200)?
- OpenAI added a $100 'Pro' tier on April 9, 2026 that gives ~5× Plus usage, while keeping the original $200 tier that gives ~20×. Confusingly, the interface labels both 'Pro.' If you regularly hit Plus limits but don't need near-unlimited access, the $100 tier is the middle ground; the $200 tier is for all-day heavy use.
- Is Microsoft Copilot Pro still available for $20/month?
- Not for new individual consumers. Microsoft retired standalone Copilot Pro in late 2025 and replaced it with Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99/month), which bundles the Copilot assistant with the Office apps and storage. Standalone Copilot Pro survives only as a $20/month add-on for existing Microsoft 365 subscribers, and that ends August 1, 2026.
- How accurate are these prices and limits?
- Per-plan dollar prices were verified against vendor sources current as of June 2026 (US dollars). Usage limits — messages per window, Deep Research per month, image-gen boosts — change very frequently and several vendors (notably Anthropic and Google) don't publish exact numeric caps, so treat every limit as approximate and check the vendor's page before subscribing, especially outside the US.