Prices and profiles checked on 3 October 2026. Prices in US dollars, US list prices, taxes excluded: they may be higher in Europe.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, Grok and DeepSeek side by side: what they cost, what each does best, where each is weaker. No absolute ranking: the best one depends on what you need it for.
What AI subscriptions cost: ranked from the most expensive plan to the cheapest
All paid plans for individuals, sorted by monthly price. Every service also has a free plan.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the rest: the profiles
The verdicts are by Paolo Buono, founder of FAIND, who has used these tools since they first appeared. They are personal opinions, not lab tests: FAIND receives no payment from any of the companies mentioned.
ChatGPT by OpenAI
The world's most widely used AI assistant, developed by OpenAI: it answers, writes, creates images, speaks and carries out multi-step tasks.
Best for: general use, everyday writing, images, anyone who wants a single app for everything.
Pros
The most complete: text, images, voice and tools in one app
A cheap entry plan (Go) alongside the classic Plus
A huge amount of guides, examples and integrations
Cons
The most powerful plans are expensive
The free plan and Go show ads in some countries
With so many features, it is not obvious what each plan includes
Plans
Free plan
ChatGPT Go: 8 $/month
ChatGPT Plus: 20 $/month
ChatGPT Pro: 100 $/month
ChatGPT Pro (max): 200 $/month
Paolo Buono's verdict
«For me it is still the starting point: if I have to recommend a single AI to a beginner, this is it. It does almost everything well, and when you need something more you soon see where to look.»
Anthropic's assistant, valued for the quality of its writing, careful reasoning and programming.
Best for: long, polished texts, document analysis, programming.
Pros
Natural, precise writing, even on long texts
Among the strongest at code and document analysis
Discount with annual billing
Cons
No cheap plan below 20 dollars
Usage limits depend on conversation length and are reached quickly on heavy work
Fewer side features (images, video) than ChatGPT and Gemini
Plans
Free plan
Claude Pro: 20 $/month (17 $ billed annually)
Claude Max 5×: 100 $/month
Claude Max 20×: 200 $/month
Paolo Buono's verdict
«It is the one I trust with work that needs thought: a text to polish, a long document to understand, some code. Fewer special effects, more substance. If you write or code for a living, it is worth every one of the 20 dollars.»
Google's AI, built into Gmail, Docs and Drive, with image and video generation.
Best for: people who use Google services, video, anyone who wants to spend little.
Pros
The cheapest paid plan among the big names (AI Plus)
Integration with Gmail, Docs and Drive, with storage included
Very strong at video generation
Cons
Plan and model names have changed often: finding your way is not easy
Some features reach the United States before Europe
Outside the Google ecosystem it loses part of its edge
Plans
Free plan
Google AI Plus: 4.99 $/month
Google AI Pro: 19.99 $/month
Google AI Ultra: 99.99 $/month
Google AI Ultra (max): 199.99 $/month
Paolo Buono's verdict
«If your day runs between Gmail, Docs and Drive, it is the most logical choice: it is already where you work. And the 4.99 plan is the cheapest way to try a paid AI without a second thought.»
Microsoft's AI, found in Windows, Edge and the Office applications.
Best for: people who work every day with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Pros
Works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
The Premium plan includes the Office apps and OneDrive storage, for the family too
Already in Windows, nothing to install
Cons
The old Copilot Pro is no longer sold: today you go through Microsoft 365
It mostly makes sense if you already use Office
As a "pure" assistant it is less brilliant than its rivals
Plans
Free plan
Microsoft 365 Premium: 19.99 $/month (16.67 $ billed annually)
Microsoft 365 Pro: 99.99 $/month
Paolo Buono's verdict
«It is not the AI I open to ask a question, but if your work is made of Excel, Word and Teams meetings it saves you time exactly where you lose it. Judge it as part of Office, not as a chatbot.»
«It is the AI I use when an answer is not enough and I want to know where it comes from. For those of us who do news, like FAIND, the source next to the answer is not a detail: it is the point.»
SpaceXAI's assistant, built into the social network X, with real-time access to what is posted there.
Best for: following what happens on X in real time.
Pros
Real-time access to X content
Deep search and image editing
A direct, less stiff tone
Cons
The most expensive of the standard plans: 30 dollars
A very limited free plan
What circulates on X is not always verified: answers need checking
Plans
Free plan
SuperGrok: 30 $/month
SuperGrok Heavy: 300 $/month
Paolo Buono's verdict
«It makes sense mainly if X is where you follow the news: there it is unbeatable for speed. For everything else, at 30 dollars a month, I struggle to prefer it to rivals that cost 20.»
An assistant developed in China, entirely free, with good reasoning and programming abilities.
Best for: anyone who wants to try a capable AI without paying anything.
Pros
Free, with no paid plans and no ads
Good step-by-step reasoning
Available on the web, iPhone and Android
Cons
A company based in China: think carefully about which data you share
Fewer features (images, voice, integrations) than its rivals
On some political topics the answers are restricted
Plans
Free plan
Free only: no paid plan
Paolo Buono's verdict
«Out of curiosity, and for tasks that contain nothing confidential, it is a surprise: free, and it reasons well. But I would not put work documents or personal data into it, and that limits its use a great deal.»
There is no single best one. ChatGPT is the most complete for general use, Claude is preferred for long texts and programming, Gemini suits people who live in Gmail and Docs, Perplexity is best for research with sources. The choice depends on the job.
How much does an AI subscription cost?
The standard plan costs about 20 dollars a month almost everywhere: ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Perplexity Pro at 20, Google AI Pro and Microsoft 365 Premium at 19.99. There are cheaper plans (Google AI Plus at 4.99, ChatGPT Go at 8) and professional plans from 100 to 300 dollars a month.
Can you use artificial intelligence for free?
Yes. Every service on this page has a free plan, with limits on the number of requests or the models available. DeepSeek is the only one that is entirely free, with no paid plans.
ChatGPT or Claude?
ChatGPT is more versatile: images, voice, many features in one app. Claude is stronger at careful writing, long documents and code. If you do a bit of everything, start with ChatGPT; if you write or code a lot, you will often prefer Claude.
ChatGPT or Gemini?
Gemini is cheaper to start with and integrates with Gmail, Docs and Drive, with storage included. ChatGPT has more features and a wider ecosystem. If you already use Google services, Gemini is the natural choice.
Is a 200-dollar Pro or Max plan worth it?
Only if you hit the limits of the 20-dollar plan every day. The most expensive plans are meant for people who work with AI many hours a day; for normal use they are money wasted.
