Most AI assistants have a free tier, and many people never need more. A subscription is worth it when you regularly hit the free limits or need a feature only paid plans include. Here’s a plain way to decide, using only verified prices.
The main individual plans
| Subscription | Free tier | Paid plan | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free $0 | Go / Plus | $8 / $20 a month |
| Claude | Free $0 | Pro | $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually |
| Google AI (Gemini) | Free $0 | AI Plus / AI Pro | $4.99 / $19.99 a month |
| Perplexity | Free $0 | Pro | $17 a month billed annually; monthly price not verified |
| GitHub Copilot | Free $0 | Pro / Pro+ | $10 / $39 a month |
| Cursor | Free $0 | Plus | $8 a month, or $80 a year |
Prices are US list prices in USD, excluding tax. Other countries may see different prices.
Is ChatGPT Plus worth it?
ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month, billed monthly, with no annual option. OpenAI says message caps may still apply and vary with system conditions. ChatGPT Go, at $8 a month, sits between Free and Plus.
Plus is likely worth it if you:
- hit Free or Go limits most weeks
- use ChatGPT for work you’d otherwise spend hours on
- need features that are only on paid plans
Stay on Free or Go if you:
- use it a few times a week for quick questions
- rarely hit a limit
- already pay for another assistant that covers the same jobs
See ChatGPT pricing.
Pay for one assistant, not three
ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Google AI Pro all sit close to $20 a month. They overlap heavily for everyday writing, research and analysis, so paying for all three rarely makes sense. Use the free tiers side by side for a week on your real tasks, then pay for the one you kept opening. Google AI Pro also bundles 5 TB of storage, so it can replace a storage plan you already pay for.
Coding: a separate decision
If you write code, a coding tool may be worth more than a chat upgrade. GitHub Copilot Pro at $10 and Cursor Plus at $8 a month are the cheapest verified paid coding plans here. Copilot Free includes 2,000 code completions a month, which is enough to test the fit. See Best AI for coding.
Simple rules
- Start free. Upgrade only after you hit a limit more than once.
- Pay monthly first. Switch to annual once you’re sure; Claude Pro drops to $17 a month and Cursor Plus to $80 a year.
- Check what you already have. Work accounts and bundles may already include an assistant.
- Review every few months. Cancel plans you haven’t opened in weeks.
- Watch promotions. Discounts and free months are temporary and often limited to students or new users. Budget with list prices.
Related
ChatGPT pricing · Claude pricing · ChatGPT alternatives · AI team plans compared · AI pricing changes 2026
How we check prices
AI Stack Wise reads prices only from official vendor pricing pages and docs, and marks anything unread as “price not verified”. Every price on this page was last checked on 2026-10-19. Prices are in USD and exclude tax unless stated. See our methodology. Spotted a change? Email [email protected].