Every major AI assistant we track has a $0 plan . The free plans differ in what they limit. Some cap usage loosely, some restrict models and some cap features. Below is what each vendor says about its free tier, as of our last check.
Free plans compared
| Tool | What the free plan includes (vendor wording) |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | Unlimited text chats with abuse guardrails. Uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and Codex are “Limited”. |
| Claude Free | Usage limits apply. No numeric limit is published. |
| Google Gemini (free) | Baseline access on a Flash-Lite model. Limits refresh every five hours up to a weekly limit. Includes 15 GB storage. |
| Perplexity Free | “Good for limited daily usage”. No numbers are published. |
| Grok (X Subscription Free) | “Limited” usage; includes standard X. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Included at no additional cost for Microsoft Entra users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription; agents are metered. |
| GitHub Copilot Free | 2,000 code completions per month, plus an AI credit allowance whose size is not published. |
| Cursor Free | Limited agent and chat requests. No third-party models. |
| Windsurf Free | Unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, a light agent quota and limited models. |
Which free tool for what
- Everyday questions and writing: ChatGPT Free, Claude Free and Gemini are all capable. ChatGPT is the most open about its text-chat allowance. Gemini also includes 15 GB of storage.
- Research with sources: Perplexity Free is built around cited answers. Expect daily limits.
- Coding: Copilot Free if you want help inside your current editor. Cursor or Windsurf free tiers if you want to try agent-style editing.
- Work accounts: If your organization has an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription, Copilot Chat is included at no additional cost.
What “free” usually costs you
Free plans usually trade money for limits. You may get lighter models, fewer advanced features (deep research, image creation, agents) or caps that reset daily or weekly. Many vendors don’t publish exact numbers. We show their wording and don’t estimate limits ourselves. Also check each vendor’s data and privacy settings. Free and paid plans can handle training data differently.
When to upgrade
Upgrade when you regularly hit the limit on one tool, not before. Our cheapest AI subscription guide lists the lowest verified paid tiers. Students should check AI student discounts first.
Pricing pages
ChatGPT · Claude · Gemini · Perplexity · Grok · Microsoft 365 Copilot · GitHub Copilot · Cursor · Windsurf
How we check prices
AI Stack Wise reads prices only from official vendor pricing pages, help centers and docs. We record the amount exactly as printed, note whether tax is included, and mark anything we could not read as “price not verified” instead of guessing. Most prices on this page were last checked on 2026-10-19 (Windsurf on 2026-11-03). Prices are in USD and exclude tax unless stated. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the vendor page before you pay. See our methodology. Spotted a change? Email [email protected].