AI chatbot prices compared: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity
Short answer
As of October 2026, the standard paid tier of all four major chatbots costs about $20 a month: ChatGPT Plus $20, Claude Pro $20 ($17 a month billed yearly), Google AI Pro $19.99 and Perplexity Pro $20 ($200 a year). Cheaper tiers exist from ChatGPT Go (about $8) and Google AI Plus ($4.99), and heavy-use tiers run from $100 to $200 a month or more.
AI chatbot prices have settled into a familiar pattern: a free tier, a budget tier, a standard tier around $20 a month, and one or more heavy-use tiers. This table is checked against each company's pricing page and updated monthly; the date above shows the last check.
Price table (US, per month)
| Tier | ChatGPT | Claude | Google (Gemini) | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Budget | Go: about $8 | — | AI Plus: $4.99 | — |
| Standard | Plus: $20 | Pro: $20, or $17/mo yearly | AI Pro: $19.99 | Pro: $20, or $200/yr |
| Heavy use | Pro: $100 (5x Plus) or $200 (20x Plus) | Max: $100 (5x Pro) or $200 (20x Pro) | AI Ultra: $99.99 or $199.99 | Max: $200, or $2,000/yr |
| Teams | Business: from about $20 to $25 per seat | Team: $20 per seat yearly, $25 monthly | Through Google Workspace | Enterprise Pro: $40 per seat |
The $200 ChatGPT Pro tier paused new sign-ups in September 2026. Every paid Google AI plan can be shared with up to five family members. Official pricing pages: ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI plans, Perplexity. Prices exclude tax and can differ outside the US.
What the $20 tier gets you
All four standard tiers add the same broad things over free: much higher usage limits, the providers' strongest models, longer file uploads and deeper research modes. The differences are in the extras:
- ChatGPT Plus includes image generation, custom GPTs, projects and access to OpenAI's coding agent.
- Claude Pro includes Claude Code for programming, projects, and tools for creating documents and slides.
- Google AI Pro bundles 5 TB of Google storage and Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and other Google apps, which makes it good value if you already pay for Google storage.
- Perplexity Pro is built around web search with sources, with access to models from several companies.
When a budget tier is enough
ChatGPT Go and Google AI Plus suit people who hit the free plan's limits but don't need the strongest models or the most advanced tools. If you mainly write emails, summarize articles and ask everyday questions, start there and upgrade only if you run into limits.
When a $100+ tier makes sense
The heavy-use tiers are for people who use AI for hours a day, especially for programming agents and long research tasks, and keep hitting the $20 tier's limits. For most people, they are not worth it.
Free alternatives
Every service on this list has a usable free plan, and you can also run open models on your own computer with no subscription at all. See free AI tools that are actually useful and is local AI cheaper than a subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI chatbot subscription is cheapest?
Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month and ChatGPT Go at about $8 a month are the cheapest paid tiers as of October 2026. Both add more usage than the free plans but leave out some features of the $20 tiers.
Is it worth paying for more than one AI chatbot?
For most people, no. The $20 tiers overlap heavily. Pick the one whose strengths match your work, and use the others' free plans for a second opinion.
Are annual plans cheaper?
Sometimes. Claude Pro is $17 a month billed yearly instead of $20, and Perplexity Pro is $200 a year instead of $240. Check each provider's pricing page, since annual discounts change.