Google Gemini vs OpenAI ChatGPT

Google AI plans in the US as listed on Oct 22, 2026: Free ($0: Flash-Lite model, Deep Research, Gemini Live, 15 GB storage); AI Plus ($4.99/month, 400 GB); AI Pro ($19.99/month: Gemini 4 Argon, Pro model, Jules coding agent, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, 5 TB); AI Ultra ($99.99 or $199.99/month for 5x or 20x Pro limits, from 20 TB).

Help article (read Oct 22, 2026): with permission, Gemini can use Connected Apps to summarize Gmail, create calendar events, play music from YouTube Music or Spotify, and control Google Home devices. You connect or disconnect apps under Customize > Connectors. With Keep Activity off, Connected Apps are unavailable on the web and iOS.

Gemini Apps Privacy Hub (last updated Oct 19, 2026): with Keep Activity on, Google uses activity to improve services, including training generative AI, with help from human reviewers; reviewed data is disconnected from the account and kept 3 years. With Keep Activity off or in temporary chats, chats are kept 72 hours and not used to train models unless you send feedback.

"Save info and reference past chats in Gemini Apps" (read Oct 22, 2026): you can save info about your life, work or preferences under Personal context, or ask Gemini to look at past chats. Requires sign-in; not for users under 18 and not in Gemini Live; referencing past chats is still rolling out on mobile. Saved info can be edited, deleted or switched off.

Help article (read Oct 22, 2026): ChatGPT Plus is $20/month, billed monthly, no annual plan. Adds priority access, higher limits, reasoning models, voice, image generation, file analysis and deep research where available. API usage is billed separately. OpenAI may use conversations to improve models; you can opt out in Data Controls.

Help article (read Oct 22, 2026): three ChatGPT Pro plans, Pro 100 ($100), Pro 200 ($200) and Pro 500 ($500, the only one with Ultrafast models). Pro includes Pro models, Codex, deep research, image creation, memory and file uploads. New Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower usage allowance than before.

Help article (read Oct 22, 2026): ChatGPT Go is a low-cost plan in all ChatGPT countries. Free and Go both include unlimited everyday text chats; Go adds higher limits for image generation, file uploads and data analysis, plus projects and custom GPTs. OpenAI may test ads in Go. Price shown on the pricing page.

Help article (read Oct 22, 2026): ChatGPT plugins bundle skills and connected apps (such as Slack) for a task; the plugin directory is available across plans, with availability depending on plan, workspace and region. Installing may start an authorization flow and can't bypass permissions. Some plugins are OpenAI Verified, which doesn't replace your own security review. Plugin Creator builds custom plugins.

Official introduction (read Oct 22, 2026): MCP is an open-source standard for connecting AI applications like Claude or ChatGPT to data sources, tools and workflows, described as "a USB-C port for AI applications". Supported by assistants including Claude and ChatGPT and by developer tools like VS Code and Cursor.

"Memory in ChatGPT" help article (read Oct 22, 2026): with Memory on, ChatGPT can use past chats, saved memories, custom instructions, Library files and connected apps such as Gmail, depending on plan and region. Controls are under Settings > Personalization > Memory. Turning off Reference chat history schedules what it learned from past chats for deletion within 30 days; deleting a chat doesn't delete a saved memory made from it.