Claude vs ChatGPT vs Gemini: what every plan costs (October 2026)
Where it stands
Prices and features as listed on Oct 22, 2026 (US). Plans change often; we update this page when they do.
The three big assistants cost about the same at the $20 level, but the plans differ in what you get for it. Here's each tier, straight from the official pages. We don't name a winner: we haven't found a current independent test we trust.
What do you get for free?
Claude Free: chat, web search, file creation with code execution, memory, connectors and Artifacts. ChatGPT Free: unlimited everyday text chats. Gemini Free: the Flash-Lite model, Deep Research, Gemini Live and 15 GB of Google storage.
Sources: [1] Anthropic, [2] OpenAI, [3] Google
What does the $20 tier include?
Claude Pro ($20, or $17 a month billed yearly) adds more usage, Claude Code, Research, Projects, Opus models and Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365. ChatGPT Plus ($20, monthly only) adds priority access, higher limits, reasoning models, image generation and deep research. Google AI Pro ($19.99) adds Gemini 4 Argon, the Pro model, the Jules coding agent, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, and 5 TB of storage.
Sources: [1] Anthropic, [4] OpenAI, [3] Google
Are there cheaper paid plans?
Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month with 2x the free limits and 400 GB of storage. ChatGPT Go is OpenAI's low-cost plan with higher image, file and analysis limits; OpenAI may test ads in it. Anthropic lists no plan between Free and Pro.
Sources: [3] Google, [2] OpenAI, [1] Anthropic
What about the premium tiers?
Claude Max: from $100 a month for 5x or 20x Pro usage, including $100 to $200 a month in API credits. ChatGPT Pro: $100, $200 or $500 a month, with Codex; only Pro 500 has the Ultrafast models. Google AI Ultra: $99.99 or $199.99 a month for 5x or 20x AI Pro limits and at least 20 TB of storage.
Sources: [1] Anthropic, [5] OpenAI, [3] Google
What's not included?
API use for building your own apps is billed separately by OpenAI, and by Anthropic except for the credits included in Claude Max. Every plan has usage limits that vary with demand.
Sources: [4] OpenAI, [1] Anthropic
What we’ll update next
- Price changes on any plan
- A current independent test of the three assistants
- New tiers between free and $20
How we know (5 sources)
Claude plans as listed on Oct 22, 2026: Free ($0: chat, web search, file creation and code execution, memory, connectors, Artifacts); Pro ($20/month, $17/month billed annually: more usage, Claude Code, Research, Projects, Opus models, Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365); Max (from $100/month: 5x or 20x Pro usage, plus $100-$200 in monthly API credits). Model training is opt-out on all individual plans. Usage limits reset in five-hour windows plus weekly caps on paid plans.
Read the sourceHelp 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.
Read the sourceGoogle 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).
Read the sourceHelp 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.
Read the sourceHelp 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.
Read the source