AI chat subscriptions compared: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and more (Oct 2026)
10 AI chat subscriptions we track, ordered by the cheapest plan each vendor sells to an individual. Gemini is cheapest at $4.99/mo.
AI chat subscriptions
| Tool | Cheapest plan | Price | Free tier | What the cheapest plan includes & source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked by cheapest paid plan | ||||
01Gemini |
Google AI Plus Top plan: Google AI Ultra (20x) $199.99/mo |
$4.99/mo | Free tier | 2x standard (Free) usage limits; 128k context; 200 Google Flow credits; 400 GB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
02ChatGPT |
Go Top plan: Pro 500 $500/mo |
$8/mo | Free tier | More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice than Free; longer memory. May include ads. Exact caps not published. Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
03Grok |
Plus Top plan: Ultra $200/mo |
$8/mo | Free tier | Base shared AI usage pool across Grok, Cursor and X; Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build; Grok API. Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Top plan: Microsoft 365 Premium $16.67/mo billed yearly |
$9.99/mo | Free tier | 1 person; 1 TB; Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote with 'higher usage than free' (not quantified). Source: microsoft.com · checked 2026-10-16 | |
05Le Chat |
Pro | $14.99/mo | Free tier | More messages and web searches (comparison: messages 'up to 6x free' / 'up to 5x free' rows); API credits included ($25.5/mo or $15/mo shown on page). Source: mistral.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
06Claude |
Pro Top plan: Max 20x $200/mo |
$20/mo | Free tier | More usage than Free per five-hour session plus a weekly limit across all models (resets at a fixed weekly time per account). Message counts not published; vary by message length, attachments, model. Claude Code included, sharing the same limits. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Pro Top plan: Max $167/mo billed yearly |
$17/mo billed yearly | Free tier | Pro Searches, Research queries, Comet assistant and file/app creation all 'weekly/monthly limits (average use)'; numbers not published. Limited-time +$40 Computer credits. Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 | |
08Manus |
Pro | $20/mo | Free tier | 4,000 monthly credits (help-center example of a $20 Pro membership); credits expire at end of cycle. Source: help.manus.im · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Price not published | ||||
—Poe |
Subscription | Not published on the public web (shown in-app) | Free tier | Higher point allowance than free; add-on points at approx. $30 per 1M points. Source: help.poe.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| c.ai+ | Not verified | Free tier | Not published on a fetchable page. Source: support.character.ai · checked 2026-10-16 | |
How this list is ranked
Sorted by the lowest per-month price billed yearly where offered of each tool's cheapest individual plan (team and per-seat plans are skipped when an individual plan exists). Ties keep the order of our main price table. Price is the only ranking factor: a cheaper plan can come with much tighter limits, so read the limits column before you buy.
We never rank on reviews, affiliate deals or sponsorship. Facts are vendor-stated; "not published" means the vendor doesn't say.
Recent changes in this list
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plan restructureSuperGrok folded into The X Subscription (Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200)
xAI announced one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X Premium; Premium bundles the benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+ ('previously $90/month combined'). Existing SuperGrok plans continue.
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benefit addedClaude Max now includes monthly API credits ($100 on Max 5x, $200 on Max 20x)
Anthropic's platform release notes: 'Claude Max and Team plans now include monthly API credits.' Credits don't cover interactive Claude Code and don't roll over.
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new tierlimit cutChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance
Pro 500 adds Ultrafast GPT-6 Astra / GPT-6.1 Sol. New, non-grandfathered Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower allowance; grandfathered users keep the old allowance through Oct 29, 2026.
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price cutnew tierGoogle AI Ultra cut from $249.99 to $199.99; new $99.99 Ultra (5x Pro) tier
Announced at Google I/O 2026. The top Ultra tier keeps 20x AI Pro limits at the lower price.
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new tierChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage)
New Pro tier between Plus ($20) and Pro ($200); temporary 10x Codex promo through May 31, 2026. Plus Codex usage rebalanced across the week.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest AI chat subscription?
Gemini: Google AI Plus costs $4.99/mo. Next cheapest: ChatGPT ($8/mo), Grok ($8/mo), Microsoft Copilot ($8.33/mo billed yearly). Prices checked 2026-10-16.
Which AI chat subscriptions have a free plan?
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Microsoft Copilot, Le Chat, Poe, Character.AI, Manus.
What is the most expensive individual plan here?
ChatGPT Pro 500 at $500/mo.
How current is this ranking?
It is rebuilt from our data every time prices are checked; the last check was 2026-10-16. Every price links to the vendor page it came from.