Every plan from Free to power-user tiers, side by side. Verified against official pricing pages on October 19, 2026.
The standard paid tier costs about the same everywhere: ChatGPT Plus is $20 per month, Claude Pro is $20 per month ($17 per month billed annually), and Google AI Pro is $19.99 per month. The real price differences are at the edges. Google AI Plus starts at $4.99 per month and ChatGPT Go at $8 per month, while Claude has no plan below Pro. At the top end, ChatGPT Pro runs $100 to $500, Claude Max starts at $100, and Google AI Ultra runs $99.99 to $199.99 per month.
| Tier | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, limited messages and tools | $0, usage limits apply | $0, usage limits apply |
| Budget paid | Go, $8/month (about 10x Free usage) | No plan below Pro | Google AI Plus, $4.99/month |
| Standard paid | Plus, $20/month (monthly billing only) | Pro, $20/month or $17/month billed annually | Google AI Pro, $19.99/month |
| Power user | Pro 100 at $100, Pro 200 at $200, Pro 500 at $500 per month | Max, from $100/month | Google AI Ultra, $99.99 to $199.99/month |
| Plan | Monthly price | 12-month total |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | $59.88 |
| ChatGPT Go | $8 | $96 |
| Claude Pro (annual billing) | $17 effective | About $200 |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | $239.88 |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 | $240 |
| Claude Pro (monthly billing) | $20 | $240 |
Two of the three have limited-time student promotions right now. OpenAI Back to School gives eligible US college students four free monthly billing periods of ChatGPT Plus if claimed by October 31, 2026, with $20 per month billing after the free period. Google AI Pro is free for 12 months for US college students 18 and older who redeem by December 31, 2026, then $19.99 per month. Claude has no public individual student discount. Our partner site tracks every deadline in one place: student AI discount deadlines for 2026.
If you only need an occasional assistant, start on a free plan and upgrade when you hit limits. If cost is the priority, Google AI Plus at $4.99 or ChatGPT Go at $8 are the lowest paid entry points. If you want the full-featured tier, the three $20 plans are close enough that features and ecosystem should decide: see our head-to-head guides for ChatGPT vs Claude, ChatGPT vs Gemini, and Claude vs Gemini. For deeper single-tool breakdowns, read the ChatGPT review, Claude review, and Gemini review.
Prices and limits change often. Always confirm on the official pricing page before you subscribe. Last verified October 19, 2026.