AI Tools Comparison Chart 2026: Prices Side by Side
One table for the five assistant tiers that matter, with what each price step actually buys and where the pricing models differ.
Short answer
Five assistants cover most needs in 2026 and their entry prices are closer than their reputations: ChatGPT (free, Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo), Claude (free, Pro $20/mo, Max from $100/mo), Gemini (free, Google AI Plus $4.99/mo, AI Pro $19.99/mo, Ultra from $99.99/mo), DeepSeek (free, pay-as-you-go API) and Grok (free, SuperGrok $30/mo, SuperGrok Plus $100/mo). The cheapest paid upgrade anywhere is Gemini at $4.99/mo; the most expensive single seat is SuperGrok Plus at $100/mo. Two pricing models are being mixed here — subscription tiers and usage-metered API — and comparing a metered API price against a monthly seat is the most common mistake in tables like this one.
A comparison chart is only useful if the numbers in it are comparable, and with AI assistants they usually are not. Half of these products are sold as monthly seats and half carry a metered API, so a price column reads as apples-to-apples when it is not. This chart separates them, and says what each step up actually buys. For how to choose among these assistants rather than what they cost, our chat category page is the longer treatment.
Three of the five sell subscription tiers, and the tiers generally raise model access and usage ceilings rather than adding a feature the cheaper plan lacks. ChatGPT runs free, Go at $8/mo, Plus at $20/mo and Pro from $100/mo. Claude runs free, Pro at $20/mo and Max from $100/mo, with the annual Pro price working out around $17/mo. Gemini runs free, Google AI Plus at $4.99/mo, AI Pro at $19.99/mo and Ultra from $99.99/mo — the cheapest paid entry in the comparison. Grok runs free, SuperGrok at $30/mo and SuperGrok Plus at $100/mo.
| Assistant | Free tier | Mid tier | Top tier | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Yes | Go $8/mo | Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo | Subscription |
| Claude | Yes | — | Pro $20/mo (about $17/mo annually), Max from $100/mo | Subscription |
| Gemini | Yes | Google AI Plus $4.99/mo | AI Pro $19.99/mo, Ultra from $99.99/mo | Subscription |
| DeepSeek | Yes | — | Pay-as-you-go API | Metered usage |
| Grok | Yes | — | SuperGrok $30/mo, SuperGrok Plus $100/mo | Subscription |
DeepSeek is the one to read carefully. Its web app is free and its API is metered, so it has no seat price to put in a monthly column — quoting one would be inventing a number. Note the practical consequence: a metered API is cheaper than a seat when usage is low and can exceed it when usage is high, so "DeepSeek is free" and "DeepSeek is cheapest" are different claims. Two other limits worth carrying into any table: ChatGPT's free tier limits both which models you get and how much you can send, and Gemini is unavailable in some regions, which no price column shows.
How to read any assistant chart, including this one:
- Check the pricing model before the number — a seat and a metered API are not comparable
- Ask what the tier above adds, not just what it costs, since most add ceilings rather than features
- Confirm regional availability separately, because it is a hard blocker that price tables omit
- Re-check the figures before you publish or budget from them, because these prices move
Frequently asked questions
- Which AI assistant is the cheapest paid option?
- Gemini, with Google AI Plus at $4.99/mo, followed by ChatGPT's Go tier at $8/mo. Both raise usage and model access over the free tier rather than unlocking a separate feature set.
- Why is DeepSeek listed without a monthly price?
- Because it has no seat subscription — the web app is free and the API is metered by usage. Putting a monthly figure next to it would be inventing one.
- Do the top tiers at $100/mo buy better models?
- Mostly higher ceilings and heavier usage rather than a different product. If you are not hitting the lower tier's limits, the higher tier is unlikely to change your output.
- Can I compare these prices with API pricing directly?
- No. Subscription seats and metered usage are different units; a heavy API user and a heavy seat user can reach the same spend with very different usage patterns.
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