3 tools that do the same job as ChatGPT, compared on checked pricing and features. ChatGPT's cheapest paid plan is $8 a month for one person, and one of the alternatives costs less. Two of the two have a free plan.
Prices checked against each vendor's own pricing page; ChatGPT's on October 3, 2026.
Cheapest paid plan that covers the team, per month before tax, at the yearly rate where one is published. Each tool's prices were checked against its own pricing page, most recently on October 3, 2026.
1. Claude
Best for reading, writing and analysis that ends in a report, spreadsheet or deck
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant for reading, writing and analysis that ends in a document, spreadsheet or deck. It returns Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and paid plans include the Claude Code agent.
One person
$17/mo
Pro · ChatGPT: $8/mo
Team of 10
$200/mo
Team · ChatGPT: $200/mo
Free plan
Free
Stay with ChatGPT if…
Price matters for one person: ChatGPT is $8/mo, Claude $17/mo.
Gemini is Google's AI assistant for people whose email, calendar and files are already in Google's apps. It works with Gmail, Calendar and Drive inside a chat, and paid Google AI plans bundle it with Google One storage.
One person
$4.99/mo
Google AI Plus · ChatGPT: $8/mo
Team of 10
—
Free plan
Free
Choose Gemini if…
You want it cheaper for one person: $4.99/mo on Google AI Plus, against $8/mo for ChatGPT.
Perplexity is an AI answer engine for people who need to check where facts come from. It searches the web in real time and cites its sources in every answer, and its Research mode writes longer sourced reports.
One person
Not re-checked
Team of 10
Not re-checked
Free plan
Free
Stay with ChatGPT if…
You rely on what Perplexity lacks: long context window.
