AI Subscriptions Compared (2026): ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & More

AI subscriptions have become the new streaming bill: it starts with one, soon there are three, and they add up fast. In 2026 the entry plans of the major assistants cost about $20 a month, while the top tiers reach $200 or more. Below you'll find each service's price, what it's actually for, and how to avoid paying twice for the same thing.

#AI subscription prices in 2026

All prices below come from Subfaro's catalog (prices checked in October 2026, US pricing, before tax).

#General assistants

ChatGPT also has Pro 500 at $500/mo. Grok's plans (Premium, Super at $100 and Ultra at $200) are listed in the catalog as reference prices that haven't been re-checked recently.

#Coding tools

Cursor Ultra and Windsurf Max are $200/mo each, and Cursor Super is $100/mo. Longtime Cursor users may still be on Pro ($20) or Pro+ ($60), legacy plans that are no longer sold. Replit Pro is $100/mo.

#Image, voice and music

#Monthly vs. annual

A few AI tools offer a yearly plan that works out cheaper per month. Suno Pro is $96/yr instead of $120 paid monthly ($10 × 12), and Bolt.new Pro is $216/yr instead of $300 ($25 × 12). That's a real saving, but only if you'll still be using the tool in month eleven. If you're not sure, pay monthly for a while first.

Prices vary by country, and sales tax may apply where you live. If you pay in another currency, your card may add a foreign transaction fee on top; Subfaro's real-cost calculator shows the effect of exchange rate and card fees.

#What each AI subscription is for

Every general assistant can chat, write, summarize and work with files. The real differences are the ecosystem around it and the kind of work you do:

• ChatGPT (OpenAI): a general assistant with plans from Plus up to Pro 500 for people who need much more usage.
• Claude (Anthropic): a general assistant for writing, analysis and coding; the Max plans raise Pro's usage limits. It can also connect to other apps through connectors.
• Google AI Plus / Pro (Gemini): Google's AI plans, bought and managed through Google One. They make the most sense if you already live in Gmail, Docs and Drive.
• Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft stopped selling Copilot Pro on its own and now bundles Copilot into Microsoft 365. According to its official announcement, Premium combines the Office apps, Copilot with the highest usage limits, and up to 6 people, while Personal and Family include Copilot in the apps with lower limits.
• Perplexity: research-focused, with answers that cite their web sources.
• Grok (xAI): xAI's assistant, which also shows up inside X. If you already pay for X Premium, check which Grok features your tier includes before buying another plan.
• Cursor, Windsurf and GitHub Copilot: AI inside your code editor. Replit, Bolt.new and Lovable go further and build whole apps from a description.
• Midjourney, ElevenLabs and Suno: image, voice and music generation, respectively.

Which one is "best" depends on your work, and the models change every few months. The most honest way to choose is to try each free tier with your real tasks before paying.

#Which AI subscription fits how you work

Instead of asking which AI is best, ask what you'll use it for most weeks. A simple way to map it:

• Everyday writing, questions and summaries: one general assistant on its entry plan (around $20/mo) is usually plenty. If your needs are light, Google AI Plus at $9.99/mo or a free tier may be enough.
• You live in Google or Microsoft apps: look first at the plan from the ecosystem you already use. Google AI Pro works across Gmail, Docs and Drive; Microsoft 365 puts Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Research with sources: Perplexity is built around cited answers, but general assistants also search the web, so test whether you need a separate tool.
• Writing code: pick one editor tool (Cursor, Windsurf or GitHub Copilot) instead of stacking several. App builders like Replit, Bolt.new and Lovable fit people who want a working prototype more than they want to code.
• Creative work: Midjourney, ElevenLabs and Suno pay off when you produce images, voice or music regularly, not for a one-off project. For a single job, subscribe for a month and cancel.

If two items on your list point to the same kind of tool, that's your overlap.

#The overlap problem: paying twice for the same AI

The most common waste isn't the expensive subscription, it's the duplicate one. Typical cases:

• Two general assistants. ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro together cost $40 a month. If you use both to draft emails and answer questions, one is probably enough.
• Double coding AI. Cursor and GitHub Copilot cover much of the same ground in your editor. Together that's $18 a month on the entry plans alone.
• AI you already have in a bundle. If you pay for Microsoft 365 or Google One storage, check what your plan already includes before adding a separate AI subscription.
• A top tier you no longer need. Upgrading to Max, Pro 100 or Ultra for one busy month and forgetting to step back down multiplies the bill by five or ten.

The totals add up: a common combo of ChatGPT Plus, Cursor Plus and Midjourney is $38 a month, or $456 a year, before tax.

#Tips to stop wasting money on AI

1. Keep one general assistant and, at most, one specialized tool. For example: one chat assistant for daily tasks and one coding AI if you write code.
2. Start monthly. Annual plans only pay off once you know you'll use the tool all year.
3. Review usage once a month. If a tool sat idle for weeks, cancel it and subscribe again when you need it.
4. Step down after the crunch. Plans like Max, Pro 100 or Ultra are for intense phases, not forever.
5. Watch trial end dates. If a tool started with a free trial, note when it ends: trials usually renew into a paid plan on their own.
6. Cancel in the right place. The option usually lives under account or settings, then plan or subscription. If you subscribed through the App Store or Google Play, cancel in the store. Some shortcuts: ChatGPT, Claude and Google One.

#How Subfaro helps

Subfaro keeps all your subscriptions, AI or not, in one place. Pick the service and the plan and the price fills in; for subscriptions billed in another currency, it shows the real cost including the exchange rate and card fees.

You get alerts before each charge and before a free trial ends, plus an automatic heads-up when one of the roughly 30 services whose prices it checks every week changes its price. The Free plan covers up to 10 subscriptions with no time limit. If you want to see how much AI really weighs on your month, create your free account.