AI Models Pricing Comparison

Compare pricing, features, and limits across popular AI services

Last updated: October 2025

What is AI and Why Compare Pricing?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can help you write, create images, analyze data, and much more. This guide compares the most popular AI services so you can choose the right one for your needs and budget.

💬 For Chatting & Writing

ChatGPT and Claude are great for conversations, writing emails, essays, and getting answers to questions.

🎨 For Creating Images

ChatGPT (DALL-E), Gemini, and Copilot can generate images from text descriptions.

🔍 For Research

Perplexity and Gemini excel at searching the web and providing cited information.

📊 For Developers

If you're building apps, check the "API" tab for programming-focused pricing.

AI Applications Pricing

Compare consumer-facing AI chatbots and assistants

Understanding Each AI Service

Service Free Plan Basic Plan Premium Plan Features
ChatGPT OpenAI
$0
  • GPT-4o mini
  • Limited GPT-4o access
  • Standard voice mode
  • File uploads
  • Image generation (limited)
$20/mo
ChatGPT Plus
  • GPT-4o, o3-mini, o1-preview
  • 80 messages/3 hours (GPT-4o)
  • Unlimited GPT-4o mini
  • Unlimited DALL-E 3
  • 25 Deep Research uses/month
  • Custom GPT creation
$200/mo
ChatGPT Pro
  • Unlimited o1, o1-mini, GPT-4o
  • o1 Pro mode (advanced)
  • 250 Deep Research uses/month
  • Priority access
  • Early feature access
  • Video generation preview
Text Generation Image Generation Voice Mode Code Interpreter Web Browsing File Analysis Video (Preview)
Claude Anthropic
$0
  • Claude Sonnet 4.5
  • Limited usage
  • Projects
  • Chat history
$20/mo
Claude Pro
($18/mo yearly)
  • 5x usage vs Free
  • ~45 messages/5 hours
  • Research access
  • Google Workspace integration
  • Extended thinking
  • Early feature access
$100-200/mo
Claude Max
  • $100/mo: 5x Pro usage
  • $200/mo: 20x Pro usage
  • All Pro features
  • Highest usage limits
  • Priority support
Text Generation Code Analysis Research Google Integration File Analysis Extended Thinking
Gemini Google
$0
  • Gemini Pro
  • Multimodal input
  • Basic features
$19.99/mo
AI Pro
  • Gemini 2.5 Pro
  • 1M token context
  • Deep Research
  • Veo 3 Fast (video - test)
  • 2TB storage
  • Gmail/Docs integration
$249.99/mo
AI Ultra
  • Highest Gemini 2.5 Pro access
  • Veo 3 video (1080p, 100/month)
  • Deep Think reasoning
  • 30TB storage
  • Project Mariner (US)
  • YouTube Premium included
Text Generation Image Generation Video Generation Deep Research Google Workspace Storage Agent Mode
Copilot Microsoft
$0
  • Basic Copilot
  • Standard features
  • Limited access
$20/mo
Copilot Pro
  • GPT-5 Pro access
  • Priority access
  • 100 boosts/day (images)
  • Office integration*
  • Early feature access
*Requires M365 subscription
$199/year
M365 Premium
  • 6 accounts (family)
  • Full Office apps
  • 1TB OneDrive each
  • Premium Copilot AI
  • Research & analysis
  • Workflow automation
Text Generation Image Generation Office Integration Research Data Analysis Storage
Perplexity Perplexity AI
$0
  • Unlimited Quick searches
  • 5 Pro searches/day
  • Standard AI model
  • Search history
$20/mo
Pro
($200/year)
  • 300+ Pro searches/day
  • GPT-5, Claude-3, Sonar
  • Unlimited file uploads
  • Image generation
  • $5 API credits/month
$200/mo
Max
($2,000/year)
  • Unlimited advanced models
  • GPT-5.1, Claude Opus 4
  • Unlimited Labs (dashboards)
  • Early feature access
  • Priority support
AI Search Multi-Model File Analysis Image Generation Labs Tools API Access
DeepSeek DeepSeek AI
$0 ✨
  • DeepSeek-V3 & R1 models
  • Unlimited usage
  • Chain-of-thought reasoning
  • No ads or paywalls
  • Web, iOS, Android access
-
No paid plans
  • Currently free only
-
No paid plans
  • Currently free only
Text Generation Code Generation Chain of Thought Math & Logic Research 100% Free
Grok xAI
$0
  • 2 prompts every 2 hours
  • Basic Grok model
  • X platform integration
  • Real-time search
$30-40/mo
SuperGrok / X Premium+
  • SuperGrok: $30/mo higher limits
  • X Premium+: $40/mo Grok 4
  • Deep search feature
  • Image editing
  • Real-time X access
$300/mo
SuperGrok Heavy
  • Grok 4 Heavy access
  • Increased usage limits
  • Frontier-level performance
  • All features included
  • Priority support
Text Generation Real-time Search X Integration Image Editing Deep Search Tool Use
Free Basic Premium
ChatGPT by OpenAI
$0
  • GPT-4o mini
  • Limited GPT-4o access
  • Standard voice mode
  • File uploads
  • Image generation (limited)
$20/mo
ChatGPT Plus
  • GPT-4o, o3-mini, o1-preview
  • 80 messages/3 hours (GPT-4o)
  • Unlimited GPT-4o mini
  • Unlimited DALL-E 3
  • 25 Deep Research uses/month
  • Custom GPT creation
$200/mo
ChatGPT Pro
  • Unlimited o1, o1-mini, GPT-4o
  • o1 Pro mode (advanced)
  • 250 Deep Research uses/month
  • Priority access
  • Early feature access
  • Video generation preview
Claude by Anthropic
$0
  • Claude Sonnet 4.5
  • Limited usage
  • Projects
  • Chat history
$20/mo
Claude Pro
($18/mo yearly)
  • 5x usage vs Free
  • ~45 messages/5 hours
  • Research access
  • Google Workspace integration
  • Extended thinking
  • Early feature access
$100-200/mo
Claude Max
  • $100/mo: 5x Pro usage
  • $200/mo: 20x Pro usage
  • All Pro features
  • Highest usage limits
  • Priority support
Gemini by Google
$0
  • Gemini Pro
  • Multimodal input
  • Basic features
$19.99/mo
AI Pro
  • Gemini 2.5 Pro
  • 1M token context
  • Deep Research
  • Veo 3 Fast (video - test)
  • 2TB storage
  • Gmail/Docs integration
$249.99/mo
AI Ultra
  • Highest Gemini 2.5 Pro access
  • Veo 3 video (1080p, 100/month)
  • Deep Think reasoning
  • 30TB storage
  • Project Mariner (US)
  • YouTube Premium included
Copilot by Microsoft
$0
  • Basic Copilot
  • Standard features
  • Limited access
$20/mo
Copilot Pro
  • GPT-5 Pro access
  • Priority access
  • 100 boosts/day (images)
  • Office integration*
  • Early feature access
*Requires M365 subscription
$199/year
M365 Premium
  • 6 accounts (family)
  • Full Office apps
  • 1TB OneDrive each
  • Premium Copilot AI
  • Research & analysis
  • Workflow automation
Perplexity by Perplexity AI
$0
  • Unlimited Quick searches
  • 5 Pro searches/day
  • Standard AI model
  • Search history
$20/mo
Pro
($200/year)
  • 300+ Pro searches/day
  • GPT-5, Claude-3, Sonar
  • Unlimited file uploads
  • Image generation
  • $5 API credits/month
$200/mo
Max
($2,000/year)
  • Unlimited advanced models
  • GPT-5.1, Claude Opus 4
  • Unlimited Labs (dashboards)
  • Early feature access
  • Priority support
DeepSeek by DeepSeek AI
$0 ✨
  • DeepSeek-V3 & R1 models
  • Unlimited usage
  • Chain-of-thought reasoning
  • No ads or paywalls
  • Web, iOS, Android access
-
No paid plans
  • Currently free only
-
No paid plans
  • Currently free only
Grok by xAI
$0
  • 2 prompts every 2 hours
  • Basic Grok model
  • X platform integration
  • Real-time search
$30-40/mo
SuperGrok / X Premium+
  • SuperGrok: $30/mo higher limits
  • X Premium+: $40/mo Grok 4
  • Deep search feature
  • Image editing
  • Real-time X access
$300/mo
SuperGrok Heavy
  • Grok 4 Heavy access
  • Increased usage limits
  • Frontier-level performance
  • All features included
  • Priority support

Business Plans

ChatGPT Team

$25-30/user/mo

Mirrors Plus features with secure workspace, admin features, and doubled usage quotas

Claude Team

$25-30/user/mo

Min 5 users. Enhanced collaboration, admin controls, higher usage limits

Gemini Business

$20/user/mo

1-year commitment. Workspace integration with Gemini AI features

Perplexity Enterprise Pro

$40/user/mo

Team spaces, custom knowledge hubs, admin tools, security features

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which AI should I choose as a beginner?
Start with the free versions of ChatGPT or Gemini to try them out. ChatGPT is easiest for general tasks, while Gemini is great if you use Google services. Most people find $20/month plans sufficient once they're ready to upgrade.
❓ Can I use AI for free forever?
Yes! All services offer free tiers. However, free plans have limitations like slower responses, fewer messages per day, or limited access to advanced features. Free versions are perfect for occasional use.
❓ What's the difference between GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini?
ChatGPT (GPT-5) is best for general tasks and image creation. Claude excels at analyzing long documents and careful reasoning. Gemini is best for Google integration and video generation. All can handle writing, coding, and conversations well.
❓ What does "usage limit" mean?
Usage limits control how many messages you can send in a time period. For example, ChatGPT Plus allows 80 messages every 3 hours with GPT-4o. Free plans have stricter limits. If you hit the limit, you wait or switch to a less powerful model.
❓ Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes! All services allow monthly cancellation. Your paid features remain active until the end of your billing period. There are no long-term commitments for individual plans.
❓ Are my conversations private?
Generally yes, but AI companies may use conversations to improve their models unless you opt out. ChatGPT and Claude offer settings to disable data training. Always avoid sharing sensitive personal information, passwords, or confidential data.
❓ Can AI replace Google Search?
Not completely. AI tools like Perplexity and Gemini can search the web and provide answers with sources, which is great for research. However, traditional search is still better for finding specific websites, shopping, or local business info.
❓ What's "Deep Research" or "Extended Thinking"?
These are advanced features where the AI spends more time analyzing your question before answering. Deep Research (ChatGPT, Gemini) browses multiple sources and creates detailed reports. Extended Thinking (Claude) takes longer to process complex problems for better answers.
❓ Can I use multiple AI services?
Absolutely! Many people use different AIs for different tasks. For example: ChatGPT for image generation, Claude for document analysis, and Perplexity for research. Start with free accounts to see which you prefer.
❓ What if I'm a student? Are there discounts?
Some services offer student discounts. Perplexity offers an Education Pro plan for $4.99/month with verification. Others don't have formal student discounts, but free tiers are usually sufficient for homework and research.

AI API Pricing (For Developers)

Compare token-based pricing for API access

🤔 Not a Developer? You Probably Want the "Applications" Tab

This section is for programmers who want to build AI into their own apps or websites. If you just want to chat with AI, write content, or generate images, click the "Applications" tab above instead.

For Developers: What is API Pricing?

API (Application Programming Interface) pricing is pay-as-you-go. You're charged based on:

  • Tokens: Pieces of words (~750 words = 1,000 tokens)
  • Input tokens: What you send to the AI
  • Output tokens: What the AI sends back (costs more)

Example: If you send a 500-word prompt and get a 500-word response, that's about 1,300 tokens total. With GPT-5, that would cost: (667 input × $1.25) + (667 output × $10) = $0.0075 (less than 1 cent).

Provider Model Input Tokens Output Tokens Context Window Best For
OpenAI
OpenAI GPT-5 pro $15.00/1M $120.00/1M 272K Smartest, most precise
GPT-5 $1.250/1M
Cached: $0.125/1M
$10.000/1M 272K Best for coding & agentic tasks
GPT-5 mini $0.250/1M
Cached: $0.025/1M
$2.000/1M 272K Faster, cheaper for well-defined tasks
GPT-5 nano $0.050/1M
Cached: $0.005/1M
$0.400/1M 272K Fastest, cheapest for simple tasks
Anthropic
Anthropic Claude Opus 4.1 $15.00/1M $75.00/1M 200K Most capable, complex tasks
Claude Sonnet 4.5 $3.00/1M $15.00/1M 200K (1M beta) Balanced performance & cost
Claude Haiku 3.5 $0.80/1M $4.00/1M 200K Fast, cost-effective
Claude Haiku 3 $0.25/1M $1.25/1M 200K Fastest, cheapest
Batch API: 50% discount Prompt Caching: Up to 90% savings $5 free credits for new users
Google
Google Gemini 2.5 Pro $1.25/1M (<200K)
$2.50/1M (>200K)
$10.00/1M (<200K)
$15.00/1M (>200K)
2M Most expensive, best quality
Gemini 2.5 Flash $0.30/1M (text/image/video)
$1.00/1M (audio)
$2.50/1M 1M Best price/performance
Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite $0.10/1M (text/image/video)
$0.30/1M (audio)
$0.40/1M 1M Fast, affordable
Mistral AI
Mistral AI Mistral Medium 3 $0.40/1M $2.00/1M 128K Mid-tier, general purpose
Devstral Medium $0.40/1M $2.00/1M 128K Development focused
Codestral 2501 $0.30/1M $0.90/1M 32K Code generation
Pixtral 12b $0.10/1M $0.10/1M 128K Budget-friendly
xAI
xAI Grok 4 $3.00/1M
Cached: $0.75/1M
$15.00/1M 128K Premium reasoning
Grok 4 Fast $0.20/1M (<128K)
$0.40/1M (>128K)
Cached: $0.05/1M
$0.50/1M (<128K)
$1.00/1M (>128K)
128K Fast inference
Grok Code Fast 1 $0.20/1M $1.50/1M 128K Code tasks

💰 Real-World Cost Examples: Essay Translation

See exactly how much it costs to translate documents with each model

Scenario: You want to translate a 2,500-word essay (about 10 pages) from English to Spanish.

Token count: ~3,333 input tokens (English text) + ~3,333 output tokens (Spanish translation) = 6,666 total tokens

OpenAI GPT-5
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.004
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.033
Total Cost: $0.037
✅ Best for: Coding & agentic tasks
100 essays: $3.70
OpenAI GPT-5 nano
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.0002
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.001
Total Cost: $0.0012
⚡ Fastest & cheapest OpenAI model
100 essays: $0.12
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.010
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.050
Total Cost: $0.06
✅ Best for: Quality + affordability balance
100 essays: $6.00
🏆 BEST VALUE
Claude Haiku 3.5
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.003
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.013
Total Cost: $0.016
✅ Best for: High-volume translations on a budget
100 essays: $1.60
Claude Haiku 3
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.001
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.004
Total Cost: $0.005
💰 Cheapest option
100 essays: $0.50
Gemini 2.5 Pro
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.004
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.033
Total Cost: $0.037
✅ Best for: Long document context (2M tokens)
100 essays: $3.70
Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.0003
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.001
Total Cost: $0.0013
⚡ Fastest and very affordable
100 essays: $0.13
Mistral Medium 3
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.001
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.007
Total Cost: $0.008
✅ Excellent value for money
100 essays: $0.80
Grok 4
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.010
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.050
Total Cost: $0.06
✅ Premium reasoning capabilities
100 essays: $6.00
Grok 4 Fast
Input (3,333 tokens): $0.001
Output (3,333 tokens): $0.002
Total Cost: $0.003
⚡ Ultra-fast inference
100 essays: $0.30

📊 Quick Comparison (10-page essay translation)

Price Range Models Best For
$0.001 - $0.02 GPT-5 nano, Grok 4 Fast, Gemini Flash-Lite, Mistral, Claude Haiku 3 High-volume, cost-sensitive projects
$0.04 - $0.13 Claude Sonnet, Gemini Pro, GPT-5, Grok 4 Balanced quality and cost
$0.30+ GPT-5 pro, Claude Opus Maximum quality, complex translations
💡 Pro Tip: For bulk translations, start with a cheaper model like GPT-5 nano, Claude Haiku or Gemini Flash-Lite. If quality isn't perfect, upgrade to GPT-5, Claude Sonnet or Gemini Pro. You can save 80-95% on costs!

Understanding API Pricing

What are tokens?

Tokens are pieces of words. Roughly: 1,000 tokens ≈ 750 words or about 4 characters per token.

Input vs Output

Input tokens are your prompts. Output tokens are the model's responses. Output tokens typically cost 3-5x more than input tokens.

Context Window

The maximum number of tokens (input + output) the model can process in a single request. Larger windows allow for longer conversations or documents.

Caching

Some providers offer caching for repeated prompts at a reduced cost. Anthropic and xAI offer significant discounts for cached inputs.

Cost-Saving Features

Anthropic Batch API

50% discount on both input and output tokens for asynchronous processing

Prompt Caching

Cache frequently used prompts for up to 90% savings (Anthropic, xAI)

OpenAI Cached Inputs

50% reduction on previously processed tokens

Free Credits

Most providers offer $5-10 in free credits for new accounts