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HomeGuidesPick ChatGPT for breadth, Claude for long writing, Gemini for Google
AssistantsChecked 2026-10-19

Pick ChatGPT for breadth, Claude for long writing, Gemini for Google

One general assistant, one long-context writer, one Google-account seat. The public cards are $20, $17 yearly / $20 monthly, and $4.99 — not a three-way tie.

OUR TAKE

Use ChatGPT when you want one assistant that also does images and light code. Use Claude when the job is long writing, analysis, or Claude Code on the same seat. Use Gemini when the context already lives in a Google account. Skip the 'best model' frame.

Good fit

People paying for a first general-assistant seat

Poor fit

Developers who need a repo editor — that is Cursor or Copilot, not chat

Compare Claude vs ChatGPTCompare ChatGPT vs Gemini

FAQ

Which assistant is cheapest in 2026?
Google AI Plus is $4.99/month (US) on the public Gemini cards. ChatGPT Plus is $20/month, monthly only. Claude Pro is $17/month billed yearly or $20 monthly. Cheap is not the same as the right job. Checked 2026-10-19.
Does Claude Pro include Claude Code?
Yes on the paid Pro card. Free Claude chat does not include Claude Code. Usage is shared across chat and the coding agent. Checked 2026-10-22.
Is ChatGPT Plus available yearly?
The Help Center article we copied (What is ChatGPT Plus?) lists Plus at $20/month, billed monthly. Individual paid plans on that article are monthly only. Re-check checkout.
When should I pay for Perplexity instead?
When the job is cited web answers you will open, not a general writer. Perplexity Pro is $17/month billed yearly. Citations still need a click.

Listings

  • ChatGPT
  • Claude
  • Google Gemini
  • Perplexity
  • Grok

Compare

  • Compare Claude vs ChatGPT
  • Compare ChatGPT vs Gemini

On this page

Related guides

  • Pay Claude Pro yearly unless you already know you need Max
  • Treat free AI tiers as trials with a published cap
  • Choose an AI coding agent by the job, not the demo
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A buyer-side shortlist of AI tools: verdict first, real prices by tier, dated sources.

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Prices are copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown and can change; confirm at checkout. Sponsored placements are labeled and never change a verdict. aitoolsnav is not affiliated with the tools listed. © 2026 aitoolsnav.com

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DISCOVER

Browse tasksSearch toolsWrite code & agentsResearch & chatWritingMarketingImagesVideoVoice & audioWork faster

COMPARE

All comparisonsCursor vs Claude CodeClaude vs ChatGPTCopilot vs Cursor

GUIDES

All guidesEditor picksHow we check prices

ABOUT

CorrectionsChangelogContactList your toolSponsored slotSign InNewsletter

Prices are copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown and can change; confirm at checkout. Sponsored placements are labeled and never change a verdict. aitoolsnav is not affiliated with the tools listed. © 2026 aitoolsnav.com

These three are hosted assistants, not coding editors. If the job is a repo diff, leave this page and read how to choose an AI coding agent.

Checked 2026-10-19 on the public cards and Help articles we copied.

Verdict by job

JobPickWhy
One assistant that also does images, voice, and light codeChatGPTPlus is $20/month, monthly only (What is ChatGPT Plus?).
Long writing, analysis, Artifacts, Claude Code on the same seatClaudePro is $17/month billed yearly ($200 up front) or $20/month.
Chat plus Google-account / Workspace contextGoogle GeminiGoogle AI Plus is $4.99/month (US).
Cited web answers you will openPerplexityPro is $17/month billed yearly. Citations still need a click.
Same $8 / $30 ladder as Cursor, different surfaceGrokPlus $8/month on The X Subscription docs. grok.com/pricing was 404 on this check.

Open Claude vs ChatGPT and ChatGPT vs Gemini.

What the public cards actually say

ChatGPT. Free exists; tools are rate-limited. Plus $20/month. Pro tiers on Help: $100 / $200 / $500 per month, no annual billing on that article. chatgpt.com/pricing HTML hid dollars on our fetch (403). We copy Help, not a guessed annual.

Claude. Free chat exists; no Claude Code on Free. Pro adds usage, Claude Code, Projects, more models. Max starts at $100/month (5× or 20× Pro usage per 5-hour session). Checked 2026-10-22 on anthropic.com/pricing.

Gemini. Free exists. Public consumer cards we copied: Google AI Plus $4.99, Pro $19.99, Ultra 5x $99.99, Ultra 20x $199.99 (US). The old “Google One AI Premium $19.99” name is stale.

Perplexity. Free Standard Search. Pro $17/month billed yearly. Max $167/month billed yearly. A cited answer is not a guarantee — you still open the source.

Best for / not for

Best for: a first general-assistant seat, paid with a named job (write, Google context, or everyday Q&A).

Not for: a repo-aware editor (Cursor or Copilot); a local runtime (Ollama).

How to decide in 15 minutes

  1. Write one real prompt from your week in all three free tiers.
  2. If the work is a long doc or a codebase explanation, keep the Claude tab.
  3. If the work needs Drive / Gmail context, keep Gemini.
  4. If you want one tab for chat + images + light code, keep ChatGPT.
  5. Pay one seat. Add Perplexity only if citations are the product.

Yearly vs monthly for Claude is a separate decision: Claude Pro yearly vs monthly vs Max.