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HomeGuidesTreat free AI tiers as trials with a published cap
PricingChecked 2026-10-19

Treat free AI tiers as trials with a published cap

Free ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Runway, and Gamma are real — and capped. One-time credits and hidden meters are not 'unlimited GPT'. Score the cap before you build a workflow on $0.

OUR TAKE

Use a free tier to learn the product. Do not staff a workflow on it. Runway Free is 125 credits once. Gamma Free is one-time credits. ChatGPT Free rate-limits tools. Pay the one seat that hits the cap first.

Good fit

People comparing free paths before a first paid seat

Poor fit

Compliance work, production volume, or prompts that must not leave the machine

Compare Claude vs ChatGPTCompare ChatGPT vs Gemini

FAQ

Which popular AI tools still have a usable free path?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Cursor, Hugging Face Hub, Ollama, Runway, and Gamma all publish a $0 card. The caps differ: some are daily, some are one-time credits. Checked 2026-10-19 from each editorial snapshot.
Is Runway Free a monthly allowance?
No. The public card we copied is 125 credits once, not 125/month. Older '125 credits/month' blurbs are stale. Checked 2026-10-19 on runwayml.com/pricing.
Is Ollama actually free?
The software is MIT and $0. Hardware is the bill. That is the honest free path if you can run a 7–8B model. It is not a frontier hosted seat.
When is free the wrong answer?
BAAs / SOC workflows, high-volume production, or prompts that must not train a vendor model. Upgrade the one tool that hits the cap; do not buy five overlapping seats.

Listings

  • ChatGPT
  • Claude
  • Google Gemini
  • Runway
  • Gamma

Compare

  • Compare Claude vs ChatGPT
  • Compare ChatGPT vs Gemini

On this page

Related guides

  • Self-host with Ollama when control beats frontier quality
  • Pick ChatGPT for breadth, Claude for long writing, Gemini for Google
  • We copy public prices on a dated check — we do not invent a rank
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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

aitoolsnav.com

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

“Free” on an AI pricing page usually means a published cap, not an unlimited seat. Build a habit on $0 only after you can say what happens when the meter hits zero.

Checked 2026-10-19 on the vendor pages behind each listing, unless noted.

Caps we actually copied

ProductFree cardThe catch
ChatGPT$0 everyday chatTools are rate-limited. Plus is $20/month.
Claude$0 chat, files, ArtifactsNo Claude Code. Pro starts at $17/year billed.
Google Gemini$0Plus is $4.99/month (US) for more usage and storage.
Perplexity$0 Standard SearchPro is $17/year billed. Citations still need a click.
GitHub Copilot$0 existsPro is $10/month plus flex. Org SSO is not the free card.
CursorLimited Agent and ChatPlus is $8/month, Grok only.
Runway125 credits onceNot 125/month. Standard is $12/year billed.
GammaOne-time creditsPlus is $9/seat/year billed.
OllamaSoftware $0 (MIT)Hardware is the bill.

Older blurbs that still say “Runway 125 credits/month” or “Cursor Pro $20” are stale. We mark them instead of averaging.

How to score a free tier

  1. Cap clarity. Messages/day, credits, or “limited” with no number?
  2. Reset. Daily, monthly, or once?
  3. Export. Can you leave with the file when the cap hits?
  4. Training / retention. Read the current policy; we do not invent it here.
  5. Job fit. Chat, slides, video, and coding agents are different meters.

Compare the assistants: Claude vs ChatGPT.

Best for / not for

Best for: learning the product and writing one real prompt before you pay.

Not for: compliance workflows that need a BAA; production volume; prompts that must not leave the machine (use Ollama or do not use a hosted free tier).

Spend one seat, not five

Free tiers overlap. A common failure is stacking ChatGPT + Claude + Gemini + a slide tool + a video tool, then paying for all of them the week two caps hit.

Pay the bottleneck. If the work is writing, that is one assistant. If the work is a first-draft deck, that is Gamma or Plus AI — see slide first drafts. If the work is a clip, that is Runway, not a second chat seat.

Local is the only “free” that stays free after the hosted trial ends: self-host vs a paid seat.