ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Google AI Pro are the roughly $20 a month plans from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. All three cost about the same per month, but they include different models, different usage rules, and very different extras. This guide compares them as of October 2026, using only figures that OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google state on their own pricing pages and help center articles.
If you are choosing between the underlying models instead of the apps, see our Gemini 4 Argon vs GPT-6 Astra vs Claude Opus 5.5 comparison. If you plan to build on the APIs, see our LLM API pricing guide. Subscriptions do not include API usage, and API usage does not include a subscription.
Price per month and per year
ChatGPT Plus
- Monthly: $20 per month, billed monthly, per OpenAI's What is ChatGPT Plus? help article.
- Annual: not available. The same article says: "we do not support annual billing or the option to pay for multiple months in advance for ChatGPT Plus subscriptions."
- API: "API usage is separate and billed independently."
Claude Pro
- Monthly: $20 if billed monthly, per Anthropic's pricing page.
- Annual: $17 per month "with annual subscription discount ($200 billed up front)."
- Tax: Anthropic says "Prices shown don't include applicable tax."
Google AI Pro
- Monthly: $19.99 per month on Google's Gemini subscriptions page (United States view). The Google One plans page lists the same plan as "Google AI Pro (5 TB) $19.99/mo."
- Annual: the Google One plans page has a Monthly and Annual toggle labeled "Save up to 16%," but we could not see a stated annual price for AI Pro on the pages we checked, so we do not list one.
- Availability: Google says AI Pro "is available in more than 150 countries and territories."
Regional and platform notes
- OpenAI lists ChatGPT Pro prices in USD in its Pro tiers article. The Plus article does not give prices in other currencies.
- Anthropic's Max plan article says its listed prices "are for web subscriptions only. Mobile pricing may vary depending on your app platform." The article also says Anthropic does not "offer standard discounted pricing for individual plans (Pro and Max)."
- Google's prices above are for the United States. Its plan pages link to country lists for each plan.
Models included
ChatGPT Plus
OpenAI's ChatGPT pricing page marks these models as included on Plus:
- GPT-6.1 Sol
- GPT-6 Astra
- GPT-6 Sol
- GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.6 Terra
The page does not list GPT-5.6 Sol Pro for Plus. The GPT-6 Astra announcement says Astra would become available to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users and that "Astra usage is included within the existing subscription allowances." The Plus help article adds that model availability "changes during rollouts" and points users to the model picker.
Claude Pro
Anthropic's plan comparison on its pricing page shows:
- Opus: included on Pro (not on Free).
- Sonnet and Haiku: included on Free and Pro.
- Fable: listed as "Usage credits" for Pro, and as "50% of weekly limits" for Max 5x and Max 20x. Anthropic's FAQ says usage credits let paid users "keep working at standard API rates."
The API section of the same pricing page lists the current model versions as Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, and Haiku 5.5.
Google AI Pro
Google's subscriptions page lists for AI Pro in the Gemini app:
- Access to Gemini 4 Argon
- Access to "our Pro model"
- Access to "our Flash model"
The free Gemini app gets "Access to our Flash-Lite model." A banner on the same page says: "Looking for Gemini 4 Argon? Select AI Pro or AI Ultra below to get access starting today." The FAQ names 3.1 Pro as one of the "most capable models" that AI Pro gets more access to.
Usage limits, as each vendor states them
None of the three vendors publishes a fixed message count for these plans. Each describes limits in its own terms.
ChatGPT Plus
- The pricing page lists "Expanded messages and uploads" for Plus.
- The Plus help article says Plus "may include usage limits such as message caps, especially during high demand. These limits may vary based on system conditions."
- Context window on Plus, from the pricing page: 54K for GPT Instant and 256K for GPT Reasoning. Free gets 27K for GPT Instant.
Claude Pro
- Anthropic's pricing FAQ says: "Every plan has usage limits that reset on a rolling five-hour session window, and paid plans add weekly limits on top."
- "Pro gives you at least 5x more usage per 5-hour session than Free."
- Usage is shared: "Your activity across Claude on web, desktop, mobile, and Claude Code all draws from the same pool."
- Context window: "Up to 1M varies by model" on every plan, including Free.
- When you reach a limit, you can "wait for it to reset, move to a higher plan, or, on paid plans, turn on usage credits."
Google AI Pro
- The subscriptions page says AI Pro gets "4x higher usage limits than Free."
- Google's Gemini app limits page says: "Your limit refreshes every 5 hours until you reach your weekly limit."
- The subscriptions page adds: "You can extend your limits by purchasing AI credits."
- Context window in the Gemini app, from the limits page: 1 million tokens for AI Pro and AI Ultra, 128k for AI Plus, and 32k without a plan.
Extra features
ChatGPT Plus
From the ChatGPT pricing page, Plus includes:
- Deep research: "Expanded deep research," plus apps for deep research.
- Image generation: included, plus "Image generation with Thinking," which Free and Go do not get.
- Coding: Codex ("Expanded Codex usage") and code edits on macOS.
- Agents and work tools: ChatGPT Work on desktop, web, and mobile; scheduled tasks; Sites; a built-in browser; Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Google Sheets extensions.
- Other: projects, custom GPTs, memory with past chats ("Expanded"), voice with video, data analysis, and developer mode (beta).
- Not on Plus: Dots (OpenAI's always-on agent) and ChatGPT Space, which the page lists for Pro only.
The pricing page does not list video generation for Plus.
Claude Pro
From Anthropic's pricing page, Pro adds to Free:
- Research: "Research" is listed for Pro and not for Free.
- Coding: Claude Code. Anthropic's FAQ says "Claude Code is included in all paid plans" and "shares the same usage limits as the rest of your plan."
- Agents and work tools: "Hand off and schedule tasks," Claude in Chrome, Claude for Microsoft 365 and Outlook, Claude Dashboards (beta), and Claude Science.
- Other: projects (Free allows "Up to 5"), plus features also on Free: Claude Design, Slides, Docs, Artifacts, web search, memory, connectors, skills, voice mode, and creating and editing files with code execution.
The plan comparison does not list image or video generation for any Claude plan.
Google AI Pro
From Google's subscriptions page, AI Pro includes:
- Deep research: Deep Research is listed in the free Gemini app as well. The FAQ says AI Pro gets "more access" to "powerful features, like Deep Research."
- Video generation: the plan card lists "video generation." The FAQ mentions "a limited trial of Veo 3.1 Lite."
- Creative tools: "1,000 Google Flow Credits" for Google Flow, with access to Gemini Omni Flash.
- Coding and agents: "Higher limits" for Jules (Google's asynchronous coding agent), "Entry rate limits" for the agent model in Google Antigravity, and Chrome auto browse.
- Google apps: Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more; Gemini Notebook with "5x more Audio Overviews, notebooks, and more."
- Storage and bundles: 5 TB of cloud storage across Gmail, Drive, and Photos; Google Home Premium (Standard plan); YouTube Premium Lite. Google's AI plans page adds "Family sharing with up to five others" and "$10 in monthly Google Cloud credits from Google Developer Program."
What the free tiers give
ChatGPT Free
The ChatGPT pricing page lists "Unlimited text chats with GPT-6" (with an asterisk: "Usage must be reasonable"), plus limited uploads, image creation, voice chats, deep research, memory, Codex access, and ChatGPT Work on desktop. Free does not get GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, or scheduled tasks. OpenAI also sells a Go plan between Free and Plus, which the page says "may include ads."
Claude Free
Anthropic lists chat on web, desktop, and mobile; web search; creating and editing files with code execution; memory; connectors; Artifacts; and Claude Design, Slides, and Docs. Free includes Sonnet and Haiku, but not Opus, Claude Code, or Research. Projects are limited to five.
Gemini (no plan)
Google lists access to the Flash-Lite model, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems, Google Flow (including limited access to Nano Banana Pro), Gemini Notebook, and 15 GB of storage. The Gemini app limits page gives a 32k context window without a plan.
Higher tiers in brief
ChatGPT Pro
OpenAI's Pro tiers article lists three monthly plans: Pro 100 at $100, Pro 200 at $200, and Pro 500 at $500. "Pro 200 includes more usage than Pro 100. Pro 500 offers the highest included usage of the three plans." Ultrafast is included only on Pro 500. Pro is billed monthly only. The pricing page lists "Pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 Astra," Dots, and "Unlimited and faster image creation" for Pro.
One timing note: existing Pro 200 subscribers who were active at any point from September 22, 2026 through 10 a.m. Pacific Time on September 29, 2026 keep the previous allowance through October 29, 2026, per the same article.
Claude Max
Anthropic's Max plan article lists Max 5x at $100 per month and Max 20x at $200 per month, billed monthly only. Max 5x includes "five times the Pro plan's per-session usage allowance," and Max 20x includes "20 times." Max also has a weekly usage limit across all models. It adds "Higher output limits for all tasks," priority access at high traffic times, and monthly API credits: $100 on Max 5x and $200 on Max 20x, per Anthropic's API credits article.
Google AI Ultra
Google's subscriptions page lists AI Ultra "Starting at: $99.99 / month," with "$99.99 / month: 5x higher usage limits vs. AI Pro" and "$199.99 / month: 20x higher usage limits vs. AI Pro." Ultra adds 10,000 or 25,000 Flow credits, Project Genie, the YouTube Premium individual plan, and cloud storage "starting at 20 TB."
Who should pick which
These recommendations are based on the features each vendor lists, not on our own testing.
Pick ChatGPT Plus if you want
- A broad set of built-in tools in one app: image generation with Thinking, deep research, Codex, ChatGPT Work, Sites, scheduled tasks, and Office and Google Sheets extensions.
- Access to GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol in chat.
- Month-to-month billing, since Plus has no annual plan.
Pick Claude Pro if you want
- Claude Code and chat under one subscription with one shared usage pool.
- Access to Opus in the apps, which the free plan does not include.
- An annual option. Anthropic lists Pro at $17 per month with the annual discount ($200 billed up front). OpenAI says Plus has no annual billing.
- A clear upgrade path to Max at $100 or $200 per month if you hit limits.
Pick Google AI Pro if you want
- Gemini 4 Argon plus a 1 million token context window in the Gemini app.
- Video generation and Google Flow credits.
- Gemini inside Gmail, Docs, and other Google apps.
- Bundled extras: 5 TB of storage, family sharing with up to five others, YouTube Premium Lite, and Google Home Premium.
When to skip all three
If you mainly need an API for an app or script, a subscription will not help: OpenAI says API usage on Plus is "billed independently," and our API pricing guide covers per-token costs instead. If you only chat a few times a week, start with each free tier first.
Summary
- ChatGPT Plus: $20 per month, monthly only. Includes GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol, image generation, deep research, and Codex. Limits are described as message caps that "may vary."
- Claude Pro: $20 monthly or $17 per month billed annually ($200 up front). Includes Opus, Claude Code, and Research. Limits reset on a five-hour window with weekly limits on top.
- Google AI Pro: $19.99 per month in the US. Includes Gemini 4 Argon, video generation, 5 TB of storage, and Gemini in Google apps. Limits refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly limit.
Prices and plan contents change often. Check each vendor's page before you subscribe.
Sources
- OpenAI: ChatGPT pricing
- OpenAI Help Center: What is ChatGPT Plus?
- OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers
- OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra announcement
- Anthropic: Plans and pricing
- Claude Help Center: What is the Max plan?
- Claude Help Center: Monthly API credits for Max and Team plans
- Google: Gemini subscriptions
- Google One: Plans
- Google One: Google AI plans
- Google: Gemini app limits and upgrades
- llms.blog: Gemini 4 Argon vs GPT-6 Astra vs Claude Opus 5.5
- llms.blog: LLM API Pricing Compared (October 2026)
