AI prices moved more in the last six weeks than in the six months before. New models, new tiers, one plan closed to new sign-ups, and a brand-new agent from Meta. If you're about to put a subscription on your card, here's the map as it stands and how I'd pick.
Everything below was checked on 27 Sep 2026. Prices are US monthly, before tax. Where a company's pricing page blocked us from checking directly, the table says "reported" and you should confirm on their site before you pay.
OpenAI's DevDay is Tuesday, September 29. A new always-on assistant and a higher-priced plan have leaked ahead of it. If you're choosing a ChatGPT plan, give it two days, and don't lock into an annual plan anywhere this week.
What changed this fall
- ChatGPT got new models. GPT-6 Astra launched September 3, and the cheaper GPT-6 Sol and Luna followed September 22. Free and Go get Luna.
- The $200 ChatGPT Pro plan stopped taking new sign-ups on September 10 because of demand, Fortune reported. The $100 Pro plan is still open.
- Claude launched Opus 5.5 on September 22 and raised usage limits on paid plans the same day. On September 16 it also added Docs, Slides and Design to paid plans.
- xAI added Grok Bot to every SuperGrok plan on August 26. It used to be only on the most expensive tier.
- Meta launched Muse, a personal agent with a free tier. I have a full Muse setup guide.
- Google is giving US college students a free year of AI Pro if they claim it by December 31, Google announced in August. It renews at $19.99 after the year, so set a reminder.
The $0 to $20 plans
This is where almost everyone should be choosing. One good $20 plan covers most people's work.
| Plan | Price | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | $0 | Unlimited text chats on GPT-6 Luna | Ads in the US; images, files and voice are capped |
| ChatGPT Go | $8 | More messages, uploads and images than Free | Still has ads |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 | GPT-6 Sol and Luna, plus Codex and ChatGPT Work | The strongest model (Astra) only runs in Work and Codex on this plan |
| Claude Free | $0 | Web search, files, memory, connectors | No Opus, no Docs, Slides or DesignSource: claude.com/pricing |
| Claude Pro | $20$17 billed yearly | Opus, Claude Code, Docs, Slides and Design | The top model, Fable, costs extra usage credits |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | 2x Free usage, 400 GB storage | No Spark agentSource: gemini.google |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | Gemini Spark agent, 5 TB storage, YouTube Premium Lite | Limits reset every 5 hours, plus a weekly cap |
| Meta Muse Free | $0 | Personal agent that can act across your apps | US only, 18+, card on file required |
| Meta Muse Power | $20 | More weekly usage than Free | Only worth it if you hit the free limit |
| Perplexity Pro | $20reported | Unlimited Pro searches, daily Deep Research | Overlaps with research in the $20 chat plans |
SuperGrok is reported at $30 a month and now includes Grok Bot. xAI's pricing page blocks automated checks, so confirm the price at grok.com.
The $100 plans
Every major company now has a plan right around $100. These are for people who hit the limits of a $20 plan every week. If you haven't hit a limit yet, you don't need one.
| Plan | Price | What you get over the $20 plan |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Pro | $100 | 5x Plus usage, GPT-6 Pro in chatSource: TechCrunch |
| Claude Max 5x | $100 | 5x Pro usage, priority access, Fable included (capped at half your weekly limit) |
| Google AI Ultra 5x | $99.99 | 5x Pro usage, Deep Think, 20 TB+ storage, YouTube Premium |
| Meta Muse Maximum | $100 | The most weekly usage Muse offers |
| SuperGrok Plus | $100reported | Priority access and more Grok Bot usage |
How I'd pick for you
You're just starting. Use the free tiers of two tools for a month before paying for anything. If you're a US college student, claim Google's free year of AI Pro and set a reminder before it renews.
You write, research or run a small business. Pick one $20 plan, Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus, and use it every day for a month. Run the same real task in both free tiers first, the way I lay out in how to choose which AI tool to pay for.
You want to build a website or an app. Both $20 plans now include a coding agent: Codex on ChatGPT Plus and Claude Code on Claude Pro. My Codex setup guide walks through the first project.
Your business runs on Gmail and Google Docs. Google AI Pro makes sense, because the Spark agent works inside Docs, Sheets and Drive and the 5 TB of storage may replace something you already pay for.
You want an agent to handle errands. Start with Muse Free and only pay if you hit the limit on a job that saves you real money. Before you choose, read personal AI agents compared.
You keep hitting limits. That's the only good reason to move to a $100 plan. I'm on Claude's highest Max plan for exactly that reason, and I explain what else I pay for in which AI tools are worth paying for.
Before you pay, score it
This is the same five-question scorecard I use, with one line added for this fall: check whether a bigger launch is days away.
Plan: [ ] Price: [ ]/mo Deciding on: [today's date]
[ ] It finishes work I do most weeks, not once in a while
[ ] The free tier does NOT already cover how I'd use it
[ ] A plan I already pay for does NOT do 80% of this job
[ ] It replaces a real cost (hours, a hire, another tool)
[ ] I'd feel the loss within a week if it disappeared
Score: __ / 5 4-5: pay monthly. 3: free tier for 30 more days. 0-2: skip.
Any big launch from this company in the next 2 weeks? [ ] If yes, wait.
Cancel reminder set for: [pay date + 30 days]Prices change fast right now. I'll update this page after DevDay, and if you notice a price that's changed, email me at hello@withriya.com.