TL;DR
What's the cheapest alternative to ChatGPT?
Try a free plan first: ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot all have one. If you want to pay less than ChatGPT Go (US$8/month), Google AI Plus is US$4.99/month, and Poe is about US$4.17/month billed yearly. If you pay for ChatGPT Plus (US$20/month), every alternative below costs less on its cheapest plan, including Microsoft 365 Personal at US$9.99/month or US$99.99/year, which brings Copilot into Microsoft 365 apps. Prices are US$ before tax, price checked Oct 25, 2026.
What ChatGPT costs right now
ChatGPT has a free tier with limited access to the latest models and tools. Paid plans start with Go at US$8/month, then Plus at US$20/month and Pro from US$100/month, all before tax. Individual plans are billed monthly, with no yearly discount. Price checked Oct 25, 2026.
A year of Plus costs US$240, and a year of Go costs US$96. Torn between the two? See how ChatGPT Go and Plus compare before you pick. If you mostly use ChatGPT for emails, quick questions and the odd summary, test a free plan or a cheaper one for a week. If you already live in Gmail or Word, an assistant built into those apps might save you a tab as well as money.
Cheaper doesn't always mean the same. Alternatives can differ in features and quality, so try the free plan before you switch.
ChatGPT vs alternatives
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Cheaper than ChatGPT Go? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Go (what you pay now) | Yes | US$8/month | — | general AI assistant, writing |
| ChatGPT Plus | Yes | US$20/month | Higher tier | general AI assistant, writing |
| Poe | Yes (daily points) | US$4.17/month billed yearly (US$49.99/year; US$4.99 billed monthly) | Yes, US$3.83/month less | many AI models in one app, custom bots. Watch out: points are shared across models, and premium GPT and Claude models use them up faster. |
| Google Gemini | Yes | Google AI Plus: US$4.99/month | Yes, US$3.01/month less | general AI assistant, Google apps help |
| Grok | Yes | Plus (The X Subscription): US$8/month, or US$6.67/month on a yearly plan (US$80/year) | Yes, US$1.33/month less | general AI assistant, real-time X posts |
| Microsoft Copilot | Yes | Microsoft 365 Personal: US$9.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan (US$99.99/year) | No, but less than Plus (US$11.67/month less) | AI assistant in Word/Excel, everyday questions |
| Mistral Le Chat | Yes | Pro: US$14.99/month, or US$11.99/month on a yearly plan | No, but less than Plus (US$8.01/month less) | general AI assistant, coding help |
| Claude | Yes | Pro: US$20/month, or US$17/month on a yearly plan (US$200/year) | No, but less than Plus (US$3/month less) | long documents, writing |
| Perplexity | Yes | Pro: US$20/month, or US$17/month on a yearly plan (US$200/year) | No, but less than Plus (US$3/month less) | AI search, cited answers |
Paying for more than ChatGPT? Tick everything you pay for in the Nerdy Savings calculator, or browse every chatbots & ai assistants tool we've priced.
The alternatives
Poe
One app to chat with many AI models from different companies, plus custom bots.
Free plan: Yes: Free: a daily allowance of compute points that resets every 24 hours (help center).
Paid from: 10K points/day tier: US$4.99/month, or US$4.17/month on a yearly plan (US$49.99/year)
Discounts: Save 17% with yearly billing; add-on points $30 per 1M.
Cheaper or similar: Duck.ai, Microsoft Copilot
Checked Oct 26, 2026
Google Gemini
Google's AI assistant, built into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.
Free plan: Yes: Free Gemini app with basic model access.
Paid from: Google AI Plus: US$4.99/month
Discounts: Family sharing included. Google AI Pro billed yearly is US$199.99/year (about US$16.67/month) on Google One's official US plans page; the yearly price of Google AI Plus (US$4.99/month, 400 GB) is still not published. US college students: 12 months of Google AI Pro free (redeem by Dec 31, 2026; student verification and a payment method required; renews at US$19.99/month).
Cheaper or similar: Microsoft Copilot, DeepSeek
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Grok
xAI's AI assistant with live web and X search, plus image and video creation.
Free plan: Yes: Free tier at $0 under The X Subscription.
Paid from: Plus (The X Subscription): US$8/month, or US$6.67/month on a yearly plan (US$80/year)
Discounts: Intro offers on grok.com: 25% off for 6 months on Plus, 50% off the first month on higher tiers.
Cheaper or similar: ChatGPT, Google Gemini
Checked Oct 28, 2026
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant, free on its own and built into Microsoft 365 apps.
Free plan: Yes: Free Copilot app and web chat.
Paid from: Microsoft 365 Personal: US$9.99/month, or US$8.33/month on a yearly plan (US$99.99/year)
Discounts: Save up to 17% yearly; 1-month free trial; Workplace Discount Program; student offers. Business: Copilot add-on promo US$18 (was US$21) per user/month paid yearly, Jul 1-Dec 31, 2026, first year.
Cheaper or similar: Google Gemini
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Mistral Le Chat
Mistral's AI assistant for chat, search, documents, images and coding.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with limited access to the latest models, chat, search and coding tools.
Paid from: Pro: US$14.99/month, or US$11.99/month on a yearly plan
Discounts: Verified students: Pro for $5.99/month (normally $14.99).
Cheaper or similar: DeepSeek, Duck.ai
Some details on this one weren't confirmed on the official pricing page, so we left them blank.
Checked Oct 30, 2026
Claude
AI assistant known for careful writing, long documents and coding help.
Free plan: Yes: Free plan with limits that reset every 5 hours plus a weekly cap; up to 5 Projects; no Opus models or Claude Code.
Paid from: Pro: US$20/month, or US$17/month on a yearly plan (US$200/year)
Discounts: Annual billing saves about 15%.
Cheaper or similar: Google Gemini, ChatGPT · cheaper Claude alternatives
Checked Nov 1, 2026
Perplexity
AI search engine that answers questions with cited sources.
Free plan: Yes: Free tier with basic searches, 3 Pro Searches a day, 1 Research query a month and no Comet Assistant agent queries.
Paid from: Pro: US$20/month, or US$17/month on a yearly plan (US$200/year)
Discounts: Limited time: 4,000 bonus Computer credits with Pro (shown as +US$40) and 35,000 with Max, one-time, expiring about 30 days after they're granted; no end date stated. Education Pro $10/month for verified students and educators. Comet Plus launched at US$5/month (Aug 2025) and was included in Pro and Max; current availability unconfirmed.
Cheaper or similar: Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot
Checked Oct 31, 2026
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to ChatGPT?
Yes. Google Gemini has a free app with basic model access, and Microsoft Copilot has a free app and web chat. ChatGPT itself also has a free tier with limited access to the latest models and tools.
How much does ChatGPT cost in 2026?
ChatGPT Go is US$8/month, Plus is US$20/month and Pro starts at US$100/month, before tax. Individual plans are billed monthly with no yearly option (price checked Oct 25, 2026).
What's the cheapest paid alternative to ChatGPT Plus?
For a straight swap, Google AI Plus at US$4.99/month gives you one assistant on a set plan. Poe is the lowest yearly price at US$49.99/year (about US$4.17/month; US$4.99 billed monthly). It runs on a daily allowance of points (10,000 a day on that tier) across many AI models, so how much ChatGPT- or Claude-level use you get depends on the models you pick. Google's AI plans are for people 18 and over. Price checked Oct 25, 2026.
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Yes, the Copilot app and web chat are free. Microsoft 365 Personal, which adds Copilot to Microsoft 365 apps, is US$9.99/month or US$99.99/year, and Microsoft 365 Family is US$12.99/month or US$129.99/year. There's a 1-month free trial (price checked Oct 25, 2026).
Is Gemini cheaper than ChatGPT?
On paid plans, yes. Google AI Plus is US$4.99/month against US$8/month for ChatGPT Go, and Google AI Pro is US$19.99/month against US$20/month for ChatGPT Plus. Both have free plans. Price checked Oct 25, 2026.
Does ChatGPT have a yearly plan or discounts?
Not for individuals: Go, Plus and Business are billed monthly. Nonprofits can get up to 75% off ChatGPT Business and Enterprise, and ChatGPT for Teachers is free for US K-12 educators through June 2027 (price checked Oct 25, 2026).
Sources
- ChatGPT pricing — plans and discounts
- OpenAI: Introducing ChatGPT Go — Go at US$8/month
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Plus — Plus at US$20/month
- Google AI plans — AI Plus, AI Pro, 18+ rule
- Gemini subscriptions — AI Plus, AI Pro, 18+ rule
- Microsoft Copilot for individuals — free Copilot, Microsoft 365 Personal and Family prices, trial
- Poe pricing — checked Oct 26, 2026
- Grok pricing — checked Oct 28, 2026
- Mistral Le Chat pricing — checked Oct 30, 2026
- Claude pricing — checked Nov 1, 2026
- Perplexity pricing — checked Oct 31, 2026