The True Cost of AI Subscriptions in 2026: Are You Paying for Tools You Don't Need?

Updated February 2026 · 7 min read

AI subscriptions are the new streaming services. First you signed up for ChatGPT. Then Claude because it was "better at writing." Then Perplexity for research. Then Midjourney for images. Then Copilot for coding. Before you knew it, you're paying $80-200/month for AI tools — more than your streaming stack.

Sound familiar? Here's every major AI subscription ranked by price, with honest advice on which ones you actually need.

💸 The AI Subscription Stack (Worst Case)

ChatGPT Plus .......... $20/mo
Claude Pro ............. $20/mo
Perplexity Pro ......... $20/mo
Copilot Pro ............ $20/mo
Midjourney ............. $30/mo
Jasper AI .............. $49/mo
GitHub Copilot ......... $10/mo
Grammarly Premium ...... $12/mo
Notion AI .............. $10/mo
Total: $191/month ($2,292/year)

Every AI Subscription, Ranked by Price

ChatGPT Plus
Free tier: Yes (limited)
$20/mo
$240/yr
ChatGPT Pro
Free tier: No
$200/mo
$2,400/yr
Claude Pro
Free tier: Yes (limited)
$20/mo
$240/yr
Perplexity Pro
Free tier: Yes (5 Pro/day)
$20/mo
$200/yr
Gemini Advanced
Free tier: Yes (Gemini)
$20/mo
$240/yr
Copilot Pro
Free tier: Yes (limited)
$20/mo
$240/yr
Midjourney
Free tier: No
$10-60/mo
$96-576/yr
Jasper AI
Free tier: No
$49/mo
$468/yr
Grammarly Premium
Free tier: Yes (basic)
$12/mo
$144/yr
Notion AI
Free tier: No (add-on)
$10/mo
$120/yr
Otter.ai Pro
Free tier: Yes (300 min)
$16.99/mo
$120/yr
GitHub Copilot
Free tier: Yes (students)
$10/mo
$100/yr
Cursor Pro
Free tier: Yes (limited)
$20/mo
$240/yr
Replit Core
Free tier: Yes (basic)
$25/mo
$220/yr

The Overlap Problem

Here's the thing nobody talks about: most AI tools do the same thing. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot all answer questions, write content, analyze documents, and help with code. Paying for all four is like subscribing to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, AND Peacock to watch the same shows.

🔄 Overlapping Categories

General AI assistants (pick ONE):

Coding assistants (pick ONE):

Writing tools (you probably don't need a separate one):

The Smart AI Budget

For most people, here's what you actually need:

🎯 Recommended: $20-30/month

Savings vs. subscribing to everything: $160+/month ($1,920/year)

The Free Tier Strategy

Before paying for any AI tool, try this: use the free tiers of 2-3 services in rotation. ChatGPT's free tier hits your limit? Switch to Claude free. Claude limited? Use Gemini (which is very generous with free access). Most casual users never need to pay at all.

For research specifically, Perplexity gives 5 free Pro searches per day. That's enough for most people. Save your $20/month.

When to Cancel

Ask yourself these questions for each AI subscription:

  1. Did I use it every day this week? If not, the free tier is probably enough.
  2. Could another tool I already pay for do this? ChatGPT can write, code, research, and analyze — you might not need Jasper + Grammarly + Perplexity on top of it.
  3. Am I paying for convenience or capability? If the free tier does 90% of what you need, that last 10% costs you $240/year.
  4. Is this making me money? If you're a developer, Copilot at $10/month might save you hours. If you're using ChatGPT to write grocery lists, the free tier is fine.

How to Cancel Each AI Tool

Good news: AI companies are generally better about cancellation than gyms or cable companies. Most let you cancel directly from settings with no phone calls required. Here are direct links:

Read more: Are You Paying for Duplicate Subscriptions?

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