Claude vs ChatGPT vs Gemini
Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini side by side: plans and prices, top models, coding agents and how each connects to your other apps.
All three have a free plan and a plan near $20 a month (US prices, as of November 2026): Claude Pro at $20, ChatGPT Plus at $20 and Google AI Pro at $19.99. Entry paid plans start at $4.99 for Google AI Plus and $8 for ChatGPT Go. Paid plans come with a coding agent: Claude Code on Pro and up, Codex (limited on ChatGPT Free and Go) and Google Antigravity on AI Pro and Ultra.
Our advice: pick Claude if you want a coding agent and your own app connections, which every Claude plan can add. Pick ChatGPT if you want the most price points, from $8 to $500 a month. Pick Gemini if you live in Gmail and Docs and want cloud storage bundled in. For a two-way view, see Claude vs ChatGPT; for the coding agents, see Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex.
Good for
- Anyone choosing which AI assistant to pay for
- Developers who want a coding agent with their plan
- People who live in Gmail, Docs and Drive
- People who want the assistant to work inside tools like Notion or GitHub
Side by side
Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini all cost about $20 at the middle tier, and ChatGPT has the most price points. Our advice: pick Gemini if you also need storage, and Claude if you plan to connect it to your work tools.
| Option | Claude | ChatGPT | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, $20/mo | Go, $8/mo (US price) | AI Plus, $4.99/mo |
| Plan near $20 | Pro, $20/mo | Plus, $20/mo | AI Pro, $19.99/mo |
| Top personal plan | Ultra, $200/mo | Pro, $500/mo | AI Ultra, $199.99/mo |
| Models named on the $20 plan | Opus, Sonnet, Haiku; Fable with usage credits | GPT-6 (Medium, High), GPT-5.6 Sol | Gemini 4 Argon, Pro and Flash models |
| Coding agent | Claude Code (Pro and up) | Codex (limited on Free and Go) | Antigravity (AI Pro and up) |
| Add your own MCP app | All plans (one on Free) | Yes, as plugins | US only, 18+, personal account |
Which to pick
Our advice: pay for the $20 plan of the assistant you already reach for most, and run the same real task on each free plan before you commit.
Limits change often, so check each plan page before you pay for a year.
Best for
- Claude: developers using Claude Code and teams connecting tools like Notion or GitHub
- ChatGPT: people who want a cheap entry plan ($8 Go) or very high limits at $500
- Gemini: Gmail, Docs and Drive users who also need storage
Skip it if
- Claude: you need a paid plan under $20, since Pro is the cheapest paid plan
- Gemini: you want custom app connections outside the US or on a work account (Google limits them to US adults on personal accounts)
- ChatGPT: you want GPT-6 Extra High or Pro thinking on Plus (those are in Pro, Business and Enterprise)
Questions
Which is better: Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini?
None wins at everything, and no vendor publishes a head-to-head test. Our advice: run the same real task on each free plan before you pay, then keep the one you reach for most. For a two-way view, see Claude vs ChatGPT.
How much do Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini cost?
All three have a free plan (US prices, as of November 2026). Claude Pro is $20 a month ($17 billed yearly), Max $100 and Ultra $200. ChatGPT Go is $8, Plus $20, and Pro $100, $200 or $500. Google AI Plus is $4.99, AI Pro $19.99 and AI Ultra $99.99 or $199.99.
Which one is best for coding?
Each comes with a coding agent. Claude Code needs Claude Pro or higher. Codex starts on ChatGPT Plus, with a limited version on Free and Go. Google Antigravity is listed with AI Pro (entry rate limits) and AI Ultra (higher limits). Compare Claude Code and Codex, or add Cursor with Cursor vs Claude Code vs Codex.
Can they connect to my other apps?
Yes, all three can add apps through MCP, the shared standard for connecting AI to tools (see MCP tools explained). Claude lets every plan add custom connectors (one on Free). ChatGPT adds them as plugins. Gemini allows custom apps only in the US, for adults signed in with a personal Google Account.
Which has the biggest context window?
Claude's pricing page says up to 1 million tokens, depending on the model, and Google lists a 1M token context window for AI Pro. OpenAI's pricing page lists ChatGPT Plus at 54K for Instant and 256K for reasoning (OpenAI gives no unit).
Which one gives you the best free plan?
Each free plan has a different strength. Claude Free includes Sonnet and Haiku, memory and one custom connector. Gemini Free has the Flash-Lite model, Deep Research and 15 GB of storage. ChatGPT Free includes a limited Codex in the desktop app.
Does Gemini come with Google storage?
Yes. AI Plus includes 400 GB, AI Pro 5 TB and AI Ultra from 20 TB, shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
Does Gemini ask before it changes things in my apps?
Yes. Gemini asks you to confirm every write action in a custom app, but Google notes it can still make mistakes, so read what it is about to do before you approve.
Sources
Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.
Show all 9Hide
- Google AI plans · gemini.google
- Claude plans and pricing · claude.com
- Codex pricing · learn.chatgpt.com
- Custom connectors using remote MCP · support.claude.com
- ChatGPT MCP plugins · learn.chatgpt.com
- Gemini Apps Help · support.google.com
- OpenAI Help Center, GPT-6 and other models in ChatGPT · help.openai.com
- Claude models overview · platform.claude.com
- ChatGPT pricing · openai.com