ChatGPT: who it fits, what it costs, and the catch
Who ChatGPT fits, and who it does not
- Checked 2026-10-14
- 3 sources
Scored against the other verified AI assistants tools. How we score tools. What we earn is not part of it.
- Good for
- Writers, marketers and creatives drafting content
- Quick research, brainstorming and summarizing long texts
- Developers wanting starter code and debugging help
- Not for
- Anyone who will publish output without fact-checking
- Users needing real-time information on the free tier
- Tasks requiring highly specialized expertise or emotional empathy
- The catch
- Versatile general-purpose assistant, but it can hallucinate and the best features require a paid subscription.
Data last verified: 2026-10-14
What ChatGPT costs over five years
Five years for a team of 5, paid yearly: $6,000
On the Business (Standard seat) plan, at today's price. We do not assume a rise.
- Paid monthly, one year
- $1,500
- Paid yearly, one year
- $1,200
Paying yearly saves $300 a year (20%).
Change the number to see your own total. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Vendor pricing page · checked 2026-10-18We have tracked ChatGPT's prices since 2026-10-18; no change so far. All price changes
The free plan, as ChatGPT describes it.
- Free plan
- Free tier: limited messages with uploads, limited image creation, voice, deep research, memory and Codex; unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails
- Vendor page · checked 2026-10-14
What you risk by starting
Trial, refunds and getting your data out of ChatGPT.
- Refund policy
- Canceling stops future renewals but does not automatically refund previous charges; eligibility depends on purchase and location; request via OpenAI Support (web/Google Play) or Apple (App Store)
- Vendor page · checked 2026-10-14
- Getting your data out
- Export via Settings > Data controls or the Privacy Portal ('Download my data'); ZIP of chat history and account data, can take up to 7 days; not available for Business/Enterprise/Healthcare workspaces (help.openai.com/en/articles/7260999)
- Vendor page · checked 2026-10-14
What we verified ChatGPT can do
Open a row for the vendor's own wording and the page we read it on.
Chat interfaceYes
File uploadYes
Web browsingYes
Understands imagesYes
Voice modeYes
Follows your standing instructionsNot verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedRemembers your preferencesYes
Code executionYes
Team workspaceYes
Connects to your other apps (API)Not verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedIf ChatGPT isn’t right for you
See every verified AI assistants tool
Rank 1
Google Gemini
People who already use Gmail, Docs and Drive
Our score83 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $1,497
Rank 2
Gemini Notebook
Students and researchers working from their own documents
Our score79 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $1,497
Rank 3
Claude
Beginner and working programmers needing code generation and debugging
Our score71.7 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $6,000
Show all 6 alternatives
Rank 4
Microsoft Copilot
People already paying for Microsoft 365 who want AI inside Word, Excel and Outlook
Our score69.8 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $649.95
Rank 5
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Small businesses already on Microsoft 365 who want Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams
Our score62.1 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $5,400
Rank 6
Perplexity
People who want quick answers drawn from web searches
Our score47.3 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $10,000
Where these facts come from
What to do next
- Work out the cost for your own team size
- Compare the runner-up, Google Gemini
- See how we score, so you can check our work
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Data last verified: 2026-10-14