API or subscription: which is cheaper for you?
Price your own usage per token and compare it with ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI, Grok and Perplexity plans. Providers don’t publish plan allowances in tokens, so the calculator shows where the API stops being cheaper, not whether a plan’s limits will cover you.
Your usage
Per message, including earlier turns resent each time.
Per message.
Your usage per month
3.17M
2.64M in · 528K out
Through the API
$8.05
Claude Sonnet 5.5
A $20 plan is cheaper above
99 msgs/day
at this message size
Plans compared with your usage
| Plan | Price | Same usage via API | Cheaper for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT GoAPI equivalent: GPT-5.6 Luna | $8.00 | $0.92 | API, by $7.08 |
| ChatGPT PlusAPI equivalent: GPT-6.1 Sol | $20.00 | $8.05 | API, by $11.95 |
| ChatGPT Pro 100API equivalent: GPT-6 Astra | $100 | $40.92 | API, by $59.08 |
| ChatGPT Pro 200API equivalent: GPT-6 Astra | $200 | $40.92 | API, by $159 |
| ChatGPT Pro 500API equivalent: GPT-6 Astra | $500 | $40.92 | API, by $459 |
| Claude ProAPI equivalent: Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $20.00 | $8.05 | API, by $11.95 |
| Claude MaxAPI equivalent: Claude Opus 5.5 | $100 | $16.10 | API, by $83.90 |
| Claude UltraAPI equivalent: Claude Opus 5.5 | $200 | $16.10 | API, by $184 |
| Google AI PlusAPI equivalent: Gemini 3.1 Pro | $4.99 | $9.24 | Plan, by $4.25 |
| Google AI ProAPI equivalent: Gemini 3.1 Pro | $19.99 | $9.24 | API, by $10.75 |
| Google AI Ultra 5xAPI equivalent: Gemini 3.1 Pro | $99.99 | $9.24 | API, by $90.75 |
| Google AI Ultra 20xAPI equivalent: Gemini 3.1 Pro | $200 | $9.24 | API, by $191 |
| SuperGrokAPI equivalent: Grok 4.6 | $30.00 | $6.47 | API, by $23.53 |
| SuperGrok PlusAPI equivalent: Grok 4.6 | $100 | $6.47 | API, by $93.53 |
| Perplexity ProAPI equivalent: GPT-6 Sol | $20.00 | $8.18 | API, by $11.82 |
| Perplexity MaxAPI equivalent: GPT-6 Sol | $200 | $8.18 | API, by $192 |
“Same usage via API” prices your usage on the model each plan mainly offers. A plan only wins if its limits cover your usage; see the published limits below.
Chat plans and their published limits
| Plan | Monthly | Models | Published limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Go | $8.00 | GPT-5.6 Luna; may show ads | "More" of each tool than Free; no numbers published Source |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20.00 | GPT-6 models with advanced reasoning; GPT-6.1 Sol in Codex | Codex: GPT-6.1 Sol 15–160 local messages per 5 hours (OpenAI's estimate) Source |
| ChatGPT Pro 100 | $100 | Adds Pro reasoning (GPT-6 Astra) | More usage than Plus; no 5-hour Codex limit Source |
| ChatGPT Pro 200 | $200 | Same as Pro 100 | More usage than Pro 100; no 5-hour Codex limit. Since 29 Sep 2026 new subscribers get a lower allowance than before Source |
| ChatGPT Pro 500 | $500 | Adds Ultrafast GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol | The most usage of the three Pro plans; no 5-hour Codex limit Source |
| Claude Pro | $20.00$200/yr | Sonnet, Haiku and Opus; Fable only through paid usage credits | At least 5× Free per 5-hour session, plus a weekly cap. Includes Claude Code Source |
| Claude Max | $100 | Adds Fable (up to 50% of the weekly limit) | 5× Pro every 5 hours and every week. Includes Claude Code and $100 a month in Claude Platform API credits Source |
| Claude Ultra | $200 | Same as Max | 10× Pro every week, with no 5-hour limit once the account is verified. Includes Claude Code and $200 a month in Claude Platform API credits. Formerly Max 20x Source |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | Gemini 3.1 Pro | 2× Free; 128K context Source |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | Gemini 3.1 Pro; Jules; Antigravity | 4× Free; 1M context; limits refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap Source |
| Google AI Ultra 5x | $99.99 | Adds Deep Think and Gemini Spark | 5× AI Pro Source |
| Google AI Ultra 20x | $200 | Same as Ultra 5x | 20× AI Pro Source |
| SuperGrok | $30.00 | Grok 4.6 | No numbers published Source |
| SuperGrok Plus | $100 | Grok 4.6 and higher limits | No numbers published Source |
| Perplexity Pro | $20.00$204/yr | GPT-6 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Grok 4.7, Kimi K3, GLM-5.3 | Relative only; includes 4,000 bonus Computer credits Source |
| Perplexity Max | $200$2,004/yr | Same models, higher limits | 10,000 credits a month plus 35,000 bonus Source |
US dollar list prices seen on 13 Oct 2026. India: Google AI Plus ₹399, Pro ₹1,950, Ultra ₹6,500 or ₹19,500; Cursor Start ₹649 including tax (Cursor's own models only). Claude has no rupee pricing; Indian customers pay the US dollar prices. Brazil (before tax): Claude Pro R$110, Max R$550 or R$1,100; Google AI Pro R$96.99. Germany (before 19% VAT): Claude Pro €18, Max €90 or €180; Google AI Pro €21.99.
AI coding tools
| Tool | Price | Beyond the allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Included with Claude Pro ($20), Max ($100 / $200), Team ($20 or $100 a seat, billed annually) and Enterprise | Usage credits at API rates, or an API key billed per token. Anthropic puts the enterprise average at about $13 per developer per active day Source |
| OpenAI Codex | Included with ChatGPT Free, Go ($8), Plus ($20), Pro ($100 / $200 / $500) and Business ($20 or $100 a seat, billed annually) | Credits valid 12 months, or an API key billed at API rates Source |
| Cursor | Hobby free; Pro $20; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200 (20% off yearly); Teams $40 or $120 a user | On-demand usage at API rates, billed in arrears Source |
| GitHub Copilot | Free; Pro $10; Pro+ $39; Max $100; Business $19 and Enterprise $39 per seat | Set a budget; extra credits at $0.01 each Source |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Free; Pro $20; Max $200; Teams $80 plus $40 per seat | Extra usage at API prices Source |
| JetBrains AI | Pro $10; Ultimate $30; Enterprise $60 per user | Top-ups at $1 per credit Source |
| Google Antigravity and Jules | Free; higher limits with Google AI Pro ($19.99) or Ultra | Pro and Ultra get a flexible AI credit pool Source |
Published limits, team prices and the API cost of the same coding work are on the coding plans pages.