ChatGPT vs Gemini: Free Plans, Price and What You Get

Pick Gemini if you want a free plan with Deep Research and 15 GB of Google storage, a cheaper first paid tier, or a paid plan that also gives you 5 TB of storage for Gmail, Drive and Photos. Pick ChatGPT if you want its wider set of paid tiers (Go, Plus and three Pro levels), custom GPTs and scheduled tasks, or an app on Apple Vision Pro.

Both have a free plan, both sell their main paid plan for $19.99 a month on the US App Store, and both run on the web, iPhone, iPad and Android. They differ most in what the cheaper tiers include, what comes bundled with the subscription, and where the apps run.

ChatGPT vs Gemini at a glance

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Gemini?

At the entry level, Gemini is cheaper. At the main paid tier, they cost the same.

Gemini's plans page, set to the United States, lists Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month. Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 a month for 5 times the AI Pro usage limits, or $199.99 a month for 20 times.

ChatGPT's pricing page did not show prices when we loaded it, so we used OpenAI's own App Store listing. It lists ChatGPT Go at $8.00, ChatGPT Plus at $19.99, and ChatGPT Pro at $100.00, $200.00 or $500.00. OpenAI's pricing page names these as three Pro usage tiers: Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500. Prices bought on the web or in other countries can differ.

The value question is what comes with each plan. Google AI Pro includes 5 TB of cloud storage shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos, plus a YouTube Premium Lite plan. ChatGPT plans do not include storage or other services.

What did we check?

We compared the two main paid plans on the US App Store. OpenAI's listing showed ChatGPT Plus at $19.99. Google's Gemini listing showed Google AI Pro (5 TB) at $19.99. The same day, Gemini's plans page listed AI Pro at $19.99 a month with "5 TB of cloud storage across Gmail, Drive, and Photos".

So for the same $19.99, the Gemini subscription also covers 5 TB of storage, while the cheapest tiers differ by $3.01: ChatGPT Go at $8.00 against Google AI Plus at $4.99.

Which free plan is better?

Gemini's free plan lists more named features. Google says the free tier includes access to its Flash-Lite model, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems, plus 15 GB of storage that comes with every Google account.

ChatGPT's free plan is described in terms of limits. OpenAI lists limited messages with uploads, limited image creation, limited deep research, limited memory and context, and limited Codex access.

Both cap use. Google says Gemini app limits depend on how complex your prompt is, the features you use and the length of the chat, and that limits refresh every 5 hours until you reach a weekly limit. OpenAI does not publish exact message counts on its pricing page.

What do the paid plans add?

ChatGPT Go adds more messages, more uploads, more image creation and longer memory. OpenAI notes that ads may appear on Go, and ChatGPT's Google Play listing is marked "Contains ads". ChatGPT Plus adds advanced reasoning models with GPT-6, expanded deep research, projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs. Pro adds a choice of three usage tiers, maximum deep research, unlimited image creation and an always-on agent.

Google AI Plus gives twice the free usage limits, access to Google's Flash model, video generation and 400 GB of storage. AI Pro gives four times the free limits, access to Gemini 4 Argon and Google's Pro model, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, and 5 TB of storage. Google's FAQ says AI Pro includes a 1M token context window and a limited trial of Veo 3.1 Lite for video. Google AI plans are only for people aged 18 and over.

Which works on more devices?

Gemini, if you count desktop apps. Google says its Gemini app runs on Windows 10 or later (x64 and ARM64) and on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS Sequoia (15.0) or later. It also has apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

OpenAI's App Store listing covers iPhone and iPad (iOS 18.0 or later) and Apple Vision Pro (visionOS 2.0 or later). ChatGPT also has an Android app on Google Play and the web version at chatgpt.com.

Weighing up other AI chatbots too? See our list of ChatGPT alternatives.

Which should you choose?

• You want the most from a free plan: Gemini, with Deep Research and 15 GB of storage included.
• You want the cheapest paid plan: Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month.
• You also need cloud storage: Google AI Pro, with 5 TB for the same $19.99 as ChatGPT Plus.
• You want custom GPTs, projects and scheduled tasks: ChatGPT Plus.
• You need very high usage for research or coding: ChatGPT Pro or Google AI Ultra, both from $99.99 or $100.
• You use Apple Vision Pro: ChatGPT.

FAQ

Is Gemini free?

Yes. Google says Gemini is $0 a month with a Google account, with access to its Flash-Lite model, image generation, Deep Research and 15 GB of storage.

How much is ChatGPT Plus?

$19.99 on the US App Store. ChatGPT Go was $8.00.

Does Google AI Pro include storage?

Yes. Google AI Pro includes 5 TB of cloud storage across Gmail, Drive and Photos, which you can share with up to 5 other people.

Does ChatGPT show ads?

OpenAI's pricing page says ads may appear on the Go plan, and the ChatGPT Android app is marked "Contains ads" on Google Play.