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Which AI chat subscription is worth paying for?

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Mistral all have a free tier and a paid one. Here’s what the paid tier adds, what it costs, and what each does with what you type.

Checked 07 Oct 2026Research-led6 tools

The verdicts

  1. PickOpenAI

    ChatGPT

    The all-rounder: chat, image generation and the Codex coding agent in one subscription. Go, at $8 a month, is the cheapest step up from free; Plus is $20.

    Wrong forAnyone who wants their chats kept out of training without changing a setting.

    The catchPrices are shown in dollars. OpenAI bills in pounds in the UK but doesn’t publish the pound amounts or how VAT is handled.

    Your data
    On individual plans your chats train OpenAI’s models by default. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in Data Controls.
    On business plans
    Business, Enterprise and Edu content isn’t used for training by default.
    UK / EU data residency
    UK or EEA storage is offered for new Enterprise and Edu workspaces, not Business.
  2. PickGoogle

    Gemini

    The clearest pricing for UK buyers, shown in pounds: Google AI Plus is £4.49 a month and Pro £18.99. Pro has four times the free tier’s limits and a 1 million-token context window.

    Wrong forAnyone who doesn’t want people at Google reading a sample of their chats: with activity on, some are reviewed and kept for up to three years.

    The catchTurning activity off stops training on future chats, but they’re still kept for 72 hours.

    Your data
    With “Keep activity” on, your chats help train Google’s models and a sample is read by human reviewers. Turn it off to stop.
    On business plans
    In Google Workspace, customer data isn’t used for training without your permission.
    UK / EU data residency
    Workspace can keep data in Europe (not the UK) from Business Standard up; Google doesn’t say whether that covers Gemini.
  3. ConsiderAnthropic

    Claude

    Pro is $20 a month, or $17 billed yearly, and includes Claude Code, Anthropic’s coding agent, so one subscription covers chat and coding. Team plans start at $25 a seat.

    Wrong forAnyone who needs their data stored in the UK or EU: Anthropic’s own apps don’t offer it.

    The catchUse resets every five hours, with weekly caps on top. Prices are shown in dollars, before tax.

    Your data
    Free, Pro and Max chats and coding sessions can be used for training unless you opt out in Settings → Privacy.
    On business plans
    Team, Enterprise and API content isn’t used for training by default.
    UK / EU data residency
    No UK or EU storage option on Anthropic’s own apps. EU processing is available through Claude on AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI.
  4. ConsiderMicrosoft

    Microsoft Copilot

    Worth it if your business already runs on Microsoft 365: Copilot Chat on the web comes with eligible plans, and the Copilot Business add-on lets it work with your own files and email.

    Wrong forAnyone not already paying for Microsoft 365.

    The catchMicrosoft’s consumer privacy FAQ covers app versions before 18 August 2026; we couldn’t read the settings for the newer app.

    Your data
    Microsoft’s consumer privacy FAQ says Copilot conversations are used for training unless you opt out, and the UK isn’t excluded. Work accounts are.
    On business plans
    Prompts, responses and work data aren’t used to train the models.
    UK / EU data residency
    EU users stay within the EU Data Boundary (except for Anthropic models). UK customers’ queries may be processed in the US, EU or elsewhere unless you buy Advanced Data Residency.
  5. ConsiderMistral AI

    Mistral Vibe

    The European option: data is hosted in the EU by default, and Pro is $14.99 a month before tax. Le Chat was renamed Vibe in August 2026; plans carried over.

    Wrong forAnyone who wants training off without touching a setting: Free and Pro are opted in by default.

    The catchPrices are in dollars, or euros by region, before tax.

    Your data
    Free, Pro and Student are opted in to training by default; switch it off in Vibe → Privacy.
    On business plans
    Admins can switch training off for a Team; Enterprise is opted out by default.
    UK / EU data residency
    Data is hosted in the EU by default.
  6. ConsiderPerplexity AI

    Perplexity

    Answers with their sources, and on Pro a choice of models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. But on the personal plans your searches can train its AI unless you switch that off, and nothing is kept in the UK or EU.

    Wrong forTeams on a budget: Enterprise Pro is $40 a seat, more than ChatGPT Business or Claude Team.

    The catchPrices are shown in dollars; you can choose pounds at checkout.

    Your data
    On Free, Pro and Max your searches can train its AI by default. Turn off “AI Data Retention” in Account settings → Preferences; it covers what you search from then on.
    On business plans
    Enterprise data is never used for training, and uploaded files are kept for 7 days.
    UK / EU data residency
    No UK or EU option: data may be stored in the US, and all its listed subprocessors are in the US.

What it costs

Plans and prices for each tool
ToolPlanPriceWhat it adds
ChatGPTFree$0Basic use, Codex included
Go$8 a monthThe cheapest paid plan
Plus$20 a monthMore use, with set Codex allowances every five hours
Business$20 a user a month yearly, $25 monthlyTwo or more users; not used for training by default
GeminiFree£0Standard limits, 32K context
Google AI Plus£4.49 a monthTwice the free limits; free for a year for UK university students who redeem by 31 December 2026
Google AI Pro£18.99 a monthFour times the free limits, 1M context
Google AI Ultra£79.99 or £189.99 a monthFive or twenty times Pro’s limits
ClaudeFree$0Basic use
Pro$20 a month, or $17 billed yearlyMore use, plus Claude Code
Max$100 or $200 a monthFive or twenty times Pro’s usage
Team (Standard)$25 a seat monthly, $20 yearly2–150 seats; not used for training by default
Microsoft CopilotCopilot appFreeChat on the web
Microsoft 365 Premium£18.99 a month or £189.99 a yearCopilot in the Office apps, for the account owner
Copilot Business add-on£16.10 a user a month yearly (£13.80 on offer to 31 Dec 2026), £19.32 monthly, before VATWorks with your work data; needs a Microsoft 365 business plan
Mistral VibeFree$0Limited messages
Pro$14.99 a month, before taxMore use
Student$5.99 a monthVerified students, up to 12 months
Team$24.99 a user a monthAdmins can switch training off for everyone
PerplexityFree$0A few advanced searches a day
Pro$20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearlyChoice of models, deep research
Education Pro$10 a monthPro for verified students and educators
Max$200 a monthThe highest limits
Enterprise Pro$40 a seat a monthNever used for training; seat management