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Start here: which AI should I pay for?

Five quick questions. We'll show three plans worth a look, cheapest first, using official prices only. Not sure you need to pay at all? Most providers have a good free tier: see the cheapest way to get a good AI.

1. Where do you live?
2. Monthly budget?
3. Do you write code?
4. Do you want to make images?
5. Do you also want cloud storage or family sharing?

Your shortlist

    Based only on each plan's listed features and official price. Monthly billing; annual billing is cheaper on some plans. Always check the provider's page before you pay.

    Plain-English glossary

    Token
    A small chunk of text (roughly ¾ of a word in English). API prices are per million tokens.
    Context window
    How much text the AI can consider at once, including your files and the conversation so far.
    5-hour limits
    Some plans (like Claude) give you a usage allowance that resets on a rolling five-hour window, with weekly caps on top.
    Usage credits
    Extra usage you can buy or turn on after hitting your plan's limit, billed at API rates.
    API vs subscription
    A subscription is a flat monthly fee for the app. The API is pay-as-you-go access for developers, priced per token.