Pricing Guide

Almost every AI tool listed in this guide charges in US dollars. Your Australian bank will convert the charge, and you will typically see the amount in AUD on your statement plus a small currency conversion fee (usually 1-3%). Throughout this guide, I list the USD price first and then an approximate AUD equivalent based on roughly US$1 = A$1.60. Your actual charge will vary.

How Claude Pricing Works (March 2026)

Free: Limited daily messages using Sonnet. Enough to try it. You will hit limits quickly if you use it for real work. Basic web search included. Lowest priority during busy periods.

Pro (US$20/month, ~A$32): 5x the free tier's capacity. Access to all models including Opus 4.6. Includes Projects, Cowork (desktop automation agent), Claude Code, Research mode, Google Workspace integration, and extended thinking. Cowork is also available on Team and Enterprise plans. This is the plan most people should start with if they decide to pay. It covers daily use comfortably for most tasks.

Max 5x (US$100/month, ~A$160): 5x the Pro capacity (25x free). Same features as Pro but with significantly more headroom. Includes persistent memory across conversations, higher output limits, and priority access during peak times. I use this tier when I am deep in an intensive project, like finishing a book or running a consulting engagement. The extra capacity means I do not hit rate limits during long working sessions.

Max 20x (US$200/month, ~A$320): 20x the Pro capacity. Zero-latency priority. This is for people who use Claude all day, every day, as their primary work tool.

When to upgrade: Start free. If you find yourself using Claude daily, move to Pro. Only consider Max if you are consistently hitting Pro limits during intensive work periods, and only if the work you are doing justifies the cost. I switch between Pro and Max depending on what I am working on.

How ChatGPT Pricing Works (March 2026)

Free: Access to GPT-5 Instant (the lightweight fast model). Limited messages (roughly 10 every 5 hours before dropping to a basic model). No video generation, no advanced reasoning models.

Go (US$8/month, ~A$13): Faster responses and moderate usage limits. Still no access to GPT-5 Thinking or Sora video. Notably, this tier still shows ads. Honestly hard to recommend when Plus exists.

Plus (US$20/month, ~A$32): The sweet spot. Access to GPT-5 Thinking (3,000 messages/week), o3 and o4-mini reasoning models, image generation, limited Sora video access, advanced voice mode, Custom GPTs, Deep Research, and Gmail/Calendar integration. For most people who decide to pay for ChatGPT, this is the right tier.

Pro (US$200/month, ~A$320): Unlimited access to all models. The key differentiator is o3-pro, which dedicates more computing power to complex problems for more reliable answers on very hard reasoning tasks. Also includes full Sora 2 video generation. Only justified if you are doing work that requires the absolute best reasoning performance: serious research, advanced mathematics, complex programming, or scientific analysis.

When to upgrade: Start free. Move to Plus if you use ChatGPT daily and want the good models. Pro is only worth it if you are a researcher, engineer, or analyst who needs maximum reasoning reliability on genuinely hard problems. For 95% of users, Plus is more than enough.

How Gemini Pricing Works (March 2026)

Free: Access to Gemini Flash models with daily limits. Basic chat, image understanding, and limited reasoning. Generous enough for casual use.

Google AI Pro (US$20/month, ~A$32): Access to Gemini 3, Deep Research, limited video generation (Veo), 1,000 AI credits for media creation, and critically, Gemini integration in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Google apps. Also upgrades NotebookLM with 5x more features. First month free trial.

Google AI Plus (US$8/month, ~A$13): A new entry-level paid tier that sits between Free and Pro. Gives you more Gemini usage than the free tier and some additional features, but without the full Google Workspace integration or Deep Research access of Pro. Worth considering if you want a small upgrade without committing to US$20/month.

Google AI Ultra (US$249.99/month, ~A$400; promotional rate US$125/month for the first three months): Access to the most powerful Gemini 3 Pro model, 25,000 AI credits, highest quality video generation, and maximum capabilities across all Google services. This is a premium tier aimed at power users and professionals. The introductory discount makes it more approachable for the first three months, but the ongoing cost is significant.

When to upgrade: If you live in Google Workspace, the Pro tier is excellent value because you get both a capable AI assistant and deep integration with your existing apps. If you do not use Google apps heavily, Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus are better standalone AI assistants for the same price.

The Real Cost of AI Tools

The prices above are for base tiers. Let me give you some real numbers from my own experience.

I use Claude's Max plan when I am working on intensive projects. That costs me approximately A$160 per month, eight times the base Pro price. I only switch to Max when I am working on something that will generate that much value. Most months, Pro at around A$32 is more than enough.

I spent close to A$2,000 on Lovable over a consulting-related project. Credits get consumed fast when you are iterating on a complex application, and each round of changes costs more. What starts as a $20/month subscription can become hundreds of dollars if you are building something ambitious.

These are not typical beginner costs. They are what happens when you start relying on AI tools for serious work. Go in with your eyes open. Set budgets. Track what you are spending. And start on the lowest tier that meets your needs.

Many tools offer both monthly and annual billing. Annual billing is usually 15-30% cheaper but locks you in for a year. My advice: start monthly, and switch to annual only once you know you will keep using the tool.