If you're paying for ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo), Claude Pro ($20/mo), and Gemini Advanced ($20/mo), you're spending $720/year on AI subscriptions. Most knowledge workers use maybe 30% of each platform's paid features. You need one paid plan and the free tiers of the other two. Here's how to decide which one to keep.
What Are You Actually Paying For?
Each $20/month plan gives you roughly the same thing: access to the best model, higher rate limits, and some premium features. The question isn't "which AI is best?" — it's "which AI's premium features align with your actual work?"
| Feature | ChatGPT Plus | Claude Pro | Gemini Adv. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best model access | GPT-4o, o1, o3 | Opus, Sonnet | Gemini Ultra |
| Code execution | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | ~ Limited |
| Image generation | ✓ DALL-E | ✗ | ✓ Imagen |
| Long context | 128K | 200K | 1M+ |
| Google integration | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Deep |
| Writing quality | Good | Excellent | Average |
How Do You Pick Which One to Keep?
Keep ChatGPT Plus if: You write code, analyze data with CSV uploads, generate images, or need the broadest feature set. It's the Swiss Army knife.
Keep Claude Pro if: You write for a living — reports, documentation, emails, creative content. Claude's prose is noticeably better and the longer context window matters for document analysis.
Keep Gemini Advanced if: You live in Google's ecosystem. If your work revolves around Gmail, Drive, Sheets, and Docs, Gemini's deep integration saves more time than any other platform's raw intelligence.
One paid subscription + two free tiers covers 95% of use cases for $20/month instead of $60. The free tiers are more capable than most people realize.
What Do the Free Tiers Actually Give You?
More than you think. ChatGPT free gives you GPT-4o mini with generous limits. Claude free gives you Sonnet with moderate limits. Gemini free gives you the base model with search integration. For light tasks on your non-primary platforms, free is genuinely fine.
This week: Track every AI interaction you have for 5 days. Note which platform and whether you're using a paid feature. At the end, you'll see a clear pattern showing where your money actually goes. Cancel the other two.