There is no tool that excels in everything. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude have free plans with web search and can write, summarize, and explain code, but each organizes its resources differently. If your day revolves around Gmail and Docs, Gemini has paid plans that integrate with those tools. If you want to generate images without paying, ChatGPT and Gemini offer that in the free plan. For programming, all three have options, with different limits.
Below, what the companies report on their plans pages in October 2026, by type of task. Features, models, and prices change quickly: treat every detail as a snapshot in time.
What each offers today
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
OpenAI lists the Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans. In the free plan, you have limited access to GPT-5.5 Instant. The GPT-5.5 Thinking reasoning model appears starting from Plus, and the GPT-5.5 Pro is available in the Pro plan and enterprise plans.
Gemini (Google)
Google offers free usage with a Google Account and three subscriptions: AI Plus, AI Pro, and AI Ultra. In the free plan, the page mentions the Flash-Lite model. Access to Gemini 4 Argon appears in AI Pro and AI Ultra, and AI Pro also includes a context window of 1 million tokens.
Claude (Anthropic)
Anthropic lists the Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. The free plan gives access to the Sonnet and Haiku models; the Opus model is available starting from Pro. The most recent models listed are Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5.
For writing
All three produce emails, posts, summaries, and scripts. The difference lies more in the editing environment. Gemini lists Canvas already in free use. Claude mentions Artifacts and Claude Docs from the free plan. In ChatGPT, the page mentions the canvas among the features of the Business plan.
Practical example: ask all three for the same email politely declining an offer, with three short paragraphs. Compare the tone and how much you needed to correct.
For programming
Here the pricing models vary quite a bit:
- ChatGPT: Codex appears with limited access in Free and Go, unlocked in Plus and expanded in Pro.
- Claude: the free plan already allows running code and creating files, and Claude Code is included in all paid plans, according to Anthropic.
- Gemini: Google offers Jules, an asynchronous programming agent still in beta, only in English and for those over 18, with larger limits in AI Pro and AI Ultra. Google Antigravity, a development platform with agents, can be used at no cost, with basic weekly limits.
A good test: paste the same function with an error into all three and ask them to explain the problem before correcting it.
For research
All three perform web searches in the free plan. For more in-depth research, the accesses change. ChatGPT offers limited deep research in Free and full access starting from Plus. Gemini lists Deep Research already in free use. In Claude, the Research feature starts in Pro.
In any of them, check the cited links before using the information: AI may summarize incorrectly or rely on weak sources.
For analyzing documents and spreadsheets
Think of an 80-page PDF or a sales spreadsheet for the semester:
- ChatGPT: file uploads and data analysis are limited in Free and unlocked starting from Go. The extensions for Excel and Google Sheets appear as limited in Free and Go and included starting from Plus.
- Gemini: Google reports the ability to upload up to 1,500 pages of documents and, in AI Pro, the context window of 1 million tokens, useful for extensive material.
- Claude: all plans allow creating and editing files with code execution, and Pro adds Claude Dashboards, still in beta.
Before sending any files, check if they contain personal customer data or confidential company information. When in doubt, use an anonymized version.
For images
Here the differences between the plans are very evident. ChatGPT generates images in all plans, in a limited and slower manner in Free. Gemini creates and edits images in free use, with limited access to Nano Banana Pro through Google Flow, and allows video generation starting from AI Plus. Claude's plans page does not list image generation; the mentioned features revolve around text, code, and files, as well as tools like Claude Design, Slides, and Docs.
At work, with Google or Microsoft
If your company uses Google Workspace, Gemini appears inside Gmail and Vids in AI Plus, and also in Docs in AI Pro. This applies only to those over 18 and in selected languages; confirm if Portuguese is available in your account.
If the environment is Microsoft, Claude lists integration with Microsoft 365 starting from Pro. Anthropic also mentions a Claude for Google Workspace extension, without detailing in the table which plans it is included. ChatGPT, in the Business plan, connects over 60 apps, including Google Drive, SharePoint, Slack, and GitHub.
For corporate use, also look at single sign-on, admin controls, and rules regarding data usage. Claude's Team plan, for example, states that it does not train models with your content by default. Check what your company's policy has already approved before signing anything on your own.
How to decide without relying on rankings
Test all three with the same real task, the one you do every week:
- Choose a concrete task, such as summarizing a meeting or reviewing a piece of code.
- Use the same request, word for word, in all three.
- Note the time taken to a usable result and the errors you had to correct.
- Repeat with a second different task before paying for any plan.
Since limits, models, and prices change frequently, redo the test from time to time.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the three is the best?
It depends on the task and the tools you are already using. Therefore, comparing the three with the same task tells you more than any ranking.
Can I use all three for free?
Yes. All three have a free plan with web search, but with usage limits and without some resources, such as Claude Code, Claude's Research, or access to Gemini 4 Argon.
Are the prices in reais the same as in the United States?
You cannot assume that. Anthropic, for example, warns that the displayed prices do not include taxes. Check the price shown for your account in Brazil before signing up.
Can I upload company documents to these tools?
Only if your company's policy allows it. Corporate plans usually have data controls that differ from personal plans.
Next steps
Set aside 30 minutes this week, choose a task from your work or studies, and run the same request in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, noting the results. To learn how to use AI in your daily technology, explore the Hcode course platform.
Sources
ChatGPT Plans and Pricing, OpenAI, consulted on October 27, 2026.
Google AI Pro & Ultra — get access to Gemini 4 Argon & more, Google, consulted on October 27, 2026.
Plans & pricing, Anthropic, consulted on October 27, 2026.