Independent AI buying guide

No paid rankings

Last checked 26 Oct 2026

Which AIshould I buy?

The verdict

Best AI overall

Which AI subscription is the best all-rounder? Our verdict, a runner-up, the best free option, and whether you need to pay at all.

The verdict

Rankings updated 26 Oct 2026

Buy this

Gemini Google AI Pro

€21.99/mo

Score 98/100 · powered by Gemini 4 Argon

Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

Gemini Google AI Pro has the highest score for everyday use (98/100) among the subscriptions we could verify, thanks to Gemini 4 Argon.

Runner-up

Claude Pro

$20/mo

Score 97/100 · powered by Claude Opus 5.5

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Best free option

Claude Free

Free

Score 80/100 · powered by Claude Sonnet 5.5 (limited use)

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Is the free plan enough?

Mostly

For a few questions a day, yes. If you use it daily for work or study, you'll hit the free limits and want to upgrade.

Right as of 26 Oct 2026. New models and price changes come out often, and we re-check every week. Check back before you buy or renew.

The full ranking

Best AI overall: every subscription we could verify.

  1. Gemini Google AI Pro

    €21.99/movia Gemini 4 Argon

    98based on 4 of 5 tests

  2. Claude Pro

    $20/movia Claude Opus 5.5

    97based on 4 of 5 tests

  3. ChatGPT Plus

    $20/movia GPT-6 Astra

    92based on 4 of 5 tests

  4. Lumo Plus

    $9.99/mo, billed yearlyvia GLM 5.3

    83based on 3 of 5 tests

  5. Perplexity Pro

    $17/mo, billed yearlyvia Gemini 3.1 Pro

    82based on 5 of 5 tests

  6. Meta AI Free

    Freevia Muse Spark (limited use)

    72based on 3 of 5 tests

  7. DeepSeek Free

    Freevia DeepSeek V4 Pro (limited use)

    71based on 5 of 5 tests

  8. Vibe (Le Chat) Pro

    $14.99/movia Mistral Medium 3.5

    55based on 2 of 5 tests

Best free: Claude Free · Best value (paid): Claude Pro

How this list is made

Scores combine these independent tests (weights in brackets). 100 = the best model from the companies we cover. A subscription gets the score of the best model it includes. Full method.

  • Arena: overall chat (40%): Millions of people compare two anonymous AI answers and pick the better one. Data checked 26 Oct 2026.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (27%): A combined score over many independent tests of knowledge and reasoning. Data checked 19 Oct 2026.
  • GPQA Diamond (13%): PhD-level science questions that can't simply be googled. Data checked 26 Oct 2026.
  • SimpleQA Verified (13%): Short factual questions: does the AI know the answer or make something up? Data checked 19 Oct 2026.
  • LiveBench: reasoning (7%): Logic puzzles and spatial reasoning. Data checked 26 Oct 2026.

Leaderboard data: Arena (arena.ai), CC BY 4.0 · Benchmark data: Artificial Analysis (artificialanalysis.ai) · Epoch AI, 'Capabilities & benchmarking', epoch.ai/benchmarks, CC BY 4.0 · Benchmark data: LiveBench (livebench.ai)

The picks up close

Our opinion first, then the sourced facts behind it.

Top pick

Gemini Google AI Pro

By Google · €21.99/mo

Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

Our take (opinion, reviewed 7 Oct 2026)

The obvious pick if you already live in Gmail and Google Drive. The cheap AI Plus tier is hard to beat on price.

Good for

  • People who use Gmail, Docs and Drive every day
  • Students on a budget

Not for

  • People who avoid Google accounts

AI models included

  • Gemini 3.1 ProSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Gemini 4 ArgonSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

What you get with Google AI Pro

  • 4x higher usage limits than the free version in the Gemini appSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • 5 TB cloud storage for Gmail, Drive and PhotosSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • 1000 Google Flow credits for creating film scenes and storiesSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Pro gives about four times the usage limits of the free version.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Pro includes 1000 Google Flow credits for video and story creation.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

Strengths

  • The free plan costs nothing with a Google account.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Paid plans are available in more than 140 countriesSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Gemini works inside Gmail and Docs on the paid plans.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Gemini helps with everyday tasks inside Gmail and Docs.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Deep Research can analyse hundreds of sources in real timeSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

Limitations

  • App usage limits reset every 5 hours until the weekly limit is reachedSource: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Google AI Pro is only available to users aged 18 and over.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits may apply to Gemini use.Source: Google · verified 26 Oct 2026

Is Gemini Google AI Pro worth it? →
All Gemini plans and prices →
Official site: gemini.google.com ↗

Runner-up

Claude Pro

By Anthropic · $20/mo

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Our take (opinion, reviewed 7 Oct 2026)

Strong at writing and long, careful work with documents and code.

Good for

  • Long writing and editing work
  • Developers who want a coding agent included

Not for

  • People who want to make images

AI models included

  • Claude Fable 5.1 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Haiku 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Opus 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Sonnet 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.

What you get with Pro

  • Pro gives at least 5x more usage per 5-hour session than FreeSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is included with the planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Includes projects and access to more Claude models.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Can hand off and schedule tasksSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Access to more Claude modelsSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • More usage than the Free planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Projects to organize chats and documentsSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Strengths

  • Free plan includes web search, file creation and code running.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory across conversations is included on every plan.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is included in all paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Works in Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 on Pro and MaxSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Limitations

  • Your chats may be used for model training unless you opt outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits apply and there is no fixed message count.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Prices shown do not include applicable taxes.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits reset every five hours, with weekly caps on paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is not included in the free planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Model training on your chats is on by default, with an opt-outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Is Claude Pro worth it? →
All Claude plans and prices →
Official site: claude.ai ↗

Best free option

Claude Free

By Anthropic · Free

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Our take (opinion, reviewed 7 Oct 2026)

Strong at writing and long, careful work with documents and code.

Good for

  • Long writing and editing work
  • Developers who want a coding agent included

Not for

  • People who want to make images

AI models included

  • Claude Haiku 5.5 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Sonnet 5.5 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.

What you get with Free

  • Chat on web, desktop and mobile, with web search and file creation.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory carries across conversations.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Free covers everyday questions.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Chat on web, desktop, and mobile for freeSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Strengths

  • Free plan includes web search, file creation and code running.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory across conversations is included on every plan.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is included in all paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Works in Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 on Pro and MaxSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Limitations

  • Your chats may be used for model training unless you opt outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits apply and there is no fixed message count.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Prices shown do not include applicable taxes.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits reset every five hours, with weekly caps on paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is not included in the free planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Model training on your chats is on by default, with an opt-outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

All Claude plans and prices →
Official site: claude.ai ↗

Questions people ask

Do I need to pay for AI at all?
Not necessarily. Free plans are fine for occasional use. Paying mostly buys you higher limits and the newest features.
Can I switch later?
Yes. These are monthly subscriptions you can cancel, so start with one and switch if it doesn't fit.

How did we pick these? Read how we rank. Want every plan side by side? See the full comparison.

Other verdicts

Head to head

Two AIs side by side, on the same test scores as our rankings.

Is it worth it?

Prices per AI