Plus
$20/mo
Limits Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published.Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPT Plus vs Claude Pro: usage limits compared (Oct 2026)
ChatGPT starts at $8/mo, Claude at $20/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.
The short answer
Verdict from the data
- Cheaper to start
- ChatGPT. ChatGPT Go is $8/mo; the cheapest Claude plan, Claude Pro, is $20/mo ($12 more).
- Free plan
- Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
- Top of the ladder
- ChatGPT Pro 500 at $500/mo vs Claude Max 20x at $200/mo.
- Paying yearly
- Claude takes up to 15% off (Pro); ChatGPT shows no yearly discount on the plans we track.
- Hard numbers
- Neither vendor publishes exact allowances, so the limits below are quoted, not counted.
- Latest move
- Claude, 7 Oct 2026: Claude Max now includes monthly API credits ($100 on Max 5x, $200 on Max 20x).
Pick ChatGPT if you want the lowest monthly bill. Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.
Head to head
| Fact | ChatGPT | Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | Free tier |
| Cheapest plan | Go · $8/mo | Pro · $20/mo |
| Top plan | Pro 500 · $500/mo | Max 20x · $200/mo |
| Plans tracked | 5 | 4 |
| Yearly discount | None shown | up to 15% |
| Allowance periods | Not stated | 5-hourWeekly |
| Latest change | new tierlimit cut | benefit added |
| Last checked |
Closest price match: ChatGPT Plus vs Claude Pro
Pro
$20/mo
Annual: $200 billed up front
Limits More usage than Free per five-hour session plus a weekly limit across all models (resets at a fixed weekly time per account). Message counts not published; vary by message length, attachments, model. Claude Code included, sharing the same limits.Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16
Every plan side by side
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Go | $8/mo | More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice than Free; longer memory. May include ads. Exact caps not published. Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Plus | $20/mo | Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 100 | $100/mo | Pro reasoning (GPT-6 Astra), longer Codex/Work sessions, 'unlimited' subject to abuse guardrails. Lowest of three Pro tiers; per-model allowances vary by tier and are not published. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 200 | $200/mo | More usage than Pro 100. New (non-grandfathered) Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower usage allowance than previously offered. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 500 | $500/mo | Highest included usage; includes GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast and GPT-6.1 Sol Ultrafast. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude | Pro | $20/mo | More usage than Free per five-hour session plus a weekly limit across all models (resets at a fixed weekly time per account). Message counts not published; vary by message length, attachments, model. Claude Code included, sharing the same limits. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude | Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x the Pro per-session usage allowance; session limit resets every five hours; weekly limit across all models; separate weekly limit for Fable. Includes $100/month API credits. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude | Max 20x | $200/mo | 20x the Pro per-session usage allowance; five-hour session reset; weekly limit; separate Fable weekly limit. Includes $200/month API credits. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude | Enterprise | $20/mo | Usage billed at API rates. Source: claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Free plans
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free tier | Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries. Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude | Free tier | Free $0: chat on web/desktop/mobile, web search, file creation & code execution, memory, connectors, Artifacts, up to 5 Projects. Sonnet and Haiku models (no Opus); no Claude Code. Usage limits reset on a rolling five-hour session window; message counts not published. Source: claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Recent price and limit changes
-
benefit addedClaude Max now includes monthly API credits ($100 on Max 5x, $200 on Max 20x)
Anthropic's platform release notes: 'Claude Max and Team plans now include monthly API credits.' Credits don't cover interactive Claude Code and don't roll over.
-
new tierlimit cutChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance
Pro 500 adds Ultrafast GPT-6 Astra / GPT-6.1 Sol. New, non-grandfathered Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower allowance; grandfathered users keep the old allowance through Oct 29, 2026.
-
new tierChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage)
New Pro tier between Plus ($20) and Pro ($200); temporary 10x Codex promo through May 31, 2026. Plus Codex usage rebalanced across the week.
-
limit addedClaude Pro and Max get weekly usage limits on top of 5-hour limits
Announced July 28, 2025, effective Aug 28: an overall weekly limit and an Opus weekly limit, both resetting every 7 days. Anthropic estimated <5% of subscribers affected.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Claude?
ChatGPT is cheaper to start: ChatGPT Go costs $8/mo, against $20/mo for Claude Pro. At the top end, ChatGPT Pro 500 is $500/mo and Claude Max 20x is $200/mo.
Is ChatGPT or Claude free?
ChatGPT: Yes. Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries. Claude: Yes. Free $0: chat on web/desktop/mobile, web search, file creation & code execution, memory, connectors, Artifacts, up to 5 Projects. Sonnet and Haiku models (no Opus); no Claude Code. Usage limits reset on a rolling five-hour session window; message counts not published.
How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?
ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo): Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published. Claude Pro ($20/mo): More usage than Free per five-hour session plus a weekly limit across all models (resets at a fixed weekly time per account). Message counts not published; vary by message length, attachments, model. Claude Code included, sharing the same limits.
Is it cheaper to pay yearly?
ChatGPT: no yearly discount on the plans we track. Claude: up to 15% off when billed yearly (Pro: $17/mo instead of $20).
When did ChatGPT and Claude last change their pricing?
7 Oct 2026, Claude: Claude Max now includes monthly API credits ($100 on Max 5x, $200 on Max 20x). 29 Sep 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance. 9 Apr 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage).
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