Claude vs ChatGPT PlusPricing compared

Claude and ChatGPT Plus both cost $20 a month on their main paid plan, so the real difference is how you pay. Claude Pro can be billed yearly at $200 (about $17 a month) and includes Claude Code. ChatGPT has no annual billing, but eligible US college students can get Plus at $0 for four months if they claim it by October 31, 2026.

Prices checked 25 Sep 2026Page updated 26 Sep 2026

Claude and ChatGPT Plus prices, side by side

USD, list prices

	Claude	ChatGPT Plus
$0 plan	Web, desktop and mobile chat with web search	Unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna, limited uploads and images
Main paid plan	Pro: $20/month, or $200/year	Plus: $20/month, no annual option
Student price	None; only via universities with Claude for Education	$0 for 4 months for eligible US college students, claim by Oct 31, 2026
Heavy use	Max from $100/month	Pro at $100 or $200/month

Read from each tool's official pricing page. Prices checked 25 Sep 2026.

Claude pricing and deals ChatGPT Plus pricing and deals

The price difference, in detail

If you are not a student, Claude is the cheaper of the two over a year: $200 up front for Pro against $240 for twelve months of ChatGPT Plus, which has no annual option. ChatGPT has more steps on its price ladder, though. There is a Go plan below Plus in some countries (₹399 a month in India, and it may show ads), and Pro at $100 or $200 a month for heavy use. Claude's step up from Pro is Max, from $100 a month.

For students the picture flips. OpenAI's Back to School offer gives eligible US college and graduate students four billing periods of Plus at $0, verified through SheerID, and it renews at $20 a month unless you cancel. Anthropic says it does not offer student discounts on paid plans; students get Claude only if their university buys Claude for Education. Outside the US, Anthropic prices Pro in local currency where it can, and the ChatGPT student offer does not apply at all.

Which one fits you

Pick Claude if you will pay for a full year: $200 up front against $240 for twelve months of Plus, with Claude Code included.
Pick ChatGPT Plus if you are an eligible US college or graduate student and can claim the four months at $0 before October 31, 2026.

The tradeoffs

Claude
Yearly billing brings Pro to about $17 a month, but Anthropic offers no student price
ChatGPT Plus
$0 for four months for eligible US college students, then $20 a month, with no annual plan
ChatGPT
A cheaper Go plan exists in some countries (₹399 a month in India); Claude's cheapest paid plan is Pro
Both
Claude Pro includes Claude Code; ChatGPT's heavy-use step is Pro at $100 or $200 a month, Claude's is Max from $100

Live deals on Claude and ChatGPT Plus

Official trials, promos and discounts we have checked on each tool's own page, with the date.

ChatGPT Plus
ChatGPT Plus for US Students
You pay $0nowthen $20/month
$0 for 4 months
Ending soonchecked 25 SepEnds 31 Oct 2026 (24 days left)

No live deal on Claude that we have checked right now. Claude pricing and cheaper plans.

Questions about Claude and ChatGPT Plus

Is Claude or ChatGPT Plus cheaper?

Claude has the lower entry price. Paid plans for Claude start at $17 a month and for ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month. Those are list prices: yearly billing, student pricing and live deals can change which one costs you less, and the table above shows each.

Is there a student discount on Claude or ChatGPT Plus?

Claude: no student deal that we have checked right now. ChatGPT Plus: ChatGPT Plus for US Students ($0 for 4 months), checked 25 Sep 2026.

Do Claude and ChatGPT Plus have a $0 plan?

Yes, both. Claude and ChatGPT Plus each have a plan that costs $0, so what matters is whose limits you hit first. The side-by-side table above lists what each one includes.

Can ChatGPT Plus replace Claude?

They are direct alternatives: we list both under AI assistants. Whether ChatGPT Plus replaces Claude for you comes down to the tradeoffs above and which plan limits you would run into first.