Comparison · Prices checked October 18, 2026
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini: which AI assistant should a small business start with?
All three have a free plan that covers everyday writing. The real differences for a small business are the price of the first paid step, whether there is a team plan, and which accounts you already use.
The short answer
Start on the free plan of whichever one fits the accounts you already have. If your business runs on Google, Gemini is the least friction. If you need a shared workspace for two or more people, ChatGPT Business and Claude Team both publish per seat prices, and ChatGPT's help centre states it does not train on Business workspace data. Pay only when you keep hitting the free limits.
Published plans side by side
Swipe the table sideways to see all three.
| Question | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | OpenAI | Anthropic | |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest published paid plan | US$20 per user per month billed annually, or US$25 billed monthly | $20 per month billed monthly, or $17 per month on an annual plan billed $200 up front | $4.99 per month |
| Team or business plan | US$20 per user per month billed annually, or US$25 billed monthly | $25 per seat per month billed monthly, or $20 billed annually | Not covered on the consumer page we checked |
| Pricing notes | The official pricing page did not display amounts for the individual paid plans (Go, Plus, Pro) when we checked, so we have not listed them. Prices can vary by country. | The official page shows a $ sign without naming the currency for these plans. Check the price shown at checkout in Canada. | Prices were read from Google's US subscription page. Canadian prices can differ. |
| Prices checked | October 18, 2026 | October 18, 2026 | October 18, 2026 |
Which one fits which business
- You live in Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar: try Gemini first. It is free with your Google account and the first paid tier is the cheapest of the three on Google's US page.
- You write long documents, policies or proposals: try Claude on the free plan and see whether it handles your typical document well.
- A small team needs a shared workspace: compare ChatGPT Business and Claude Team. Both list a standard seat at $25 per month billed monthly, or $20 billed annually, with a two seat minimum on ChatGPT Business.
Whichever you pick, check anything factual it writes, especially prices, legal rules and health or safety claims, before you publish it.
How we compared
We compared what each company publishes about its plans on its official pricing or help pages on the date shown. This comparison does not include a hands on quality test, so it does not rank the assistants on writing quality. We do not earn a commission from any of the three. Read our methodology.