Every major AI tool has a free version, and they're all genuinely usable. You do not need to spend anything to find out whether this is for you.

What free actually gives you

More than people expect. On the free tier of ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini you can hold real conversations, upload documents, get help with writing and admin, and do most of what you'd see demonstrated in a workshop.

What you give up:

  • Daily limits. You'll be cut off mid-flow, usually at the worst moment, and told to come back in a few hours.
  • Older or smaller models. The newest and most capable version is usually held back for paying users.
  • Fewer extras. Things like deeper document handling, image generation and voice are often limited or absent.
  • Slower at busy times. Paying users get served first.

What paid costs

The market has settled almost suspiciously neatly. As of mid-2026, ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Google AI Pro are all about $20 a month: roughly R370 to R390 depending on the rand that week, plus whatever your card charges for a foreign transaction.

There are cheaper entry tiers now too. ChatGPT Go is around $8 and Google AI Plus around $5, worth a look if the full price makes you hesitate.

Above that sit power-user plans at $100 to $200 a month. Those are for people running AI all day. Ignore them.

Before you pay for anything

Check whether your employer already has Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini in its subscription. A great many South African businesses are paying for one of these and not telling anyone. Ask your IT person, it's a two-minute question that might save you R4,500 a year.

The way to decide

Don't agonise. Do this instead:

  • Use the free version for two weeks. Properly, daily, on real work, not once out of curiosity.
  • Notice whether you hit the limits. If you never do, you don't need to pay. If you're being cut off regularly, that's your answer.
  • If you're hitting limits, pay for one month. Not a year. Monthly.
  • At the end of the month, ask what it gave back. If it didn't save you a couple of hours, cancel without guilt.

The honest maths

R380 a month is R4,560 a year. That's not nothing, and I'm not going to pretend it is.

But work it against your own hourly rate. If you bill or earn R300 an hour, the subscription pays for itself the moment it saves you about ninety minutes a month. For most people doing correspondence-heavy work, that bar gets cleared in the first week.

The catch is that this only holds if you actually use it. An unused subscription is the most expensive thing on this page. The people who don't get value aren't the ones who chose the wrong tool, they're the ones who paid and then didn't build the habit.

Pay monthly. Cancel easily.Never buy a year of anything you haven't used for a month.

Two practical notes for South Africa

  • Foreign transaction fees. These are billed in dollars. Your bank will add a percentage. Factor it in and expect the rand amount to move.
  • Data. Text chat uses very little. Voice and video features use considerably more, which matters if you're on mobile data.

Prices checked August 2026. This market changes constantly, treat these as a guide and check the current figure before you commit.