Field notes

Three $20 AI plans become a $720-a-year habit

Three mainstream AI subscriptions that each look like “about $20” become a $59.99 monthly stack.

At the U.S. web prices checked on July 30, 2026:

Plan Official listed price
ChatGPT Plus $20/month
Claude Pro $20/month
Google AI Pro $19.99/month
Total $59.99/month

Left unchanged for twelve months, that is $719.88 before tax.

This is not a claim that the plans have identical features or value. Regional prices, promotions, annual billing, usage limits, and app-store charges can differ. Google AI Pro also includes storage and other benefits.

But a bundle benefit should reduce the comparison cost only when it replaces something you would otherwise pay for. Unused storage or a feature you never open is not money saved.

The useful question

Do not ask whether three tools are each “worth $20.” Ask whether each one owns a separate job.

Write one line per plan:

I keep this plan because it completes this repeated task, this often, and the cheaper fallback fails in this measured way.

If two plans claim the same job — general drafting, brainstorming, summarizing, or casual research — you are probably paying for overlap.

Most people should start with zero or one paid AI subscription. If the stack is already crowded, use the 14-day cancellation test and remove the plan whose absence changes the least.

Price pages change. Recheck the official sources before buying; the durable decision is not the exact total but whether every recurring charge has a recurring job.

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