Which AI Tool Plan Should You Buy? A Decision Guide for 2025
Not sure which AI tool plan is right for you? Here is a simple decision framework based on how much you spend and what you need in 2025.
Which AI Tool Plan Should You Buy? A Decision Guide for 2025
Budget: $0/month — Free Tier Only
You can get significant value from free tiers alone:
- Claude Free: Daily usage limit, but excellent quality for writing and analysis
- Perplexity Free: 5 Pro searches/day, unlimited basic searches
- Canva Free: Thousands of templates, basic editing
- Codeium Free: Unlimited AI code completion
Start here. Upgrade only when you consistently hit free tier limits.
Budget: $20/month — One Subscription
If you can only subscribe to one tool, choose based on your primary use case:
- Writing and general work: Claude Pro ($20/mo)
- Research heavy: Perplexity Pro ($20/mo)
- Coding: Cursor AI ($20/mo)
- Design heavy: Canva Pro ($13/mo)
Budget: $40-60/month — Two Subscriptions
The sweet spot for most professionals:
- Knowledge worker: Claude Pro + Perplexity Pro ($40/mo)
- Developer: Claude Pro + Cursor AI ($40/mo)
- Content creator: Claude Pro + Canva Pro ($33/mo)
- Full-stack professional: Claude Pro + Perplexity Pro + Canva Pro ($53/mo)
Budget: $80-100+/month — Power User
Only justified if AI tools are central to your daily work:
- Claude Pro + Perplexity Pro + Cursor AI + Canva Pro = $73/mo
- Add Semrush ($130/mo) or Ahrefs ($99/mo) for SEO professionals
- Add Jasper ($39/mo) for marketing teams needing brand voice features
Find the Perfect AI Tool for Your Needs
Compare pricing, features, and reviews of 50+ AI tools
Browse All AI Tools →Get Weekly AI Tool Updates
Join 1,000+ professionals. Free AI tools cheatsheet included.