ChatGPT vs Google Gemini
ChatGPT or Google Gemini? Here is how they compare on price, free plan, platforms and the jobs each does best, from each vendor's own pages.
| Compared on | Visit | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | OpenAI's AI chat assistant for writing, research, images, voice and coding | Google's AI assistant app, with paid Google AI plans for higher limits |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $8/mo (Go)ChatGPT pricing | $4.99/mo (Google AI Plus)Google Gemini pricing |
| What it covers | Go may include ads. Plus is $20/month. OpenAI's FAQ says Go and Plus are sold as monthly plans; annual plans are for Business and Enterprise. | 2x Free usage limits, video generation, Gemini in Google apps, 400 GB storage. |
| Free trial | None stated | None stated |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, macOS | Web, Android, iOS, API |
| Integrations (vendor's figure) | Not stated | Not stated |
| Open source | No | No |
| Made by | OpenAI |
Choose ChatGPT if…
- You want a desktop app (macOS).
- The job is drafting and editing emails, reports and posts.
- The job is researching a topic with web search and deep research.
Choose Google Gemini if…
- Price matters: its cheapest paid plan is $4.99/mo against $8/mo.
- You need an API to build on.
- The job is researching a topic with Deep Research.
- The job is drafting emails and documents inside Gmail and Docs.
Still weighing it up?
If neither is quite right, ChatGPT and Google Gemini are also compared with their other rivals: ChatGPT vs Claude, Claude vs Google Gemini and ChatGPT vs Perplexity.
To see them doing real work, read How to Protect ChatGPT Chats on a Shared Computer and 14 Best Gemini Rank Trackers in 2026.
What ChatGPT does
- Web search inside chat
- Deep research reports
- Image generation and voice chats
- File uploads and data analysis
- Projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs on paid plans
- Codex coding agent included in every plan
Watch out for
- Free and Go have limited uploads, image generation, voice, deep research and Codex access
- The Go plan may include ads
- Business plans start at 2 users; Enterprise and Edu pricing requires contacting sales
What Google Gemini does
- Deep Research reports
- Image creation and editing; video generation on paid plans
- Canvas and custom Gems
- Gemini in Gmail, Docs and other Google apps on paid plans
- Google cloud storage bundled with each plan
- Developer API with free and pay-per-use tiers
Watch out for
- Gemini in Gmail, Docs and other Google apps needs a paid plan, is for ages 18+ and is in select languages
- Video generation is not in the Free plan
- The Free plan uses the Flash-Lite model, with usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly cap
Questions
Is ChatGPT or Google Gemini cheaper?
On published entry prices, Google Gemini is cheaper: $8/mo (Go) for ChatGPT against $4.99/mo (Google AI Plus) for Google Gemini. What each plan includes differs, so compare the limits too.
Do ChatGPT and Google Gemini have free plans?
Both do. ChatGPT: Unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna (subject to abuse guardrails); limited uploads, image generation, voice chats, deep research, memory and Codex access. Google Gemini: Flash-Lite model, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems, Gemini Notebook and limited Google Flow; 15 GB storage; usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly limit.