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I constantly hear that the best AI tools are expensive, premium apps that promise the best features and the most accurate responses. However, that’s not the case anymore.
I’ve stopped paying and only use free AI tools, and it doesn’t hold me back at all.
How Free AI Tools Compare to Paid Versions
Most AI tools, includingChatGPT,Gemini, andMicrosoft Copilot(to name a few), have free and premium plans. The free plans usually have limits on usage and features but still offer a great deal of functionality that will suffice for most average users.
However, free plans usually only give you access to older versions of AI models, especially during peak hours. On the other hand, Premium plans provide you with access to the best models capable of advanced reasoning and features around the clock. So, while free versions of AI tools are great for testing the waters and everyday use, you should pay for a premium plan andstop using free AI toolsif you want access to advanced features.
Other AI tools follow the same pattern. Gemini Advanced, the paid model, has a 1 million token capacity, which allows it to process and analyze a considerable amount of complex data. The free version has a smaller token capacity, which also limits its abilities. Copilot’s Pro version (paid plan) allows extended usage of Copilot Voice and can draft emails in Outlook and improve presentations, but the free plan lacks these capabilities.
That said, new features seldom remain behind a paywall for long. Eventually, as the technology matures, once-exclusive features get integrated into free plans. For instance, GPT-4 was initially only available as part of OpenAI’s paid plans. Today, you can access GPT-4 for free and even get limited access to o1 and o1-mini (OpenAI’s other advanced models). This means you can nowreason with ChatGPTwithout paying for the premium plan. Similarly,Microsoft Copilot rolled out a free versionof ChatGPT’s premium deep research tool, so you don’t have to pay or wait for the expensive subscription features to filter down into the free AI tools.
If you’re just having fun with AI and not using these models to get serious work done, you’re best off sticking to the free models. Of course, there are things you’re able to do to improve your experience with even the most basic chatbot. For one, it’s a good idea to use a few different tools, no matter the task at hand. Exploring and using different tools can help you choose the best response for your needs.
Why I Avoid Paid AI Tools and Stick to Free Versions
Despite how far AI tools have come, especially the paid versions, they’re not without limitations. These are just a few you’ll want to consider:
They Are Expensive
And unfortunately, they might not always offer the kind of benefits you hope to receive, especially given how capable free models have become in recent months.
You Still Need to Write Good Prompts
Even if you decide toupgrade to premium tools like ChatGPT Plusand Copilot Pro, the quality of responses will depend heavily on your prompts. Buying a premium AI tool doesn’t automatically translate to better output. You’ll receive similar answers unless you learnnew prompting techniques to improve your responses.
Responses Can Be Inaccurate
While paid AI tools offer better reasoning abilities and access to new features, you’re able to’t be sure that the responses are always accurate. It’s still possible for these models to misinterpret your prompts or provide irrelevant answers. For example, in February 2025,OpenAI launched GPT-4.5, its newest AI model at the time. However, despite being brand new and very expensive to run, OpenAI found it still had a 37 percent chance of hallucination. On the flipside, that figure was a huge reduction from the 60 percent experienced with the previous model, GPT-4o.
