AI tools
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini (2026): prices in rand compared
The full ranking
4 scored · 0–10- 1
ChatGPT Our pick
The most complete package, billed in rand at every level. Plus at R399 runs OpenAI's GPT-6 models and includes Codex, image generation and voice with video.
Best for: The best all-rounder, billed in rand
Price: Free; Go R149, Plus R399 and Pro from R1,839 a month; Business R320 a seat billed annually · Free plan: Yes: unlimited text chats on GPT-5.6 Luna within fair use, with limited uploads, images, voice and deep research
Reasoning and writing 9.0Coding 9.0Free plan 8.0Price in rand 9.0Context, images and voice 9.0Data use 7.0
Good and watch out
- Good: GPT-6 models on Plus and Pro, with Pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 Astra
- Good: Image generation on every plan, voice with video from Go, and Codex for coding
- Good: Billed in rand, including ChatGPT Business
- Watch out: Consumer chats can train OpenAI's models unless you opt out
- Watch out: Free and Go accounts may see ads where OpenAI is testing them
- Watch out: Reasoning context of 256K tokens on Plus, against up to 1 million on Claude and Gemini
8.5 - 2
The best value of the three. Google AI Plus is R104.99 a month, and Google AI Pro at R429.99 includes a 1 million token context window, Gemini in Docs and 5 TB of storage.
Best for: Value, Google apps and image or video work
Price: Free; Google AI Plus R104.99, Google AI Pro R429.99 and Google AI Ultra from R1,859.99 a month · Free plan: Yes: Gemini 3.6 Flash, some Gemini 3.1 Pro, image generation, Deep Research and Gemini Live
Reasoning and writing 8.0Coding 8.0Free plan 9.0Price in rand 9.0Context, images and voice 9.0Data use 7.0
Good and watch out
- Good: The most generous free plan of the three
- Good: Billed in rand through Google One, from R104.99 a month
- Good: Image generation on every plan, and video generation on paid plans
- Watch out: Chats are kept for 18 months by default, and a subset is read by human reviewers
- Watch out: Google AI Pro gets only entry-level limits in Antigravity, Google's coding agent platform
8.3 - 3
The writer's and developer's pick, with Opus 5.5, Fable 5.1 and Claude Code. It trails on price because it bills in US dollars on the web, and it cannot create images.
Best for: Writing, long documents and coding
Price: Free; Pro US$20 a month (about R326 before VAT) or R399.99 in the iPhone app; Max from US$100 (about R1,632) · Free plan: Yes: Sonnet and Haiku models, web search, memory, voice mode and up to five projects
Reasoning and writing 9.0Coding 9.0Free plan 7.0Price in rand 6.0Context, images and voice 7.0Data use 8.0
Good and watch out
- Good: Fable 5.1, released on 1 September 2026, on Pro through usage credits and on Max
- Good: Claude Code included from Pro
- Good: Up to 1 million tokens of context, depending on the model
- Watch out: Billed in US dollars on the web
- Watch out: Does not generate photos or illustrations
- Watch out: Fable chats are kept for 30 days for safety monitoring by default
7.7 - 4
Added as a fourth benchmark because it is the assistant built into Microsoft 365 and Windows, so it is the one to beat if you already pay for Office. Free on its own, and inside Word and Excel from R159 a month.
Best for: Offices that already pay for Microsoft 365
Price: Free; Microsoft 365 Personal R159 and Premium R429 a month · Free plan: Yes: the Copilot app on the web, Windows, iPhone and Android
Reasoning and writing 7.0Coding 6.0Free plan 7.0Price in rand 8.0Context, images and voice 7.0Data use 7.0
Good and watch out
- Good: Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook with Microsoft 365 Personal at R159
- Good: Free Copilot app on the web, in Windows and on phones
- Watch out: Researcher and Analyst need Microsoft 365 Premium at R429 a month
- Watch out: Conversation history is kept for 18 months by default
7.0
How we scored · the full method
- 01 Reasoning and writingFlagship model quality for thinking, writing and analysis, judged on each vendor's published models.
- 02 CodingThe coding models and agents included in the plan, such as Codex, Claude Code and Antigravity.
- 03 Free planWhat each gives you for R0.
- 04 Price in randWhat the paid plans cost in rand, and whether you are billed in rand or in US dollars.
- 05 Context, images and voiceHow much it can read at once, and whether it makes images and holds voice conversations.
- 06 Data useWhether your chats can train the models, and how easy it is to stop that.
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini is a close contest in September 2026, and the winner depends on how you pay and what you do most. For South Africans, ChatGPT is the best all-rounder: OpenAI bills it in rand, from R149 for Go to R399 for Plus, and Plus now runs the GPT-6 models. Gemini is the best value, with the most generous free plan and Google AI Plus at R104.99. Claude is the strongest for writing and coding, but it bills in US dollars.
We have added Microsoft Copilot as a fourth benchmark, because it is the assistant built into Microsoft 365 and Windows, so many readers already have it.
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini at a glance
| ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newest paid models | GPT-6 Astra, Sol and Luna | Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5 | Gemini 3.1 Pro, 3.6 Flash |
| Free plan model | GPT-5.6 Luna | Sonnet and Haiku | 3.6 Flash, some 3.1 Pro |
| Main paid plan | Plus, R399 a month | Pro, US$20 (about R326 before VAT) | Google AI Pro, R429.99 a month |
| Context | 256K tokens with reasoning on Plus, 400K on Pro | Up to 1 million tokens, by model | 1 million tokens on Google AI Pro |
| Images | Yes, limited on Free | No photos or illustrations | Yes, on every plan |
| Voice | Voice on all plans, video from Go | Voice mode on all plans | Gemini Live on all plans |
| Coding | Codex | Claude Code, from Pro | Antigravity, entry limits on Pro |
Prices in rand: what each plan costs
| Plan level | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | R0 | R0 | R0 |
| Entry | Go, R149 | Pro is the entry plan | Google AI Plus, R104.99 |
| Main | Plus, R399 | Pro, US$20 (about R326 before VAT) or R399.99 in the iPhone app | Google AI Pro, R429.99 |
| Top | Pro, from R1,839 | Max, from US$100 (about R1,632 before VAT) | Google AI Ultra, from R1,859.99 |
| Teams | Business, R320 a seat billed annually | Team, US$20 a seat billed annually (about R326) | Through Google Workspace |
ChatGPT and Gemini are billed in rand. Claude bills in US dollars on the web, and South Africa charges 15% VAT on foreign digital services, so Claude Pro works out at about R375 once VAT is added. Google AI Pro costs R4,299.99 a year if you pay upfront, about R358 a month. OpenAI has paused new sign-ups to its top Pro tier since 10 September 2026, but the Pro plan from R1,839, with five times the Plus usage, is still open.
Claude vs ChatGPT: writing, coding and images
Claude is the pick for long writing and serious coding. Its paid plans run Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.1, which Anthropic released on 1 September 2026 and calls its most capable model for coding and knowledge work. Pro users reach Fable through usage credits, and Max can spend up to half its weekly limits on it. Claude Code comes with Pro, and Claude reads up to 1 million tokens depending on the model, enough for long contracts or large codebases.
ChatGPT is the better all-rounder. Plus gives you OpenAI’s GPT-6 models, Codex for coding, image generation and voice with video, all for R399 billed in rand. Claude does not generate photos or illustrations, so if you need images alongside your writing, ChatGPT or Gemini does more in one place.
Gemini vs ChatGPT: free plans, Google apps and value
Gemini wins on value. Its free plan includes Gemini 3.6 Flash, some Gemini 3.1 Pro, image generation, Deep Research and Gemini Live. Google AI Plus at R104.99 doubles the free limits, and Google AI Pro at R429.99 quadruples them and adds Gemini in Gmail and Docs, a 1 million token context window and 5 TB of storage, which matters if you pay for cloud storage anyway.
ChatGPT’s free plan is also strong, with unlimited text chats on GPT-5.6 Luna within fair use. Where ChatGPT pulls ahead is its paid line-up: GPT-6 on Plus, more Codex use and a Business plan in rand. OpenAI says Free and Go accounts may see ads where it is testing them; Google says Gemini chats are not used to show you ads.
Which one uses your data for training?
All three can use chats on personal plans to improve their models, and all three let you stop it. In ChatGPT, turn off “Improve the model for everyone” under Data controls. In Claude, use the Model Improvement privacy setting. In Gemini, turn off Keep activity. Temporary chats in ChatGPT and Gemini, and incognito chats in Claude, are not used for training.
There are differences in the detail. Google keeps Gemini chats for 18 months by default, and a subset is read by human reviewers. Anthropic keeps Fable chats for 30 days for safety monitoring by default. ChatGPT Business and Claude Team do not train on your data by default, which makes them the better choice for client work that involves personal information under POPIA.
Where Microsoft Copilot fits
Copilot is free on the web, in Windows and on phones. Microsoft 365 Personal at R159 a month adds Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and Premium at R429 adds Researcher and Analyst. It scores below the big three on coding and on the depth of its standalone assistant, but it is the easiest pick if your work already lives in Office.
Which should you choose?
- One assistant for everything, billed in rand: ChatGPT Plus at R399.
- The most for free, or the cheapest paid step: Gemini, with Google AI Plus at R104.99.
- Long writing or serious coding: Claude Pro at US$20.
- You already pay for Microsoft 365: Copilot.
For more options, see our ChatGPT alternatives and AI chatbot rankings, or the AI coding tools ranking for developers.
Questions people ask
Which is best, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini?
For most South Africans, ChatGPT is the best all-rounder: it is billed in rand, from R149 for Go and R399 for Plus, and Plus runs OpenAI's GPT-6 models. Gemini is the value pick, with the best free plan and Google AI Plus at R104.99. Claude is the strongest for writing and coding, at US$20 a month (about R326 before VAT).
Claude vs ChatGPT: which is better?
Claude is the better pick for long writing and coding on its published features: Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.1 on paid plans, up to 1 million tokens of context and Claude Code on Pro. ChatGPT is the better all-rounder, with image generation, voice with video and rand billing. The main paid plans cost roughly R375 to R400 a month in South Africa, depending on how you pay.
Gemini vs ChatGPT: which is better value?
Gemini is better value in rand. Google AI Plus costs R104.99 a month against R149 for ChatGPT Go, and Google AI Pro at R429.99 includes 5 TB of storage and Gemini in Gmail and Docs. ChatGPT Plus at R399 gives you OpenAI's GPT-6 models and more Codex use for coding. Both have strong free plans, so try each on your own work.
Which has the best free plan?
Gemini's free plan is the most generous: Gemini 3.6 Flash, some Gemini 3.1 Pro, image generation, Deep Research and Gemini Live. ChatGPT's free plan offers unlimited text chats on GPT-5.6 Luna within fair use, plus limited images, voice and deep research. Claude's free plan runs Sonnet and Haiku with web search, memory and voice, but no Opus.
Which models do ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini use in 2026?
As of 28 September 2026, ChatGPT Plus and Pro run OpenAI's GPT-6 family (Astra, Sol and Luna), and the free plan uses GPT-5.6 Luna. Claude's paid plans offer Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5, with Sonnet and Haiku on the free plan. Gemini runs Gemini 3.1 Pro and Gemini 3.6 Flash, and 3.6 Flash is available to everyone.
Do ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini train on my chats?
On personal plans, all three can use your chats to improve their models, and all three let you stop it: Data controls in ChatGPT, Model Improvement in Claude and Keep activity in Gemini. Temporary and incognito chats are not used for training. ChatGPT Business and Claude Team do not train on your data by default.
Sources
- ChatGPT pricing (South African rand prices)
- OpenAI Help Center, About ChatGPT Pro tiers
- OpenAI Help Center, How your data is used to improve model performance
- OpenAI Help Center, Ads in ChatGPT
- Claude pricing
- Anthropic, Claude Fable
- Claude Help Center, Can Claude produce images?
- Anthropic Privacy Center, Is my data used for model training?
- Claude on the South African App Store
- Google Gemini subscriptions (South Africa)
- Gemini release notes
- Google One plans (South Africa)
- Gemini Apps Privacy Hub
- Microsoft 365 plans and prices (South Africa)
- Microsoft Support, Microsoft Copilot privacy controls
- TechCrunch, OpenAI launches GPT-6 Sol and Luna
Prices and plans checked September 2026. They change often, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
How Ranker works. Every product and provider is compared on public information and scored against the same published criteria. No vendor pays for rank or placement. One relationship you should know about: Zaiq, rated first among South African AI development partners, is a business related to Ranker, and that is disclosed on every page that rates it. Everything else on the board is scored with no relationship behind it.