This is the question I get more than any other. In my client calls over the last three months, "What is the difference between Claude, Codex, ChatGPT and Copilot, and which one should I use?" came up in roughly 15 meetings. So here is my honest answer, the same one I give on those calls.
Why this feels confusing right now
AI companies are in a price war, and 2026 has shown it clearly. In July, OpenAI cut the API price of its cheaper GPT-5.6 Luna model by 80%. In August, it gave free ChatGPT users unlimited text chats. Then from 9 October, Google moved free Gemini users to its lightest Flash-Lite model and took Pro access away from the AI Plus plan. Generous in one place, tighter in another.
The lesson for you: do not pick a tool because of this month's price or this month's benchmark. Pick it for the job, and review once a quarter.
The names, in plain words
- ChatGPT (by OpenAI): the all-rounder chat app. Writing, research, images, voice.
- Codex (also by OpenAI): OpenAI's coding agent. It comes with ChatGPT plans, so it is not a separate purchase for most people.
- Claude (by Anthropic): a chat app that many of my learners prefer for writing and long documents. Claude Code is its coding agent, included in paid Claude plans.
- Copilot: careful, this name means two things. GitHub Copilot is a coding assistant for developers. Microsoft Copilot is the assistant inside Windows and Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 Personal (₹689 a month in India) bundles Copilot with Office, so if you or your company already pay for Microsoft 365, try that first before buying anything.
- Gemini (by Google): strong if your life is already in Gmail, Docs and Drive.
What they cost in India (checked October 2026)
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | ₹0 | Good for trying things out; includes light Codex use |
| ChatGPT Go | ₹399/month | Cheapest paid ChatGPT plan |
| ChatGPT Plus | ₹1,999/month incl. GST | Much more Codex use and higher limits |
| Claude Free | ₹0 | Claude Code needs a paid plan |
| Claude Pro | ₹2,399/month, or ₹2,000/month billed yearly (web, incl. GST) | Includes Claude Code; ₹1,999/month on the Indian App Store |
| Claude Max | From ₹11,999/month | For people who use it all day |
| Google AI Plus | ₹399/month | |
| Google AI Pro | ₹1,950/month | Gemini in Gmail and Docs, all Gemini models |
| GitHub Copilot Free / Pro / Pro+ | US$0 / US$10 / US$39 a month | Credit-based; for people who write code in an editor |
Sources: OpenAI's India pricing and Help Center, Anthropic's India rupee pricing (launched July 2026), Google One India, GitHub's Copilot plans page, and the Indian App Store listings. Prices change often. Check the checkout page before you pay.
Two India tips. ChatGPT accepts UPI for Go and Plus on chatgpt.com; Claude does not take UPI yet, so you need a card or app store billing. And Jio has been giving 18 months of Google AI Pro free to eligible users on unlimited 5G plans of ₹349 and above. Jio's terms say the claim window closes on 29 October 2026, so if you qualify, claim it in the MyJio app now.
My recommendation, by what you do
You are a student or just starting
Stay free. Use free ChatGPT, free Gemini and free Claude side by side for a month. You will find out which one "thinks" the way you do. If you want to run AI with no subscription at all, see my guide to running AI on your own laptop with Ollama.
You write, research and make presentations
One plan: ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. Try both free versions on your real work for a week, then pay for the one whose drafts you edit least.
You want to build apps, websites or automations without being a developer
One plan that includes a coding agent: Claude Pro (Claude Code) or ChatGPT Plus (Codex). This is what most of my 1:1 learners use. One learner, a product manager with no coding background, set up Claude Code in the terminal on our first call and had a live app hosted within five days. Terminals and APIs had scared her for years. That is the real unlock. You don't need to become a developer, you need one good plan and someone to walk you past the first fear.
You live in Gmail, Docs and Sheets
Google AI Pro may serve you better than a second chat app.
You are a developer who codes in VS Code or JetBrains every day
GitHub Copilot Pro is the cheapest way in. Many developers also use Claude Code or Codex alongside it.
You run a team or company
Don't buy plans one by one. Decide on one tool, one set of data rules and one training plan first. Read is it safe to let an AI agent use your computer before you connect anything.
Usage limits: the thing nobody explains
Paid plans are not unlimited. Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus both have usage limits that reset over time, and GitHub Copilot now works on monthly credits. When you hit a limit, you can wait, upgrade, or buy extra usage. My advice: wait for one full month before you upgrade. Most people who hit limits in week one are using one very long chat for everything. Start fresh chats per task and limits stretch a lot further.
What I tell people to stop doing
- Paying for three subscriptions "just in case".
- Switching tools every time a new model launches.
- Judging a tool from one prompt. Judge it from one week of real work.