Should you pay for AI? My honest take after using three different services

"It's free, so I guess it's fine."

That's what I thought at first.
I figured I was just trying them out, and they weren't worth paying for.

But before I knew it, I was paying for all three.

The reasons for paying were different for each one.

ChatGPT: The accuracy was on a completely different level

When I first started using it, I compared the free and paid versions.

Even when asking the same questions, the quality of the answers was clearly different.
The free version felt a bit rough, like, "Well, I guess this is okay."
The paid version (ChatGPT Plus) felt like it put more careful thought into its responses.

I decided that accuracy was more important for a "casual consultant," so I signed up for the paid version early on. I've been using it ever since.

Gemini: It started with a lack of Google storage space

When I started using Gemini seriously and tried to load various documents into NotebookLM, I immediately hit a storage wall.

There was a limit to the amount of data I could load for free, and I ended up in a situation where I wanted to add more but couldn't.

When I looked into it, I found that the paid plan not only increases the capacity for NotebookLM, but also increases the storage for other Google services like Google Drive all at once.
As someone who keeps both photos and documents on Google, it was perfect to be able to solve that issue at the same time.

Claude: I canceled once, then came back

Actually, I canceled my Claude subscription once.

Before, even with a paid subscription, I would hit the usage limit quickly, making it hard to use.
Plus, at the time, I didn't feel the accuracy was that high.
I thought, "I guess I don't need this," and canceled.

However, when I tried it again a while later, it was a completely different experience.
The quality of the Japanese improved, and it handled long texts carefully.
It has now become an indispensable tool. Coming back was the right decision.

AI has changed significantly between six months ago and now.
If you tried it before and didn't like it, it might be worth giving it another shot.

So, in the end, should you pay for it?

I am currently paying for all three.
However, I haven't signed up for annual plans. I subscribe month-to-month so I can cancel if I feel I don't need them.
In fact, I did cancel Claude once.

The more I used them, the more the free versions weren't enough.
The accuracy wasn't good enough, the data capacity was insufficient, or I hit the limits too quickly.
For different reasons, I found myself paying for all of them before I knew it.

If you just want to look things up occasionally, I think starting for free is more than enough.

When you start feeling like you want to use it more, that is the time to consider a paid subscription.

If you don't want to be tied down, I think it's best to try it out on a monthly basis.

Well then.

I believe that actually using the tools is more important than whether or not you pay for them.
Start using it for free, and if you find yourself thinking, "I want to use this more," that is the time to pay.

It feels like a little win when you know how to use it. There is still so much room for growth, right? (laughs)

If you've read this far, I would be happy if you could click the ♡ button.

Written by: Sate. | Digital Utilization Supporter
I have spent 30 years at an IT company creating "easy-to-understand manuals."
Together, we will turn the "I don't understand IT" feeling that comes in your 50s into "Oh, I can actually do this!"