Gemini vs Claude (November 2026): plans, prices and limits

Gemini vs Claude comes down to price and bundles. As of November 8, 2026, Claude has three consumer plans (Free, Pro at $17 to $20 a month, Max at $100) and Gemini has four tiers (Free, Google AI Plus at $4.99, AI Pro at $19.99, AI Ultra from $99.99). Both are from Anthropic's pricing page and Google's Gemini subscriptions page, read on November 8.

The cheapest paid way into Gemini costs $4.99. Claude has no tier below $17 a month, and Claude's limits are explained only as multiples of the Pro plan.

Gemini vs Claude plans and prices

Prices are in US dollars as shown on each company's page on November 8, 2026. Both companies say limits depend on how you use the product.

What the free plans include

Claude Free covers chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation and code execution, memory, app connectors, Artifacts, and Claude Design, Slides and Docs. Usage is limited every 5 hours and weekly.

Gemini Free covers image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems and limited access to Google Flow. It runs on Flash-Lite. Usage limits refresh every 5 hours until a weekly limit is reached, and Google lets users buy AI credits to extend them.

What the paid plans add

Claude Pro adds Claude Code, Opus and more models, Fable through usage credits, task handoff and scheduling, Projects, Claude Science, Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365. Max adds Fable included up to half your weekly limit, $100 a month in Claude Platform API credits, early access to advanced features and priority access at busy times.

Gemini's tiers add Google services as well as model access:

• AI Plus adds video generation, Daily Brief, 200 Google Flow credits, and Gemini in Gmail and Vids. It includes the Gemini 4 Argon model.
• AI Pro adds 1,000 Google Flow credits, entry-level Antigravity rate limits, Google Home Premium (Standard), Chrome auto browse and YouTube Premium Lite.
• AI Ultra adds 10,000 or 25,000 Flow credits, higher Antigravity limits, Project Genie, Google Home Premium (Advanced) and YouTube Premium.

Which one costs less for coding

Both Pro tiers include a coding agent route: Claude Pro includes Claude Code, and Gemini's AI Pro includes Antigravity at entry rate limits. For a closer look, see our Google Antigravity vs Claude Code comparison.

How the limits scale

Neither company publishes a message count on these pages, so the multiples are the only yardstick. Gemini measures from the free tier: AI Plus is 2x Free and AI Pro is 4x Free. At the top, Ultra is quoted against Pro, at 5x Pro for $99.99 and 20x Pro for $199.99. Claude does the same from Pro: Max is 5x Pro usage at $100 a month. Both reset every 5 hours with a weekly cap on top.

That makes Claude Max and the $99.99 Gemini Ultra tier the closest pair on paper, both at 5x Pro. Gemini also offers a 20x tier at $199.99, and the Claude pricing page lists no tier above Max.

What this comparison doesn't cover

This is based on the two companies' published plan pages. We did not test either product, and neither page gives exact message counts, so we can't say how much work each plan gets done before it hits a limit. Plans and prices change; check the pages before you pay.

FAQ

Is Gemini cheaper than Claude?

At the bottom, yes. Google AI Plus is $4.99 a month and Claude has no paid tier below Pro. At the middle, Gemini AI Pro is $19.99 a month and Claude Pro is $20 billed monthly or $17 billed annually.

Is Claude free?

Yes. Claude Free costs $0, with limited usage every 5 hours and weekly.

Is Gemini free?

Yes. The Gemini app is free with a Google Account, on the Flash-Lite model with baseline limits.