If you’re anything like me, you already have multiple premium subscriptions to various services, so why not subscribe to paid AI chatbots? The truth is, premium versions of popular AI chatbots aren’t always necessary or better than their free counterparts.
Note: This focuses just on chatbots, like ChatGPT, versus other AI tools, such as WordPress plugins, grammar checkers, etc.
Table of Contents
- AI Prompts Matter More
- Numerous Free AI Options Available
- No Guarantee of Accuracy
- You Only Need Basic Image Creation
- New AI Models Become Free Sooner Rather Than Later
- Premium AI Chatbots Still Have Restrictions
- You Only Need AI Short Term
- Premium Doesn’t Bypass AI Detection Tools
- Integration Isn’t Worth Paying For
- Premium AI Isn’t for Everyone
AI Prompts Matter More
AI is only as good as what you ask it to do. I don’t care what the latest model is, if you give it a crappy prompt, you won’t get any better results than if you used an older or less advanced AI model.
In my experience, free AI chatbots give you almost everything you need, as long as the prompt is good. My suggestion is to start with something simple, such as these productivity prompts, then refine it to get the exact results you’re looking for.
Numerous Free AI Options Available
Let’s be honest: one of the biggest benefits of paid AI chatbots is unlimited (or at least significantly more) usage per month. But think about how much you actually use an AI platform. Take a look at your favorite chatbots and compare the free and premium tiers.
Are you often going beyond the free usage limits? If so, premium is the best option. If you rarely reach the free daily or monthly limits, stick with the free version.
I, personally, don’t worry about limits, as there are so many free options available. I can just sign up with several services and switch between them. Remember, you have far more options than just ChatGPT.
No Guarantee of Accuracy
It’s true that the newest AI models tend to be more accurate, but no AI chatbots are capable of 100 percent accuracy. They still make mistakes. If you’re paying for a premium subscription just to avoid fact-checking results, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Premium or free, you still have to verify AI-generated information. In this case, paid AI isn’t worth it just for slightly better accuracy.
You Only Need Basic Image Creation
When it comes to AI-generated images, most free AI platforms give you a set number of credits or prompts per month. For instance, Microsoft Copilot limits free users to 15 priority images per day, and free ChatGPT users only get a few images per day.
For the average user who only wants to create a handful of images per month, you don’t need a premium account. Meta even provides a free AI studio to create characters for social media use.
If you use AI to generate numerous images for personal or professional use, upgrading is well worth it. Not only do you get higher limits, sometimes unlimited, but images are typically generated faster and may be more detailed. For video creation, I’d suggest premium over free AI chatbots.
New AI Models Become Free Sooner Rather Than Later
When it comes to AI, I’ve learned one important rule: those amazing new AI models usually become free far sooner than you may think.
For instance, not long ago, ChatGPT kept GPT-4o mini behind a paywall, now it’s available for free. A little patience means keeping your wallet fatter, while still enjoying increasingly better chatbots. Think of it like blockbuster movies. In roughly a year, you’ll usually find them on a free streaming platform.
Premium AI Chatbots Still Have Restrictions
I don’t know about you, but when I pay for something, I want restrictions removed. With AI, it doesn’t work that way. Sure, some restrictions are lifted, but not all. Many platforms don’t offer any truly unlimited plans.
Unless you absolutely need larger limits and the latest models, stick with free AI. Both free and premium have limitations.
You Only Need AI Short Term
I don’t use AI often, so a premium subscription just isn’t worth it. If you’re not using it often or just need it for a quick project, free is all you really need. The good news is that most platforms offer a free trial of their premium versions. This works great if you need premium features for just a brief period. Plus, you get to see if premium really is worth the price.
Premium Doesn’t Bypass AI Detection Tools
One reason I’ve seen some users give for upgrading to premium AI chatbots is the desire to bypass AI detection tools. I’m sorry, but detection tools are advancing right alongside AI models. Even if you write a blog post using the newest model, it’s likely to get flagged as AI generated.
I used the premium version of ChatGPT to generate a quick blog post about cat breeds. I used ZeroGPT to analyze it, and the result was 99.3 percent AI GPT generated.
Integration Isn’t Worth Paying For
I genuinely like many of Copilot’s features, but what I hate is that Microsoft wants me to pay for premium to use it within Office. Why would I pay just to generate text within Microsoft Word, when I could use Copilot in my browser on desktop for free and just copy the content to Word?
I realize integrating your favorite AI tool into your email, Office apps, and other tools is convenient, but copying and pasting only takes a second. And it saves me from yet another costly subscription.
Premium AI Isn’t for Everyone
While it’s tempting, premium AI isn’t for everyone. In fact, most users probably never need to upgrade. For heavy users, those needing it for a business or team, or anyone who just loves having access to the newest models and features, premium is worth the price.
With so many great features in free AI chatbots, this is likely one subscription you can skip. If you really want to play around with AI, try installing your own offline chatbot.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.
