How much do AI tools actually cost? I see prices all over the place.

You can do a lot for free, but the really powerful stuff usually costs around $20 to $30 a month per tool. That's the sweet spot for most professional-grade AI assistants. But here's the thing — the pricing landscape is shifting fast, and it's not just about a monthly subscription anymore. Most major tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have a free tier that's genuinely useful. You'll hit limits after heavy use, but for learning the ropes, you don't need to pay a dime. The paid plans, usually $20/month, give you more usage, faster responses, and access to their smartest models. Think of it like a streaming service. One subscription feels cheap. Three or four add up. The newer trend to watch is usage-based pricing. Some companies are testing much higher limits for power users. For example, a recent signal from Uber suggested they were spending up to $1,500 a month per employee on AI tools. That's an extreme case, not your reality, but it shows where things are heading. For specialized tools, the price jumps. A legal AI that can review contracts might cost hundreds per month. An AI image generator like Midjourney starts around $10 a month. My practical advice is to avoid subscription creep. Don't sign up for five different $20 tools in your first month. You'll waste money and feel scattered. Instead, pick one general-purpose tool and pay for it only after you've hit the free limit a few times. That's your signal that you actually need the upgrade. For most people starting out, a single $20 monthly subscription is more than enough to be productive. The free tools handle the rest.