AI Tool Pricing Index — Q4 2026 Edition
Q4 2026 edition · computed from 297 live tools · prices hand-verified · median verification date Jul 11, 2026
The median paid AI tool plan starts at $17.99/mo (average $23.66/mo) across the 297 live tools in this index, and 81% offer a free tier. Every price was checked by hand against the official pricing page — median verification date Jul 11, 2026, latest Nov 1, 2026.
Key statistics
- 81% of the 297 AI tools we track offer a free tier (verified through Nov 1, 2026).
- The median USD monthly starting price of a paid AI tool plan is $17.99/mo; the average is $23.66/mo (n = 205 tools with USD monthly pricing).
- 11% of tracked AI tools (34 of 297) use usage-based pricing as their primary model.
- 74% of paid USD monthly plans start below $25/mo (151 of 205).
- The cheapest paid monthly plan tracked is Pixlr at $2.49/mo; the priciest starting price is Steel at $250/mo.
- 2% of all 297 pricing pages were re-verified within 7 days of Nov 1, 2026; the median verification date is Jul 11, 2026.
Starting-price distribution
Where the 297 tools land by starting price. Buckets cover USD monthly plans; a $25/mo plan counts in the $25–$49.99 row. Usage-metered, annual, one-time, and non-USD prices are tracked but bucketed separately so per-second rates can't distort monthly numbers.
| Starting price | Tools | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0 — no paid plan required | 64 | 22% |
| Under $10/mo | 46 | 15% |
| $10–$24.99/mo | 105 | 35% |
| $25–$49.99/mo | 41 | 14% |
| $50/mo or more | 13 | 4% |
| Usage-metered, annual, one-time, or non-USD | 28 | 9% |
Pricing-model distribution
| Pricing model | Tools | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FREEMIUM | 199 | 67% |
| PAID | 39 | 13% |
| USAGE-BASED | 34 | 11% |
| OPEN-SOURCE | 18 | 6% |
| CONTACT | 6 | 2% |
| FREE | 1 | 0% |
Cheapest and priciest paid plans
The five lowest and five highest USD monthly starting prices in the catalog, verified through Nov 1, 2026.
Pricing by category
Computed from 297 tools, verified through Nov 1, 2026
Median and average USD monthly starting price of paid plans per category, share of tools with a free tier, and the cheapest and priciest paid entry points — computed from our own verified dataset, not estimates.
| Category | Tools | Median start | Avg start | Free tier | Cheapest paid | Priciest entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Chatbots | 32 | $14.99/mo | $23.59/mo | 88% | Poe · $4.99/mo | Botpress · $150/mo |
| AI Writing & Marketing | 31 | $30/mo | $42.16/mo | 52% | Wordtune · $6.99/mo | Clay · $167/mo |
| AI Image Generation | 32 | $10/mo | $13.10/mo | 81% | Pixlr · $2.49/mo | Vizcom · $49/user/mo |
| AI Video | 38 | $15/mo | $19.94/mo | 82% | Wan · $5/mo | Rask AI · $60/mo |
| AI Audio & Music | 31 | $10/mo | $12.21/mo | 90% | Hume AI · $3/mo | Fliki · $28/mo |
| AI Coding | 56 | $20/mo | $23.97/mo | 84% | OpenAI Codex · $8/mo | E2B · $150/mo |
| AI Agents & Automation | 74 | $20/mo | $42.24/mo | 76% | D-ID · $5.99/mo | Steel · $250/mo |
| AI Productivity | 42 | $12/mo | $15.09/mo | 81% | Taskade · $6/mo | Lindy · $49.99/mo |
| AI Design | 28 | $14.00/mo | $16.61/mo | 93% | Pixlr · $2.49/mo | Vizcom · $49/user/mo |
| AI Search & Research | 29 | $19/mo | $25.06/mo | 79% | Kagi · $5/mo | SentryDock · $80/mo |
Methodology
Every number on this page is computed at build time from our directory of 297 live AI tools. We check each tool's official pricing page by hand, stamp the verification date, and never estimate or backfill. This edition's verification dates run from Jun 11, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 (median Jul 11, 2026).
Medians and averages cover paid USD monthly starting prices only (205 of 297 tools); free tiers, usage-metered rates, annual, one-time, and non-USD prices are counted but excluded from dollar math. Price buckets are half-open: "$10–$24.99/mo" means at least $10 and below $25. The index is recomputed each quarter; Q4 2026 is the baseline edition. Full process in our methodology.
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AITrendTool, "AI Tool Pricing Index — Q4 2026 Edition," aitrendtool.com, prices verified through Nov 1, 2026, https://aitrendtool.com/stats/ai-pricing-index
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AI Tool Pricing Index — Q4 2026 Edition — AITrendTool - 81% of the 297 AI tools we track offer a free tier (verified through Nov 1, 2026). - The median USD monthly starting price of a paid AI tool plan is $17.99/mo; the average is $23.66/mo (n = 205). - 11% of tracked AI tools (34 of 297) use usage-based pricing as their primary model. - 74% of paid USD monthly plans start below $25/mo (151 of 205). - The cheapest paid monthly plan tracked is Pixlr at $2.49/mo; the priciest starting price is Steel at $250/mo. - 2% of all 297 pricing pages were re-verified within 7 days of Nov 1, 2026; the median verification date is Jul 11, 2026. Cite: AITrendTool, "AI Tool Pricing Index — Q4 2026 Edition," aitrendtool.com, prices verified through Nov 1, 2026, https://aitrendtool.com/stats/ai-pricing-index (CC BY 4.0)