What changed this week
IDSAI runs on Claude. We use it for our writing, research, code and audits because it does well in independent tests for that kind of work (linked in the job picker). We also test every major assistant in our client work, and this page recommends whichever tool fits each job, Claude or not. This page has no affiliate links, and no company listed here pays IDSAI.
Quick start: three questions
The 15 AI tools small businesses actually buy
Picked from what U.S. small businesses report using (Bluevine and U.S. Chamber surveys) and the jobs on this page. Prices are per month in U.S. dollars.
| Tool | What it's for | Free version | Paid from | Bigger or team plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPTOpenAI | All-around help, pictures and voice | Yes | Go $8, Plus $20 | Business $25 ($20 yearly), 2+ users |
| GeminiGoogle | Gmail, Google Docs and Chrome users | Yes | AI Plus $4.99, AI Pro $19.99 | In Google Workspace from $8.40 ($7 yearly) |
| ClaudeAnthropic | Writing, long documents and coding | Yes | Pro $20 ($17 yearly) | Team $25 ($20 yearly), 2 to 150 users |
| Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft | Word, Excel and Outlook users | Yes | Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99, Premium $19.99 | Business Standard with Copilot $23.50 (yearly) |
| PerplexityPerplexity | Research answers with sources | Yes | Pro $17 (billed yearly) | Enterprise Pro $34 a user |
| GrokxAI | Live news and posts on X | Yes | Plus $8, Premium $30 | Super $100, Ultra $200 |
| Meta AIMeta | Quick help in Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp | Yes | Meta One Core $7.99 (more AI pictures and video) | None found |
| CanvaCanva | Flyers, social graphics and slides | Yes | Pro $144 a year for one person | Team plans on canva.com |
| QuickBooks OnlineIntuit | Bookkeeping with built-in AI | No AI on free | Simple Start $38 | Essentials, Plus and Advanced |
| LovableLovable | Builds a website from a description | Yes | Pro $25 | Business from $50 |
| ReplitReplit | Build and host simple apps | Yes | Core $20 | Pro $100 |
| RosieRosie | Answers your phone and books appointments | 7-day trial | $49 for 250 minutes | Up to $299 for 2,000 minutes |
| My AI Front DeskMy AI Front Desk | Answers your phone and books appointments | 7-day trial | $99 for 200 minutes ($79 yearly) | Custom plans |
| GoodcallGoodcall | Answers your phone and takes messages | Free test agent | $79 for 100 callers | Up to $299 for 2,000 callers |
| Quo with SonaQuo | AI agent inside your business phone line | 10 calls a month | Quo $15 a user (yearly) + Sona $25 for 40 calls | Business $23, Scale $35 a user |
Want the full data table? See all 146 AI tools we track, plus pay-per-use model prices →
The basics in one minute
Monthly plan
You pay a set price, often $20 a month, and type into the app yourself. Best for most owners.
Pay per use
You pay only for what you use. This is how automations and agents work behind the scenes. For the AI itself, a small business might spend pennies or a few dollars a month. The software that runs the automation usually costs extra.
Tokens
Pay-per-use AI is priced in tokens. A token is about three-quarters of a word, so 1 million tokens is about 750,000 words.
Budget, mid and top
Most big AI companies sell cheaper and more expensive models. Cheap ones handle simple jobs fine. Top ones are only worth it for hard problems.
You may already have AI
Before you buy anything, check what you already pay for. Many owners pay twice for the same thing.
Google Workspace
Every business plan includes Gemini in Gmail. Business Standard ($14 a user a month, billed yearly) and up also put it in Docs, Sheets, Drive and Meet. It does not train on your data by default. Check your plan before buying Gemini separately.
Microsoft 365
Business Basic ($7) includes Copilot Chat. Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook starts with Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50, billed yearly). Work accounts don't train the AI. On a personal plan, Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99) includes it.
Meta's apps
Meta AI is free inside Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Good for quick help, but Meta can train on your chats with it, so keep customer details out.
What the free versions include
Try free first. Free versions use smaller models and have tighter limits. ChatGPT and Gemini train on free chats unless you turn it off. Claude asks you to choose.
| Tool | What you get free | Your data | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Chat on the web, computer and phone apps. Web search, making files, memory across chats, and connecting your apps. Anthropic does not post exact limits. | Only if you allow it. You must choose when you sign up; change it in Settings > Privacy. | claude.comCompany site |
| Gemini | Google's Flash-Lite model, making and editing pictures, Deep Research, Gemini Live voice chat, and 15 GB of Google storage. Limits reset every 5 hours, up to a weekly cap. | Trains on your chats unless you turn off "Keep Activity." | gemini.googleCompany site |
| ChatGPT | Unlimited text messages since August 2026, on OpenAI's smallest model. Web search, picture making, voice and file uploads, each with limits. May show sponsored suggestions under answers. | Trains on your chats unless you turn it off in Settings > Data Controls. | engadget.comNews or guide |
What do you need AI for?
Tap any job below to open it. Each one shows the plan to start with, what it costs if you automate it, and where people overspend. The most common small-business jobs are first. The picks are IDSAI's judgment from independent tests and reviews, linked under each job.
Social posts, blogs and adsThe most common use: 45% to 68% of small businesses that use AIMid level
Plan to start with
In reviews, Claude Pro ($20 a month) often writes the most natural-sounding posts. ChatGPT Plus ($20) is the pick if you also want photo-style pictures in the same app. The free versions are enough for a few posts a week.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 20 posts
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 Anthropic | Mid | $0.36 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol OpenAI | Mid | $0.36 |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 Anthropic | Budget | $0.02 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $1.80 |
Don't overpay: You do not need a $100 or $200 plan to write posts. You also do not need a top model like Claude Fable or GPT-6 Astra.
Why we picked these: One review site rated Claude best for writing · Blind-vote chat rankings
Pictures, flyers and graphicsPart of marketing, the top useMid level
Plan to start with
For photo-style pictures, use ChatGPT Plus ($20) or Gemini AI Pro ($19.99). Both have a little free use. For flyers, price sheets, charts and social graphics with words on them, Claude ($20) builds them with code, so the words come out sharp and you can edit them. Canva has AI tools on its free plan, and Canva Pro ($144 a year for one person) adds its full AI design tools.
Don't overpay: Do not buy a separate image app until the free and $20 plans run out.
Why we picked these: ChatGPT plans · Google AI plans · Canva plans
Answering customer emails and messagesSecond most common: 37% to 52%Budget level
Plan to start with
If your email is Gmail, Gemini (in Google Workspace, or AI Pro at $19.99) writes replies right inside it. If your email is Outlook, Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99) does the same. Otherwise, Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus ($20).
If you automate it: monthly cost for 300 email replies
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5 Anthropic | Budget | $0.10 |
| GPT-6 Luna OpenAI | Budget | $0.10 |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Google | Budget | $0.29 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $10.50 |
Don't overpay: Automatic replies work fine on budget models. A top model costs about 100 times more per email for the same reply.
Why we picked these: Microsoft 365 Premium · Google AI plans
Answering the phoneFor businesses that miss calls while they're working
Plan to start with
These tools answer your business line, take messages and book appointments. Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes. My AI Front Desk is $99 a month for 200 minutes ($79 a month billed yearly). Goodcall starts at $79 a month for up to 100 different callers. If Quo is already your business phone ($15 a user a month, billed yearly), its AI agent Sona answers 10 calls a month free, then $25 a month for 40 calls.
Don't overpay: Count your calls before you pick a plan. Go over your minutes and the price jumps: Rosie moves you up to its $149 plan, and My AI Front Desk charges 25 cents a minute. Pick the plan for a normal month, not your busiest one. Most offer a 7-day free trial, so test it on real calls first.
Why we picked these: Rosie plans · My AI Front Desk plans · Goodcall plans · Quo plans · What happens when Rosie runs out of minutes
Bookkeeping, spreadsheets and paperworkThird most common: 35% to 47%Budget level
Plan to start with
Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99) puts Copilot inside Excel. Claude Pro ($20) is strong at reading a spreadsheet you upload and explaining what it shows. If you use QuickBooks Online, its AI (Intuit Intelligence) comes with every paid plan, starting with Simple Start at $38 a month.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 500 records sorted or summarized
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5 Anthropic | Budget | $0.28 |
| GPT-6 Luna OpenAI | Budget | $0.28 |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Google | Budget | $0.75 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $27.50 |
Don't overpay: Sorting receipts or labeling transactions is budget-model work. Save the mid models for questions like "why did my costs jump in March?"
Why we picked these: Microsoft 365 Premium · Claude plans · QuickBooks plans
Quick lookups, sorting and taggingWhat most automations do in the backgroundBudget level
Plan to start with
This is usually not a monthly-plan job. Automations and agents do it in the background and you pay per use.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 3,000 lookups
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5 Anthropic | Budget | $1.05 |
| GPT-6 Luna OpenAI | Budget | $1.05 |
| Ministral 3 3B Mistral (France) | Budget | $0.69 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $105 |
Don't overpay: This is where people overpay the most. Running a top model like Claude Fable or GPT-6 Astra on a simple lookup costs 100 times more than Haiku or Luna, for the same answer.
Why we picked these: Anthropic prices · OpenAI prices
Research with sourcesChecking competitors, prices and suppliersMid level
Plan to start with
Perplexity Pro ($17 a month, billed yearly) lists its sources every time. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini also search the web on their $20 plans.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 50 researched answers (each reads many web pages)
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 Anthropic | Mid | $3.75 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol OpenAI | Mid | $3.75 |
| Grok 4.7 xAI | Mid | $3.45 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $18.75 |
Don't overpay: Perplexity Max ($200) is for people who research all day. Most owners never need it.
Why we picked these: Blind-vote search rankings · Perplexity plans
Reading long documents and contractsLeases, contracts, policies and reportsMid level
Plan to start with
Claude Pro ($20) can read a very long document all at once. Gemini AI Pro ($19.99) is the pick if your files are in Google Drive.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 20 30-page documents
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 Anthropic | Mid | $1 |
| Gemini 4 Argon Google · price doubles Dec 1 | Mid | $1 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol OpenAI | Mid | $1 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $5 |
Don't overpay: A $20 plan covers a few documents a day. Paying per use only makes sense if you handle hundreds.
Why we picked these: Claude plans · Google AI plans
Building a website or simple app26% of small businesses use an AI building toolMid level
Plan to start with
If you don't code, Lovable (from $25) or Replit ($20) build from a description. If you're comfortable with a little tech, Claude Pro ($20) includes Claude Code, which scored highest in one independent coding-agent test (linked below).
Don't overpay: Start on a $20 to $25 plan. The $100 and $200 plans are for people building all day.
Why we picked these: Coding agent test results · Blind-vote website-building rankings · Lovable plans · Replit plans
An assistant that works 24/724% of small businesses use an AI agentMid level
Plan to start with
Easiest: Claude's desktop agent (formerly called Cowork; in Claude Pro, $20) or ChatGPT Work (in every ChatGPT plan). Free: Meta Muse for personal errands (U.S. only). Run it yourself: Hermes Agent or OpenClaw, which are free software, plus about $2 to $75 a month for the AI they use.
If you automate it: monthly cost for 3,000 small background tasks
| AI model | Level | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5 Anthropic | Budget | $1.05 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 Anthropic | Mid | $21 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra top models, same price, shown for comparison | Top | $105 |
Don't overpay: Never give an agent your payment details or customer passwords. Run-it-yourself agents need security work; OpenClaw has had many security fixes this year.
Why we picked these: Personal agent comparison · Self-hosted agent security
Starter setups by budget
$0 a month
The free versions of ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, plus Canva's free plan for graphics. Turn off AI training in settings before any customer details go in.
About $20 a month
One paid assistant: Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus ($20). If you live in Gmail, Gemini AI Pro ($19.99). If you live in Outlook and Word, Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99).
About $35 to $45 a month
Google Workspace Business Standard ($14, yearly) plus Claude Pro ($20) is $34. Or Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50, yearly) plus ChatGPT Plus ($20) is $43.50. Missing calls? Add a phone answerer from $49.
The most common way to overpay
Using a top model for a small job. Here is the same simple lookup (about 1,500 words in, a short answer out), done 1,000 times:
Same answer, about 100 times the price. Use budget models for sorting, tagging, lookups and short replies. Use mid models for writing and research. Save top models for hard problems or work where a mistake would be expensive.
What would it cost you?
How pay-per-use pricing works
AI companies charge two prices, an "in" price and an "out" price:
- In is what you pay for the AI to read what you hand it: your question, the email, the document. The more you hand it, the more it costs.
- Out is what you pay for everything it writes back. Out usually costs about 5 times more than in.
Both are priced per 1 million tokens, which is about 750,000 words. So "$10 in / $50 out" means reading 750,000 words costs $10 and writing 750,000 words costs $50. You almost never use that much. One email reply reads about 1,100 words and writes about 300, so 100 replies on that model cost $3.50. Some tools also charge extra for web searches, pictures or voice.
For automations and agents that pay per use. If you'll type into an app yourself, a $20 plan is almost always the better deal. This is the AI usage only. The software that runs the automation usually costs extra.
Does it use your data to train AI?
Many personal and $20 plans train on what you type unless you turn it off. Business plans don't by default. If customer information goes in, use a business plan or turn the setting off first.
| Tool | Trains on your chats? | How to turn it off | Plans that don't train on it by default | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Yes, on Free, Plus and Pro | Settings > Data Controls > turn off "Improve the model for everyone" | Business, Enterprise, Edu and pay-per-use (API) | help.openai.comCompany policy |
| Claude | Only if you allow it. Free, Pro and Max users must choose. If you allow it, chats are kept 5 years instead of 30 days | Settings > Privacy > model improvement. Incognito chats are never used | Team, Enterprise, Education and pay-per-use (API) | anthropic.comCompany policy |
| Gemini | Yes, on personal Google accounts, including paid AI Pro and Ultra. Some chats are read by human reviewers | Turn off "Keep Activity" (chats are still kept 72 hours) | Google Workspace accounts: not used for training and not read by human reviewers, unless your business gives permission | support.google.comCompany policy |
| Microsoft Copilot | Can be on for personal Microsoft accounts | Settings > Privacy > turn off the training switches | Work or school accounts (Microsoft 365 business plans) | joindeleteme.comNews or guide |
| Grok | Yes | Settings > Data Controls > turn off "Improve the model," or use Private Chat | Business and enterprise customers | x.aiCompany policy |
| Perplexity | Yes | Settings > turn off "AI Data Usage" | Enterprise | perplexity.aiCompany policy |
| Meta AI | Your chats with Meta AI, yes. Not your private messages with friends, unless someone brings Meta AI into the chat | No simple switch in the U.S. You can file an objection in Meta's Privacy Center; Meta decides case by case | None found | about.fb.comCompany policy |
| DeepSeek | Yes. Data is stored in China | Email privacy@deepseek.com to object | None listed | cdn.deepseek.comCompany policy |
| GitHub Copilot | Yes, on Free, Pro and Pro+ since Apr 24, 2026 | github.com Copilot settings > turn off "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" | Business and Enterprise | infoq.comNews or guide |
| Lovable | Yes, on Free and Pro since Sep 9, 2026 | Account settings > Preferences > AI model training | Business and Enterprise | docs.lovable.devCompany policy |
| Cursor | Not stated | Turn on Privacy Mode (any plan); team admins can turn it on for everyone | Any plan with Privacy Mode on | cursor.comCompany policy |
Turning training off changes what happens from then on. It does not delete chats you already had. Checked October 14, 2026. "News or guide" means the company's own page could not be read, so the rule comes from a recent guide; check your settings in the app.
Business plans
If customer information goes into AI, a business plan is the easiest step. None of these plans train AI on your data by default. Prices are per user, per month. Working alone? ChatGPT Business and Claude Team need at least 2 users. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 business plans work for one person, or you can turn training off in your app's settings.
| Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | What the AI does on it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Business | $25 | $20 | ChatGPT with higher limits and shared workspaces. At least 2 users. | help.openai.com |
| Claude Team (Standard seat) | $25 | $20 | Claude and Claude Code with admin controls. For 2 to 150 users. Premium seat is $125 ($100 yearly). | claude.com |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $8.40 | $7 | Gemini in Gmail and the Gemini app. Not in Docs, Sheets or Drive. Works for one person. | knowledge.workspace.google.com |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $16.80 | $14 | Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet. | knowledge.workspace.google.com |
| Google Workspace Business Plus | $26.40 | $22 | Same Gemini features as Standard, with more storage. | knowledge.workspace.google.com |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $8.40 | $7 | Copilot Chat. Copilot is not inside Word, Excel or Outlook on this plan. Works for one person. | microsoft.com |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot | Not listed | $23.50 | Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. $20.30 without Teams. | microsoft.com |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot | Not listed | $32 | Same Copilot plus stronger security tools. $28.80 without Teams. | microsoft.com |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on) | $25.20 | $21 | Adds Copilot to a business plan you already have. $18 yearly for existing customers through Dec 31, 2026 (first year). | microsoft.com |
"Not listed" means the company only shows the yearly price for that plan.
Hidden costs and coming price changes
- First-month deals jump. Grok Premium is $15 the first month, then $30.
- Yearly plans lock you in. They save money (Claude Pro is $17 a month billed yearly), but only pay yearly for a tool you already use every week.
- Plans have limits. Most $20 plans cap how much you can use in a few hours or a week. Before you jump to a $100 plan, check whether you can buy extra usage: Claude Pro and Max and ChatGPT Plus and Pro both sell it.
- Prices are scheduled to change:
- Google's Gemini 4 Argon will cost twice as much to automate starting Dec 1, 2026
- Google's Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.8 Flash will cost twice as much to automate starting Jan 1, 2027
- Grok Premium is $15 the first month, then $30 a month
- Mistral Large 4 is on a launch sale with no end date. The regular price is twice as much
- Microsoft's $18 Copilot Business deal for existing customers ends Dec 31, 2026. Then it is $21
What small businesses actually use
Share of 942 U.S. small business owners who use each tool (Bluevine survey, April 2026). The most popular tool isn't always the best fit; use the job picker for that.
What they use it for, as a share of small businesses that use AI:
| Use | Intuit survey | U.S. Chamber survey |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing and content | 45% | 68% |
| Customer service and messages | 37% | 52% |
| Bookkeeping and admin | 35% | 47% |
Survey figures compiled by State of AI for Small Business. The U.S. Chamber's 2026 report (3,732 businesses) also found 41% use a chatbot, 26% an AI coding or building tool, 24% an agent and 22% an image tool.
Want the full data table?
See every AI tool we track (146 in all), the AI models underneath with their pay-per-use prices, and tools that shut down this year. Open the full data table →
Prices change often. Check the company's own website before you buy. First-month discounts and taxes are not shown.
This guide is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. IDSAI is not paid by any company listed here. All product names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to identify their products.
How we check
- Prices come from each company's own pricing page. When a company doesn't post a price publicly, we use recent news and label it "News or review."
- Picks come from independent tests (blind-vote rankings and coding tests) and reviews, linked under each job. They are IDSAI's judgment, not a measurement.
- Usage numbers come from published surveys, linked where they appear.
- How often: prices are checked every week.
- Found a wrong price? Tell us and we'll check it and fix it.
Common questions
What is the cheapest AI for answering customer emails?
For automatic replies, budget models like Claude Haiku 5.5 or GPT-6 Luna cost about 11 cents for 300 replies. If you write replies yourself with AI help, use the AI already in your email: Gemini for Gmail or Copilot for Outlook.
Is a $20 AI plan worth it for a small business?
Usually yes, if you use it most days. Start with the free version first. Upgrade when you keep hitting its limits, and pay monthly until you know you'll keep using it.
Do I need ChatGPT Pro or Claude Max?
Most small businesses don't. The $100 to $500 plans are for people who use AI all day, every day. The $20 plans cover writing, research and everyday questions.
Does AI use my business information for training?
On many personal and $20 plans, yes, unless you turn it off in settings. Business plans like ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 business plans do not train on your data by default. Not training is not the same as legal compliance, so health, legal and financial records need more care. See the privacy section on this page.
Which AI is best for writing posts and blogs?
Reviewers rate Claude best for writing that sounds natural. ChatGPT is the better pick if you also want photo-style pictures in the same app.
What is a token?
A token is a small piece of text, about three-quarters of a word. Pay-per-use AI is priced per million tokens, which is about 750,000 words.