In this guide · 8 sections
Short answer
As of October 2026, most business AI seats cost about US$20 to US$25 per user per month: ChatGPT Business and Claude Team are US$20 a seat (annual), Copilot Business lists at US$21, and Gemini is included in Workspace Business plans. Most teams need one paid assistant, not several.
AI tool price list for small businesses, October 2026
These are list prices for the business or team tier of each tool, the tier that gives you an admin console and keeps company data out of personal accounts.
| Tool and plan | Price (as listed) | Billing notes |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Business | US$20/user/month annual; US$25 monthly | Minimum 2 seats |
| Claude Team (Standard seat) | US$20/seat/month annual; US$25 monthly | Teams of 2 to 150 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | US$21/user/month list | Add-on to Microsoft 365 Business plans, up to 300 users |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Included | Free web chat for Microsoft 365 business users |
| Gemini in Google Workspace | Included in Business plans | Workspace Business Starter from S$9.40/user/month |
| Canva Business | S$250/person/year | Canva Pro is S$165/year for one person |
| Notion Business (with Notion AI) | US$20/member/month yearly; US$24 monthly | AI fully included from the Business plan |
Sources: ChatGPT pricing, Claude pricing, Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing (Singapore), Google Workspace pricing (Singapore), Canva pricing and Notion pricing. Our detailed guides cover ChatGPT Business and Claude Team.
Which tools overlap
Most small businesses need three kinds of AI: a general assistant, AI inside the office suite they already use, and AI inside one or two specialist tools. Paying twice for the same kind is where money leaks.
| Need | Options | Usually enough |
|---|---|---|
| General assistant for writing, analysis, research | ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, Gemini app, Copilot Chat | One of these for everyone who needs it |
| AI inside email, documents, spreadsheets | Copilot Business (Microsoft 365), Gemini (Workspace) | Whichever matches your office suite |
| Design and social posts | Canva's AI features, ChatGPT images | Canva for the people who make designs |
| Wiki and SOP search | Notion AI, ChatGPT or Claude connectors | One, depending on where documents live |
Our Copilot vs Gemini comparison explains the office-suite choice in detail. If you are on Google Workspace, you already pay for Gemini; if you are on Microsoft 365, Copilot Chat costs nothing extra.
A 10-person budget example
Here is how a mixed set-up adds up for a typical small team. Your numbers will differ; the point is to see what each choice adds.
- Copilot Chat for 10 usersIncluded with Microsoft 365 business plansUS$0
- ChatGPT Business, 4 seats (annual)US$20 x 4US$80/month
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, 2 seatsUS$21 x 2 at listUS$42/month
- Canva Business, 2 peopleAbout S$42 a monthS$500/year
Estimated AI spendUS$122 + about S$42 a month
Illustrative, using list prices as of October 2026 and excluding GST. Compare with ten seats of everything: over US$400 a month before Canva.
The comparison in the note is the useful part: buying every tool for every person roughly triples the bill for the same team.
How to cut AI subscription overlap
A one-hour review every quarter keeps the spend under control.
List every AI subscription
Check company cards, expense claims and app store receipts. Personal Plus or Pro plans used for work count too, and they put company data in personal accounts.
Note who uses each one, and how often
Admin consoles for ChatGPT Business, Claude Team and Microsoft 365 show active users. Seats unused for a month are candidates to drop.
Pick one general assistant
Choose ChatGPT, Claude or the one bundled with your office suite, based on a short trial with your own tasks.
Keep suite AI only for heavy users
Copilot Business at US$21 a seat pays off for people who live in Outlook, Word and Excel; others can use the free Copilot Chat.
Switch to annual billing for stable seats
ChatGPT Business and Claude Team are US$5 a seat cheaper per month on annual billing. Keep monthly billing for trial seats.
Usage-based AI costs to budget separately
Seats aren't the only AI cost. Automations, chatbots and agents that call an AI model through an API are billed per use, and can grow quietly.
- API calls from automations, priced per million tokens and varying by model; our AI agents cost guide works through examples.
- Website chatbots priced per conversation or per resolution by some vendors.
- Automation platforms such as Zapier or Make, priced by tasks or operations, with AI steps on top.
- Image and video generation credits beyond what a plan includes.
Set a monthly spending limit on every API account and send the bill alerts to someone who reads them.
Is the spend worth it?
A seat at about US$20 a month pays for itself if it saves a person an hour or two a month, but only if you check. Our guide on measuring whether AI saves your team time gives a simple before-and-after method.
Quarterly AI spend review
Do it yourself or get help?
Choosing seats and cancelling duplicates is a decision you can make yourself with the admin consoles and the price list above. Where outside help pays off is turning a seat into time saved, for example a workflow that drafts replies, summarises enquiries or fills a spreadsheet automatically, so the tool is used every day rather than occasionally.
Our Workflow Automation (S$390 per workflow) builds one workflow of up to five steps in your own Make, Zapier or Google Apps Script account, which can include an AI step, with error alerts to your email and documentation. AI subscriptions and API usage are paid by you, in your own accounts.
Frequently asked questions
ChatGPT Business costs US$20 per user per month on annual billing or US$25 monthly, with a minimum of two seats, as of October 2026. Premium seats with more usage cost US$100 per month on annual billing. Personal Plus and Pro plans are cheaper or more powerful but have no admin console for the company.
Gemini features are included in Google Workspace Business plans rather than sold as a separate add-on, so a Workspace customer doesn't pay extra to start. Business Starter is listed from S$9.40 per user per month on Google's Singapore pricing page as of October 2026, with more Gemini features in higher plans.
Usually not for everyone. Microsoft 365 business users already get Copilot Chat at no extra cost. Buy Copilot Business at US$21 per user per month only for people who work in Outlook, Word and Excel all day, and choose one general assistant, ChatGPT or Claude, for those who need more.
It depends on how many people need paid seats. At list prices in October 2026, most business AI seats cost about US$20 to US$25 per user per month. In our ten-person example, giving paid seats only to heavy users came to US$122 plus about S$42 a month, while giving ChatGPT and Copilot seats to all ten would exceed US$400 before design tools.
For seats you are sure you'll keep, yes: ChatGPT Business and Claude Team are US$20 per seat per month on annual billing against US$25 monthly, saving about 20%. Keep new or experimental users on monthly billing until you know they use the tool regularly.