Lesson 6 of 6 · 4 min read · Beginner

Where to go next: which course, which tool, and do you need to pay

You have finished your first 30 minutes. Here is which short course to take next based on what you want to do, which tool to start with, and an honest answer on whether you need a paid plan yet.

In this lesson you will

Pick your next course based on what you want to do
Choose a free tool to start with today
Decide whether a paid plan is worth it for you yet

You can now give an AI a task, improve its answer, and tell when to check. That is more than most people who have paid for a subscription for a year. What comes next depends on what you want to do, so here is the map.

Figure 1.The order matters. Choosing a tool before you know what you want to do with it is how people end up paying for the wrong plan.

Which course next, by what you want to do.
If you want to	Go to	Start with (free)
Choose between ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini without reading reviews	Which AI Should I Use?	Any of the three
Get better answers with less back-and-forth	How to Talk to AI	The one you already opened
Use ChatGPT properly, including its plans	ChatGPT 101	ChatGPT Free
Write and edit long text, work with documents	Claude 101	Claude Free
Work inside Gmail, Docs and Drive	Gemini 101	Gemini Free
Pay as little as possible, including nothing	DeepSeek 101	DeepSeek chat

Do you need to pay?

Almost certainly not yet. ChatGPT Free, Claude Free and Gemini Free all cost $0. The common paid tiers are ChatGPT Go at $8, ChatGPT Plus at $20, Claude Pro at $20 and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month. They buy more daily usage, stronger models and extras like longer documents. The honest test is simple: have you hit a free limit on a day you needed it? If not, you have no problem a subscription would solve.

When you are ready to compare plans

Best AI under $20 a month →The paid tiers, ranked by what you actually get.ChatGPT vs Claude →The two most people end up choosing between.Decision engine →Answer five questions, get a plan recommendation.

Knowledge check

You have used a free chatbot most days for two weeks and never been stopped by a limit. What is the sensible next step?

Lesson FAQ

Which AI should a complete beginner start with?

Any of ChatGPT Free, Claude Free or Gemini Free. They are close enough at this level that the choice barely matters. Pick by need once you have one, which is what the Which AI Should I Use? course helps with.

Is ChatGPT Plus worth it for a beginner?

Usually not yet. It costs $20 a month and its main benefits are higher usage limits and stronger models. If you have not hit a free limit, you are paying for headroom you are not using.

What is the cheapest paid option?

Among the mainstream tools, ChatGPT Go at $8 a month is the lowest paid tier at the time of writing. Whether it is worth it depends on whether you hit free limits at all.

Should I learn about the API?

Not yet. The API is how developers pay per use instead of per month, and it can be far cheaper for repetitive work. First Output 101 covers it when you are ready, but you do not need it to get value from AI.

Finished reading?

Mark it done to track your progress through the course.

Save progress across devices

← PreviousBasic limitations and when not to trust it Course finished →Pick your next 101 course

Compare, calculate, decide

Which AI Should I Use? →How to Talk to AI →Best AI under $20 a month →ChatGPT vs Claude →Decision engine →

Do you need to pay?

Lesson FAQ

Stop overpaying for AI tools