ChatGPT and AI Literacy

Open AI
Free

Additional features (with usage rate limits)

• Search the web
  (be sure to click on the globe icon in the search box to activate it)

• Generate images

• Provide support files in your prompts

• Discover and use GPTs

• Canvas: a new way of working with ChatGPT to write and code

• "Reasoning" 
  click the "reason" button in the search box to get it to "think before responding"

• Generate images with GPT 4o (limited and slower use in free version)

Open AI
(paid version)
Includes:

• ChatGPT Search for searching the web
• data analysis
• coding
• vision (upload images and ask questions about them)
• generate images with GPT 4o
• Canvas: a new way of working with ChatGPT to write and code
• Talk to ChatGPT in the mobile app.
• GPT 4o - standard model
• o3 - advanced reasoning
• o4-mini - fast advanced reasoning
• o4-mini high - good at coding and visual reasoning
• GPT 4.5 research preview (for writing & exploring ideas)
• GPT 4.1 - for quick coding and analysis
• GPT 4.1- mini - faster for everyday tasks
• Build chatbots without using code. These are called "GPTs."
  
  Enterprise edition for large businesses. Teams account for small business.
  "Reasoning" models can spend time trying different solutions before responding.

"Reasoning" models can spend time trying different solutions before responding.
(Model names begin with the letter "o.")

Starting December 5, 2024, there is a $200/month version called ChatGPT Pro.
"ChatGPT Pro provides a way for researchers, engineers, and
other individuals who use research-grade intelligence daily to accelerate
their productivity and be at the cutting edge of advancements in AI."

• Copilot Pro Plan with more features for individuals (for personal/home accounts)
• Copilot for Microsoft 365 with more features
  for institutions and businesses. 

Google
Free
Includes web search results from Google.

See Gemini plans: free, Google AI Pro, Google AI Ultra.
 

Both free and paid versions include:

• 2.5 Flash for everyday tasks
• 2.5 Pro - best for complex tasks
• Deep Research - for multi-page research reports (in Pro accounts)

Anthropic
Free. 

Now includes web search in both free and paid versions (as of May 27, 2025).

Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4 (in pro accounts) includes:

• data analysis
• coding
• vision (upload images and ask questions about them)
• "Artifacts" - these allow Claude to share standalone content
  in a dedicated window separate from the main conversation.
• Tailor Claude’s responses to your personal style,
  generate a custom style based on your own writing.
• Talk to Claude in the mobile app.
• "extended thinking" is their reasoning model, which can spend time
  trying different solutions before responding.
• Google Workspace integration is available in beta
  to all paid users in profile settings. 
• Research is now available for Pro, Max, Team,
  and Enterprise plans in the United States, Japan, and Brazil.
  (Toggle on the Research setting in chat).
  

See pricing plans: free, pro, and max.
A few universities have Claude for Education for their campus.

Focused on reliability and safety.

Generate practice exams or collaboration guides for group projects.
See A student's guide to using Perplexity Spaces.