Why does it feel like I’m drowning in AI subscriptions?

Alright, here’s the situation:

  • Gemini Advanced: $20/month (family promo for now). Thanks, Google, for helping me keep up my AI habit. But honestly, this one feels more like a toy than a tool compared to the rest. Think of it as a car with a broken speedometer—looks fancy, but you’re not sure if it’s doing the job.
  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month. This one? Totally worth it. It’s my main helper and fixes the mess Gemini makes.
  • Claude Pro: Got a yearly discount, but it’s… complicated. It’s like hiring a genius who second-guesses everything and gets overwhelmed. Still, when it works, it’s a gem.
  • Perplexity Pro: Free trial thanks to LinkedIn Premium. Feels like a better search engine, but I haven’t fully figured out how to make it a daily thing.

And now xAI is teasing us with promises of being the ultimate AI. Let’s be real—I’ll probably sign up.

When does this madness stop? Am I supposed to start adding “AI expenses” to my monthly budget, right after groceries? Anyway, who’s joining me on the xAI waitlist?

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You should check out Hoody AI. It’s way cheaper—$65 for a whole year—and gives you access to models like Claude and ChatGPT. The only downside is no image generation yet, but the interface is super clean.

Why do you even have so many subscriptions? It sounds like a headache.

If you’re tired of paying so much, why not set up your own system at home?

You can buy a used workstation for about $200 and a secondhand RTX A4000 for $600. Add some free AI models from Meta, and you’ll have everything you need for less than $1,000. Once it’s set up, you won’t need constant internet or have to deal with limits.

I just stick to using Merlin AI or OpenRouter. Works well for me!

For anyone considering ChatGPT Pro for creative work like Sora… meh. Runway Gen 3 Alpha’s unlimited plan is cheaper and honestly more useful.

I gave it a shot for a month, but Sora’s just not hitting the mark yet.

@Nate
Hey, can you check your messages? I really need to ask you something.

Why would anyone need more than one AI chatbot? It sounds like overkill.

Perplexity’s ‘Pages’ feature is actually really fun and useful. Worth exploring!

It’s a bottomless pit, honestly. I’m already paying for Perplexity Pro, Abacus ChatLLM, two work-related assistants, and some creative tools like MidJourney and DaVinci AI. Don’t even get me started on video AI. This is turning into an expensive hobby.

@West
Totally out of hand, I agree. If I had to pick just one, it’d be ChatGPT. It’s reliable and actually useful.

Gemini? A total waste—it’s like using a faulty GPS. Claude’s alright, but the limits are annoying. Let’s see if xAI lives up to the hype.

@West
Why so many tools? I use the OpenAI API and spend only a few bucks a month. It does everything I need without breaking the bank.

Jane said:
@West
Why so many tools? I use the OpenAI API and spend only a few bucks a month. It does everything I need without breaking the bank.

For work. I need it for generating designs, product videos, and so on. It’s super helpful, but yeah, the costs add up quickly.

You can run open-source AI models on a gaming PC. It’s free and solves most of the problems regular users have.

It’s starting to feel like the streaming wars, but instead of shows, we’re collecting AI bots.