I test AI tools for a living, and these are the only two worth paying for

AI Tools That Are Worth Paying For: A Deep Dive Into ChatGPT Plus and Midjourney

Generative AI is everywhere. It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, this groundbreaking technology was still on the fringes of mainstream productivity. Today, it’s a game-changer for millions of users, including professionals like me who test AI tools for a living. From coding assistance to creative projects, AI has become an integral part of my workflow. But with so many options out there, which tools are actually worth paying for? Let me take you through my experience with two standout AI tools: ChatGPT Plus and Midjourney.

How I Use AI in My Daily Life

As someone who wears many hats—running a small business with my wife, managing her tech needs, developing a WordPress security software product, and dabbling in creative projects like 3D printing and music production—I rely on AI to streamline my workload. While I never use AI to create my core content (articles, songs, or social media posts), I do use it to handle other tasks that would otherwise eat up valuable time.

My primary interests lie in how AI can assist with programming, graphic design, and video production. Over time, I’ve tested numerous AI tools, from coding assistants to content detectors, and have found a few that truly stand out. Let’s dive into the two AI tools I pay for and why they’ve earned a spot in my toolkit.

1. ChatGPT Plus – $20/Month

ChatGPT Plus has been a game-changer for my programming productivity, essentially doubling my output. I use it to handle common-knowledge programming tasks, such as writing code for published APIs. Instead of spending hours searching for code examples and deciphering forum comments, I can rely on ChatGPT to provide accurate and efficient solutions.

While I’ve tested other AI tools like Perplexity, which also uses ChatGPT, none have matched its reliability for real-world coding projects. This is why I’m willing to pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus—it consistently delivers value that other tools simply can’t match.

Beyond programming, I use ChatGPT for research, solving math problems, and brainstorming solutions to various challenges. While I never take its output as gospel, it serves as an excellent sounding board, often more helpful than a quick Google search. For me, the programming capabilities alone justify the subscription cost.

Why not opt for alternatives like Google’s Gemini? Simply put, they don’t measure up. I’ve tested Gemini Advanced and even paid for it for a few months, but it didn’t provide the same value. In fact, I managed to break it during testing. While Gemini has potential, it’s not there yet for my needs.

Other tools like Notion AI also fell short. Notion’s pricing policy was a dealbreaker for me, as it required paying for AI features on both my account and my wife’s, resulting in an unexpected $240 charge. After securing a refund, I decided to stick with ChatGPT.

2. Midjourney – $10/Month

When it comes to AI-powered image generation, Midjourney is my go-to tool. While ChatGPT Plus includes access to DALL-E 3, I still pay an additional $10 a month for Midjourney. Why? The answer lies in its versatility and quality.

Midjourney excels in generating images with a wide range of artistic styles. Unlike DALL-E 3, which has more restrictive guardrails, Midjourney allows for greater creative freedom. For example, I use it to create promotional images for my wife’s e-commerce business. Each month, she announces a craft-along theme in her Facebook group, and I generate an image to match. Midjourney consistently delivers better results for these projects, saving me hours of work in Photoshop.

Here are two key reasons why I pay for Midjourney:

1. Creative Flexibility: Midjourney offers a broader range of stylistic options, allowing me to experiment and find the perfect representation of my ideas.
2. Efficiency: Tasks that used to take hours in Photoshop now take just 10 minutes with Midjourney, making it a valuable time-saver.

While DALL-E 3 is a strong competitor, Midjourney’s ability to incorporate specific elements and styles gives it the edge for my needs. It’s a small price to pay for the time and effort it saves me each month.

Honorable Mention: Photoshop Generative Fill

Although I don’t count Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite as an AI expense, its generative fill feature deserves a shoutout. I’ve been using Photoshop for decades, and while I’ve tried alternatives like Affinity Photo, nothing matches the speed and efficiency of Photoshop for my workflow.

Generative fill has become a valuable tool in my creative projects, often used alongside Midjourney and DALL-E 3. However, even if Adobe removed this feature tomorrow, I’d still pay for Photoshop because of its overall utility and my long-standing familiarity with the software.

What About You?

Do you pay for any AI tools? If so, which ones and why? Are there any AI tools you think I should try? Share your thoughts in the comments below—I’d love to hear about your experiences with AI subscriptions.

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