Free AI Tools Directory (2026)

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This content was developed with AI assistance and is regularly reviewed for accuracy.

Snapshot: October 2026. Model names, prices, and product features change monthly; What's New in AI is the maintained chronology.

In short: For most people, the best free AI tool is one of the big three chat assistants: ChatGPT for everyday questions, Claude for long documents, or Gemini if you live in Google apps. Add a specialist only when you need images, slides, transcripts, or code. Pick your task below to jump to the right entry.

If you want to...	Start with	Why it's the free pick
Ask questions and draft text	ChatGPT	Free GPT-6 Luna with web search and file uploads (ads in the US)
Work through long documents	Claude	Reads PDFs and files, keeps memory and connectors; limits reset every 5 hours
Research with sources you can check	Perplexity	Every answer cites its sources; unlimited quick searches
Get help inside Gmail, Docs, and Drive	Gemini	Built into Google Workspace
Try AI without making an account	Microsoft Copilot	Basic use needs no sign-in
Make an image	Microsoft Designer	About 15 free images a day
Make a presentation from a prompt	Gamma	400 signup credits, enough for about 10 decks
Turn meetings into notes	Otter.ai	300 transcription minutes a month
Get code autocomplete	Devin Desktop	Unlimited autocomplete in most editors
Keep everything private and offline	Ollama	Runs models on your own computer with no limits

You don't need a subscription to start using AI effectively. Free tiers in 2026 include web search, file uploads, and in some cases memory and connectors. They were also cut back during the year: ChatGPT's free plan began showing ads in February, and Gemini's free plan dropped to Flash-Lite in October (reported). Free users now get each family's small, fast model rather than the flagship.

This directory covers what's genuinely available at no cost. Each entry includes the real limits of the free tier, what the tool does best, and honest guidance on when upgrading makes sense. No affiliate links, just practical information so you can build a working AI toolkit without spending a dollar.

tip

For the complete AI tool landscape including paid options, see AI Tools & Platforms.

Not sure where to start?

This directory is long, so jump to what you need:

• Choosing a main assistant? ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini compares the big three, free tiers included.
• Try before you settle: Exercise 2: AI Tool Comparison has you run one task through three free tools and compare the answers. It takes 15-30 minutes.
• Make your free messages count: the Brief and Prompt Library has ready-to-adapt briefs, so you spend fewer messages getting a good answer.

Getting the Most from Free Tools

Before diving into individual tools, here are a few strategies that will help you get the most value from free tiers.

Combine tools to cover gaps. No single free tool does everything well. Use one platform for writing, another for coding, and a third for image generation. The best free AI workflow in 2026 is a multi-tool workflow.

Understand rate limits. Most free tiers throttle usage during peak hours or cap the number of messages per day. Plan your heavy usage for off-peak times, and save your best prompts for when you need them most.

Start free, upgrade selectively. Use free tiers to learn what works for your specific needs. Once you know which tool delivers the most value for your workflow, that's the one worth paying for. Upgrading everything at once is wasteful.

Export and back up your work. Free accounts sometimes have data retention limits or fewer export options. Save important conversations, generated content, and project files locally.

Free Chat & Writing Tools

These are the general-purpose AI assistants — the tools most people use every day for writing, research, brainstorming, and analysis. All five platforms below offer meaningful free access.

ChatGPT (Free Tier)

• Link: chatgpt.com
• Free tier: GPT-6 Luna, OpenAI's small, fast model and the free default in Chat, plus Intelligent UI (interactive charts, forms, and buttons in answers). Includes text and image input, web search, and basic file uploads. Message caps apply. In the US, logged-in adult users on Free and Go see ads (since February 2026).
• Best for: General-purpose writing, brainstorming, research questions, casual coding help, and learning AI fundamentals.
• Key features: Multi-modal input (text and images), web search for current information, memory across chats, access to shared GPTs and the apps directory, mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• Limitations: No GPT-6 Sol or Astra, no ChatGPT Work (agent mode), limited image generation and voice. Go ($8/month in the US) raises limits but keeps ads and still excludes agent mode.
• Worth upgrading? Yes, if you rely on AI daily for work. Plus ($20/month) unlocks GPT-6 Sol in Chat, ChatGPT Work, more image generation, and an ad-free experience. For occasional personal use, the free tier is genuinely sufficient.

Claude (Free Tier)

• Link: claude.ai
• Free tier: Claude Sonnet and Haiku with usage limits on a rolling five-hour window rather than a fixed daily cap. Includes web search, memory, connectors (Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and others), file uploads, file creation and code execution, Artifacts, voice mode, and up to 5 Projects. Actual limits flex with message length, attachments, and demand.
• Best for: Long-form writing, document analysis, careful reasoning tasks, coding assistance, and work that needs your own files or email as context.
• Key features: 1M-token context window for lengthy documents, always-on reasoning, well-structured outputs, multiple files per conversation, strong instruction following, and the most complete free feature set of the big three.
• Limitations: No Opus 5.5 or Fable 5.1, no Research mode, Claude Code, or Claude in Chrome. Heavy sessions (long documents, many attachments) can burn through a five-hour window quickly. Projects are capped at five.
• Worth upgrading? If you work with long documents or complex analysis regularly, Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed annually) is valuable. It adds Opus 5.5, Fable 5.1 via usage credits, Research, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome, scheduling, and higher usage limits. For everyday questions and moderate writing tasks, the free tier handles it well.

Gemini (Free Tier)

• Link: gemini.google.com
• Free tier: Since October 9, 2026, free accounts use Gemini's Flash-Lite model only (reported); Flash and Pro now require a paid plan. Flash-Lite still handles everyday chat and includes text, image, and audio input. Deep integration with Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive) for users with Google accounts.
• Best for: Research with real-time web access, Google Workspace integration, multi-modal tasks involving images and audio, and quick factual lookups.
• Key features: Real-time web search built into responses, Google Workspace integration for email and document tasks, image understanding and generation (including Nano Banana), audio and video input capabilities, strong multilingual support.
• Limitations: The stronger models need a subscription: Google AI Plus (about $5/month) adds Gemini 3.8 Flash, and Google AI Pro adds Gemini 3.1 Pro and Google's new flagship, Gemini 4 Argon. Some Google Workspace integrations need a paid Google AI Pro plan. Image generation has content restrictions.
• Worth upgrading? Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) bundles Gemini 3.1 Pro and Gemini 4 Argon access with 2TB of storage and full Workspace integration. Worth it if you're deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem. If you mainly want the faster, more capable Flash model, Google AI Plus is the cheaper step up. Otherwise, the free tier still works for quick research and general use.

Microsoft Copilot

• Link: copilot.microsoft.com
• Free tier: Access to current GPT models through Microsoft's interface. Includes web browsing, image generation, and basic document analysis. No sign-in required for basic usage.
• Best for: Quick web research with cited sources, image generation at no cost, users already in the Microsoft ecosystem, and casual AI interactions without creating an account.
• Key features: Web search with source citations, OpenAI-powered image generation included free, integration with Microsoft Edge browser, no account required for basic chat, plugins for specialized tasks.
• Limitations: Conversation turns are capped per session. Response quality can be inconsistent compared to direct ChatGPT or Claude access. Copilot inside Word, Excel, and Outlook requires a paid Microsoft 365 plan (Microsoft 365 Copilot for work is a separate business add-on). Less customizable than competing platforms.
• Worth upgrading? Microsoft retired the standalone Copilot Pro plan; its replacement, Microsoft 365 Premium ($19.99/month), combines the former Copilot Pro features with a Microsoft 365 Family subscription (Office apps and cloud storage). Most users are better served upgrading ChatGPT or Claude directly, unless Microsoft 365 integration is essential to their workflow.

Perplexity (Free Tier)

• Link: perplexity.ai
• Free tier: Unlimited quick searches and approximately 5 Pro searches per day. All results include source citations with direct links. Basic file upload and analysis capabilities.
• Best for: Research with verifiable sources, fact-checking, academic research, and any task where knowing where the information comes from matters.
• Key features: Every response includes numbered source citations, Pro Search for deep multi-step research, clean interface focused on research rather than conversation, ability to follow up with clarifying questions, shareable research threads.
• Limitations: Pro searches (which use advanced models and multi-step reasoning) are limited to about 5 per day on the free tier. Image generation and creative output are more limited than ChatGPT or Gemini, and the product is better suited to research than to open-ended brainstorming or creative writing. File analysis is more constrained than ChatGPT or Claude.
• Worth upgrading? If research is core to your work — journalism, academia, analysis — Pro ($20/month) with unlimited Pro searches is one of the best values in AI. For casual fact-checking, the free tier is excellent.

Free Image & Design Tools

AI-powered design has become remarkably accessible. These tools let you generate, edit, and design visuals without any cost.

Canva (Free Tier)

• Link: canva.com
• Free tier: Full design platform access with limited AI features. Includes Magic Write (AI text generation), basic background removal, and access to thousands of templates. Some AI-generated design suggestions available.
• Best for: Social media graphics, presentations, marketing materials, and anyone who needs professional-looking designs without graphic design skills.
• Key features: Drag-and-drop design interface, thousands of free templates, Magic Write for AI-generated copy, basic photo editing and enhancement, collaboration features for teams.
• Limitations: Advanced AI features (Magic Edit, Magic Eraser, AI image generation) require Canva Pro. Premium templates, stock photos, and brand kit features are paywalled. Storage limited to 5GB.
• Worth upgrading? Canva Pro ($13/month) unlocks the full AI suite and premium assets. If you create visual content regularly, it pays for itself quickly. For occasional social media posts, the free tier handles it.

Microsoft Designer

• Link: designer.microsoft.com
• Free tier: AI image generation, design templates, and social media post creation. Approximately 15 image generations per day with a Microsoft account (check the current allowance in the app).
• Best for: Quick AI image generation, social media content, and users who want an image tool without a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
• Key features: Text-to-image generation, design templates with AI suggestions, social media sizing presets, text-to-image with style options, integration with Microsoft ecosystem.
• Limitations: Daily generation limits can feel restrictive for heavy use. Fewer templates and customization options than Canva. Output quality varies — some generations require multiple attempts. Less mature editing tools.
• Worth upgrading? Paid Microsoft 365 consumer plans include monthly AI credits for additional generations. For most users, the free daily allocation is enough for personal projects.

Stable Diffusion (via Free Platforms)

• Link: Available through Clipdrop, Dreamstudio (limited free credits), Hugging Face Spaces, and Civitai
• Free tier: Varies by platform. Hugging Face Spaces offers free access to community-hosted models. Clipdrop provides limited free generations. DreamStudio offers initial free credits. If you have a capable GPU, you can run Stable Diffusion locally at no cost with tools like Automatic1111 or ComfyUI.
• Best for: Artistic and creative image generation, users who want full control over generation parameters, developers building image generation into applications, and anyone with a GPU who wants unlimited local generation.
• Key features: Open-source model with full transparency, extensive community of model fine-tunes and styles, run locally for unlimited free usage, ControlNet for precise composition guidance, inpainting and outpainting capabilities.
• Limitations: Cloud-hosted free tiers are limited in generations. Running locally requires a dedicated GPU (8GB+ VRAM recommended). Steeper learning curve than commercial alternatives. Quality requires prompt engineering skill and model selection.
• Worth upgrading? If you're generating images professionally, investing in local hardware (a capable GPU) gives unlimited generation. For casual use, free cloud platforms provide enough generations to experiment.

Leonardo.AI (Free Tier)

• Link: leonardo.ai
• Free tier: 150 daily tokens for image generation (approximately 30-50 images depending on settings). Access to curated community models and basic editing tools.
• Best for: Game art, concept art, character design, and creative projects requiring consistent visual styles.
• Key features: Multiple fine-tuned models for different styles, real-time canvas for iterative generation, community-shared models and prompts, image-to-image transformation, consistent character generation across images.
• Limitations: Token system means heavy use burns through daily allocation quickly. Higher-resolution images and advanced features consume more tokens. Some premium models are paywalled. Export options are limited on the free tier.
• Worth upgrading? The Apprentice plan ($12/month) provides 8,500 monthly tokens, which is enough for most creative projects. Worth it for artists and designers; free tier is sufficient for exploration.

Free Coding Assistants

AI coding tools have become essential for developers. These free options range from autocomplete to full development environments.

Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf, formerly Codeium)

• Link: devin.ai (Cognition's site; the old windsurf.com address no longer applies)
• Free tier: Unlimited AI autocomplete for individual developers. Supports 70+ programming languages. Available as extensions for VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and other editors. Includes basic chat functionality.
• Best for: Developers who want reliable code autocomplete without paying for a subscription, especially those working across multiple languages and editors.
• Key features: Context-aware code completion, multi-language support, fast inline suggestions, chat interface for code questions, local code indexing for better suggestions.
• Limitations: Advanced agentic features and team collaboration require paid plans. Chat is more limited than dedicated AI assistants. Some advanced refactoring and multi-file editing features are paywalled. Search across large codebases requires premium.
• Worth upgrading? The free tier covers individual developer needs for autocomplete effectively. Upgrade to Pro if you want the full agentic IDE experience with deeper codebase understanding.
• Note: Cognition — also the maker of Devin, profiled in AI Coding Tools Compared — acquired Windsurf in July 2025, following a restructuring in which Google licensed key technology and hired much of the founding team, and rebranded it Devin Desktop in June 2026 (reported).

GitHub Copilot (Free Tier)

• Link: github.com/features/copilot
• Free tier: Copilot Free provides limited monthly completions and chat interactions in VS Code and supported editors. Includes basic code suggestions and a chat interface for coding questions.
• Best for: Developers already using VS Code and GitHub who want integrated AI assistance without switching tools.
• Key features: Inline code suggestions as you type, chat panel for explaining code and debugging, pull request summaries on GitHub, multi-language support, deep integration with the GitHub ecosystem.
• Limitations: Monthly completion and chat limits can be reached quickly during active coding sessions. Advanced features like workspace indexing and Copilot for CLI require paid plans. Enterprise features (policy controls, audit logs) are not available.
• Worth upgrading? Copilot Pro ($10/month) remains one of the best entry points into AI coding tools. Note that as of June 2026, GitHub shifted all paid plans to usage-based billing — the $10/month now funds a monthly AI Credit allotment rather than flat unlimited-ish usage, so check GitHub's pricing page for current credit amounts. The free tier works for occasional coding or trying before buying.

Replit (Free Tier)

• Link: replit.com
• Free tier: Cloud-based IDE with AI-assisted coding. Includes Replit AI for code generation and debugging, basic compute for running applications, and community collaboration features.
• Best for: Beginners learning to code, quick prototyping, collaborative coding projects, and anyone who wants to code from a browser without local setup.
• Key features: Browser-based IDE with no local installation, AI code generation and explanation, instant deployment for web applications, multiplayer collaboration, support for dozens of languages and frameworks.
• Limitations: Compute resources are limited on the free tier — applications may run slowly or be shut down after inactivity. Storage is capped. AI features have daily usage limits. Deployed applications on free plans have limited uptime.
• Worth upgrading? Replit Core ($25/month) provides more compute, storage, and AI usage. Worth it if Replit is your primary development environment. For learning and prototyping, the free tier is a great starting point.

Google Colab (Free Tier)

• Link: colab.research.google.com
• Free tier: Jupyter notebook environment with free GPU access (T4 GPU, limited hours). Includes pre-installed Python data science libraries, Google Drive integration, and Gemini-powered code assistance.
• Best for: Data science, machine learning experimentation, Python development, and anyone who needs GPU access without buying hardware.
• Key features: Free GPU and TPU access for ML training, pre-configured Python environment with popular libraries, seamless Google Drive integration for data storage, Gemini code assistance built in, shareable notebooks for collaboration.
• Limitations: GPU sessions disconnect after idle periods and have daily usage caps. RAM and disk space are limited. Long-running training jobs may be interrupted. Free GPU availability fluctuates with demand.
• Worth upgrading? Colab Pro ($12/month) offers faster GPUs, longer runtimes, and more memory. Essential for serious ML work. The free tier is perfect for learning, small experiments, and running tutorials.

Free Productivity & Business Tools

These tools bring AI into everyday business tasks — presentations, meeting notes, project management, and documentation.

Notion AI (Limited Free)

• Link: notion.so
• Free tier: Notion's workspace is free for personal use. AI features are available as a limited trial — you get a handful of AI interactions to try features like summarization, writing assistance, and Q&A across your workspace.
• Best for: Personal knowledge management, project planning, note-taking, and documentation with occasional AI assistance.
• Key features: AI writing and editing within documents, Q&A across your entire workspace, meeting note summarization, database autofill with AI, translation and tone adjustment.
• Limitations: Notion discontinued the standalone AI add-on in 2025 — full AI features now require the Business plan (~$20/user/month, annual billing). The workspace itself remains free for individuals, but AI beyond the limited trial is a paid-plan feature.
• Worth upgrading? If Notion is already your primary workspace, the Business plan is valuable for search and summarization across your notes. Otherwise, use free chat tools (Claude, ChatGPT) alongside Notion for similar results.

Otter.ai (Free Tier)

• Link: otter.ai
• Free tier: 300 monthly transcription minutes and 30 minutes per conversation. Includes real-time transcription, basic speaker identification, and keyword search across transcripts.
• Best for: Meeting notes, interview transcription, lecture recording, and anyone who needs searchable text from spoken conversations.
• Key features: Real-time transcription with speaker identification, automated meeting summaries, keyword and topic extraction, integration with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, mobile recording app.
• Limitations: 300 minutes per month is roughly 5 hours — enough for a few meetings but not daily use. Export options are limited. Advanced features like custom vocabulary and team collaboration require paid plans. Accuracy varies with audio quality and accents.
• Worth upgrading? Pro ($17/month) bumps to 1,200 minutes and adds advanced features. If you're in meetings daily, it's a time-saver. For occasional use, the free tier is adequate.

Beautiful.AI (Free Tier)

• Link: beautiful.ai
• Free tier: Access to the presentation builder with AI-powered design suggestions. Includes smart templates that auto-format as you add content. Limited to Beautiful.AI-branded exports.
• Best for: Creating professional presentations quickly without design skills, pitch decks, and business presentations.
• Key features: Smart templates that adapt layout automatically, AI design suggestions for slides, animation and transition options, team collaboration on presentations, stock photo library integration.
• Limitations: Free exports include Beautiful.AI branding. PDF and PowerPoint export require a paid plan. Template library is more limited on free tier. No custom branding or fonts.
• Worth upgrading? Pro ($12/month) removes branding and adds export flexibility. If you present to clients or stakeholders, the upgrade removes the branding issue. For internal or personal use, the watermark is a minor trade-off.

Gamma.app (Free Tier)

• Link: gamma.app
• Free tier: AI-generated presentations, documents, and websites from text prompts. Includes 400 credits at signup for AI generation. Each presentation costs approximately 40 credits.
• Best for: Turning ideas into polished presentations in minutes, creating quick pitch decks, and generating visual content from written briefs.
• Key features: Generate full presentations from a text prompt, interactive web-based presentations (not just slides), built-in analytics to track viewer engagement, embed multimedia and interactive elements, export to PDF and PowerPoint.
• Limitations: Initial credits run out after roughly 10 presentations. Additional credits require a paid plan. Customization options are more limited than traditional presentation tools. Some generated content needs manual refinement.
• Worth upgrading? Plus ($10/month) provides unlimited AI generation and removes branding. Worth it if you create presentations frequently. For one-off projects, the free credits are enough to test the platform.

Free Learning Resources

The best free AI courses in 2026 come from the vendors themselves. Claude Academy (Anthropic), OpenAI Academy, and Google AI Essentials teach the everyday skills with completion certificates, while DeepLearning.AI short courses and the Hugging Face Agents Course cover building with AI. Hands-on platforms such as Kaggle Learn and Google Colab notebooks add free practice environments.

Rather than repeat that list here, the full catalogue with formats, time commitments, and which course to take first lives on Learning & Education (2026).

Free APIs & Developer Tools

For developers building AI into applications, these tools provide free access to models and inference. For a deeper look at development resources, see Development & APIs.

OpenAI Free Credits

• Link: platform.openai.com
• Free tier: New accounts receive a limited amount of free API credits (amount varies, typically $5-10). Access to small/cheap GPT variants and other models at low cost even after free credits expire.
• Best for: Prototyping applications, testing API integrations, and learning how AI APIs work before committing to production costs.
• Key features: Access to the full range of OpenAI models, comprehensive documentation and examples, function calling and structured outputs, fine-tuning capabilities.

Google AI Studio

• Link: aistudio.google.com
• Free tier: Generous free access to Gemini models through a web interface and API. Rate-limited but functional for development and testing. Free API keys with per-minute request limits.
• Best for: Prototyping with Gemini models, testing multi-modal capabilities, and building applications that need generous free API access.
• Key features: Web-based prompt testing interface, free API access to Gemini models, multi-modal input support (text, images, audio, video), structured output and function calling, one-click export to code.

Hugging Face Inference API (Free Tier)

• Link: huggingface.co/inference-api
• Free tier: Free access to thousands of open-source models with rate limiting. Includes text generation, image generation, classification, embeddings, and more. Rate-limited to approximately 1,000 requests per day.
• Best for: Experimenting with open-source models, building prototypes that use specialized models, and accessing capabilities (translation, summarization, classification) without running your own infrastructure.
• Key features: Thousands of community models available via simple API calls, no infrastructure management needed, supports text, image, audio, and multi-modal models, easy to switch between models for comparison.

Ollama (Local)

• Link: ollama.com
• Free tier: Completely free and open source. Run LLMs locally on your own hardware with no usage limits, no API keys, and no data leaving your machine.
• Best for: Privacy-focused development, offline AI usage, developers who want full control over their AI stack, and teams with sensitive data that cannot be sent to cloud APIs.
• Key features: A desktop app plus a command line, one-command model downloads, support for Gemma, Qwen, DeepSeek, gpt-oss, Mistral, and dozens of other open-weight models, an OpenAI-compatible local API, runs on Mac, Linux, and Windows, no internet required after the initial download. See Open-Weight Models and Running One Locally for a walkthrough.

Free vs Paid: When to Upgrade

Knowing when to stay on free tiers and when to invest in paid plans saves both money and frustration. Here's a practical breakdown.

Scenario	Free Works Fine	Consider Upgrading
Personal learning & exploration	Use free tiers of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to learn AI fundamentals	Upgrade if you're studying intensively and hitting daily limits regularly
Occasional writing assistance	Free chat tools handle blog posts, emails, and casual editing well	Upgrade if you need consistent quality for client-facing or published work
Daily professional use	Combine 2-3 free tools to cover gaps in individual limits	Upgrade your primary tool — hitting rate limits during work hours costs productivity
Software development	Devin Desktop free + Google Colab covers individual developer needs	Upgrade Copilot or Devin Desktop Pro if code completion saves you more than 30 minutes daily
Team collaboration	Free tools work for individual contributors sharing outputs manually	Upgrade when you need shared workspaces, admin controls, or consistent team access
Content creation at scale	Free image and writing tools handle a few pieces per week	Upgrade when volume exceeds what daily free limits support reliably

The decision to upgrade comes down to a simple calculation: is the paid tool saving you more time or producing more value than its monthly cost? For most professionals using AI daily, one or two paid subscriptions (typically $20-40/month total) deliver meaningful productivity gains. But you don't need to pay for everything — identify your highest-value use case and upgrade that tool first.

Key Takeaways

• You can build a complete AI workflow for free by combining the free tiers of multiple tools — one for writing, one for coding, one for images, and one for research.
• Free tiers are enough for personal projects and learning, but each one made a different trade in 2026: ads on ChatGPT, Flash-Lite only on Gemini (reported), five-hour usage windows on Claude.
• Free usually means the smaller model. Free tiers run each family's small, fast model (GPT-6 Luna, Claude Sonnet and Haiku, Gemini Flash-Lite), not the flagship, so judge a platform's best work only after trying its paid tier.
• Local tools like Ollama offer unlimited free AI if you have capable hardware, with no rate limits and complete data privacy.
• Upgrade strategically, not universally. Identify the one tool that gives you the most value and invest there first.

Next steps

• Continue to: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini: AI Model Comparison (2026) to compare the paid tiers side by side
• Continue to: Decide: What to Delegate, Which Tool, Which Mode for when free is enough and when a paid mode earns its cost
• Continue to: Brief and Prompt Library to get better results from any tool, free or paid
• Continue to: AI Tools & Platforms (2026) for the full paid landscape