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Key Takeaways from ZDNET
- My total AI expenditure in 2025 reached $1,665 across various tools and enhancements.
- A $300 investment in coding tools accomplished years of work in mere days.
- Adobe represented half of my initial costs, but I managed to significantly reduce that figure.
As we move further into 2026, we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of generative AI. The introduction of agentic AI in 2025 has revolutionized how we interact with technology.
Among the most impactful advancements has been the rise of agentic coding tools. Instruments like Gemini Jules, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex are now capable of creating entire applications and solutions. I personally experimented with Codex and Claude Code, developing various add-ons for WordPress and a fully functional iPhone app with Claude Code.
For a deeper dive, check out: I stopped relying on ChatGPT: These AI models outperform it in research, coding, and beyond
This year, I also integrated additional AI tools into my workflow. Below, I’ll outline the tools I began with, what I retained, what I added, and the tools I’ve abandoned or plan to discontinue.
As you read this overview of my annual expenditure on AI, consider two important aspects. First, I still utilize many of the free AI tools I’ve previously reviewed. Secondly, despite providing reviews, I personally finance all pro versions of these tools. This ensures that my insights remain unbiased and unbiased, free from external influence.
Paid AI Tools I Started the Year With
- Period: January through May
- Tools Used: Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, Adobe Creative Cloud
- Total Expenditure by May: $500
My year began with subscriptions to Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Midjourney ($10/mo): As my inaugural generative AI investment in early 2023, Midjourney has proven invaluable for various projects, from social media graphics for my wife’s e-commerce site to imagery for album covers and music marketing.
Discover more: How AI assisted in distributing my music across major platforms
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): With my escalating use of OpenAI’s chatbot, I upgraded to the Plus version to access essential data analytics features. Today, the Plus tier also includes advanced coding tools, offering greater capacity than the free version.
(Note: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, claiming copyright infringement related to the training and operation of its AI systems.)
Adobe Creative Cloud ($69.99/month): Having been an Adobe customer for years, I recognized the potential of AI, especially in tools like Photoshop and Illustrator. By 2025, I categorized my Creative Cloud subscriptions as part of AI expenses.
For additional insights: The best AI chatbots: A comparison of ChatGPT, Copilot, and more
This allocation put my monthly AI budget at $100 from January through May, culminating in a total of $500 by the end of May, with Adobe accounting for $350 of that sum.
Expenses Associated with API Calls
- Period: June through August
- Tools Used: Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, Adobe Creative Cloud
- Added Tools: ChatGPT API
- Total Expenditure by August: $835
In June, I established a self-hosted server to manage articles I read online, being a personal alternative to Mozilla’s Pocket. This tool, called Karakeep, employs OpenAI’s API for keyword analysis, simplifying tagging and organization.
Setting up the server involved cataloging about 21,000 articles, which took weeks to complete. OpenAI charges based on token usage for API calls.
Learn more: How to set up your own article archiving service—my experience
In June, I incurred $10 in API-related processing costs; July was $20 during my large import phase, and August added another $5, as articles added weekly have not reached the billing threshold since the last charge.
This totals $35 spent on API calls from June to August 2025. Alongside my ongoing payments of $100 per month for Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, and Adobe, my AI expenses for the year hit $835 by August, with Adobe contributing $560 to that total.
Vibe Coding – Part 1
- Period: September and October
- Tools Used: Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, Adobe Creative Cloud, ChatGPT API
- Tools Added (and Dropped): ChatGPT Pro
- Tools Added: Notion AI
- Total Expenditure by October: $1,234.90
In September, I began exploring vibe coding—the practice of directing an AI to generate code under supervision. OpenAI activated its Codex vibe coding tool for ChatGPT Plus users.
I used it to enhance my WordPress-based security product, demonstrating its effectiveness in a few hours of work. However, usage limitations imposed by the Plus tier restricted my access.
More on this: I completed 24 days of coding in just 12 hours with a $20 AI tool – but faced one significant limitation
Despite the throttling, I managed to achieve in 12 hours what would typically take nearly three weeks of hand-coding. Realizing the potential, I decided to upgrade to the $200/month ChatGPT Pro tier for unlimited access to Codex.
Over just four days, I created four plugins for my WordPress security tool—accomplishing what previously took an entire year. This proved to be a wise investment.
After completing the project, I reverted back to the $20/month Plus tier for routine adjustments. I also introduced Notion AI into my tools, benefiting from its automation capabilities within my Notion database—adding a $20/month cost starting in October.
Discover more: I achieved 4 years’ worth of product development in 4 days for $200, and it still amazes me
In September, I incurred $200 for the Pro tier instead of the typical $20 for Plus. I continued paying $80 for Midjourney and Adobe, totaling $300 for the month.
In October, I switched back to $120 per month for my subscriptions, bringing my cumulative AI expenses to $1,235 by the end of October, with Adobe accounting for $700 of that.
Vibe Coding – Part 2
- Period: November
- Tools Used: Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, Adobe Creative Cloud, ChatGPT API, Notion AI
- Tools Added: Claude Code Max 5x
- Total Expenditure by November: $1,455
Following the publication of my series on vibe coding with Codex, numerous developers encouraged me to explore Claude Code. While Codex is OpenAI’s product, Claude Code has quickly become a favorite among programmers.
For more insights: A step-by-step guide to installing and configuring Claude Code
In November, I subscribed to the Claude Code Pro plan ($20/month). However, I quickly upgraded to the Claude Max 5x plan ($100/month), after exhausting the plan’s token limits.
Over a span of 17 days, I utilized Claude Code frequently to create a robust, highly customized iPhone app designed to help manage my 3D printing filament in the Fab Lab.
Discover more: 10 things I wish I knew before trusting Claude Code to develop my iPhone app
I plan to maintain the $100/month subscription for another month or two to expand the app for Mac and Apple Watch. Keep an eye out for updates on that journey.
In November, I paid $120 for Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, Notion AI, and Adobe. The OpenAI API remained active, but it hadn’t incurred additional costs. With the addition of Claude Code at $100, my total expenditure for November was $220.
At the end of November, my cumulative AI expenditure totaled $1,455, with $770 attributed to Adobe.
Reducing Adobe Expenses
- Period: December
- Tools Used: Midjourney, ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT API, Notion AI, Claude Code
- Tools Dropped: Adobe Creative Cloud
- Tools Added (and Dropped): Canva and Leonardo AI
- Newly Added: Adobe Photography Plan, Google AI Pro (for Gemini)
- Total Yearly Spend: $1,605
In December, while working on an upcoming article about “Best AI Image Generators,” I decided it was time to reassess my Adobe expenses. A significant portion of my budget was going to Creative Cloud, a service I didn’t fully utilize.
For more insights: My experience with Photoshop and alternatives that saved me money
I initially intended to supplement my Creative Cloud usage with Canva and the newly available Affinity graphics tools. However, I found Affinity’s generative capabilities to be lacking.
This led me to spend $20 on a month of Canva’s Business plan for testing purposes, but I ultimately cancelled after finding it unhelpful.
While I have extensive experience with Photoshop and can navigate it effectively, I decided to switch to a more cost-efficient Photography plan, reducing my Adobe costs from $70 to $20 per month.
For additional insights: Nova’s new ChatGPT Images feature – a remarkable upgrade
Adobe’s pricing structure for generative credits can be confusing. While the $70/month plan offers generous credits, the Photography plan provides significantly fewer, yet I plan to purchase additional credits as needed.
I also subscribed to the $20/month Google AI Pro plan to evaluate Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro, which initially limited my image generation until I upgraded.
For further insights: Top AI Content Detectors of 2025
Nano Banana Pro proved highly effective for object replacement in images. However, with the recent release of ChatGPT’s new Images feature, I find myself reassessing this tool’s necessity.
I will maintain the Gemini AI Pro plan for another month or two for more thorough testing but may discontinue it soon if it doesn’t meet my expectations.
In December, my expenses included $30 for Midjourney and ChatGPT Plus, plus $20 for Notion AI, while keeping Claude Code’s Max plan at $100. I transitioned from Adobe’s $70 plan to the more economical $20 version, and also evaluated (and ultimately dropped) Canva’s $20 plan while introducing Google’s $20 AI Pro plan.
This led to December’s total expenses of $210, bringing my yearly total to $1,665, with Adobe accounting for $790 of that amount.
Analyzing My AI Budget
Would I spend this much if I weren’t involved in reviewing for ZDNET? Most likely not, as I typically limit my subscriptions to necessary services.
Nonetheless, I tend to prioritize tools that can enhance my productivity. If I had a particular coding project in mind, I might have opted for Claude Code regardless of writing obligations. I would have likely upgraded to ChatGPT Plus purely for its analytical capabilities.
Recent discovery: The ChatGPT Images feature is a significant improvement and incredibly engaging
I’m ambivalent about Midjourney; while I can generate graphics with ChatGPT, Midjourney’s creative capabilities are unparalleled. At $10/month, it remains a cost-effective investment.
Similarly, my feelings are mixed regarding Notion AI. Despite regular use, I don’t rely on it extensively; however, its efficiency on specific projects justifies its cost.
I should have curtailed the Adobe expenses much sooner—$70 is excessive for what I need. The $20 monthly fee for Photoshop is steep, but unavoidable due to my familiarity and efficiency with the tool.
Ultimately, many of these experimental expenses were driven by my objective to provide unbiased reviews on ZDNET. While they added to my expenses, most tools have proven beneficial in terms of saving time and increasing efficiency.
In total, I spent over $1,600 on AI-related services this year. Had I modified my Adobe plan earlier, I could have cut my costs closer to $1,200, while avoiding coding tools would have brought that down to about $900.
Was it worth it? Certainly, for the content and insights it provides. Furthermore, these tools contribute significantly to my productivity, saving valuable time that translates into savings when evaluating hourly rates.
As for your experience, I recommend keeping track of your AI-related expenses. My wife, who is also my business partner, monitors our accounts regularly, ensuring we catch any unexpected costs or fraud. I promptly cancel subscriptions that become unnecessary and monitor for any fluctuation.
For a comparative analysis: Gemini vs. Copilot: A detailed comparison on 7 daily tasks, revealing a clear victor
I often evaluate whether my time savings justify the costs of AI tools, especially since my schedule is quite packed. Presently, the benefits they bring seem to outweigh their expenses, but this may change in the future.
What about you? How many AI subscriptions do you manage? How do you determine which tools add value? Have tools like agentic coding resources, image generators, or note-taking applications significantly improved your workflow? Do you actively track your AI spending? Have you discontinued or downgraded any tools after their novelty faded? Ultimately, do you believe the time savings fromAI justify the ongoing costs for your projects? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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