AI tools: build, buy or switch?
6 tools compared on 3-year cost, cheaper options and risk. Prices checked October 2026.
| Tool | Verdict | From | Buy, 3 yrs | Build, 3 yrs | Cheapest option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | BUY | $8/seat/mo | $3,600 | $5,245 | LibreChat (open source) |
| Claude | BUY | $17/seat/mo | $3,600 | $5,245 | LibreChat (open source) |
| Cursor | SWITCH | $6.67/seat/mo | $5,400 | $8,845 | Cline (open source) |
| GitHub Copilot | BUY | $10/seat/mo | $3,420 | $6,865 | Cline (open source) |
| Lovable | BUY | $20.83/mo | $750 | $8,905 | Dyad (open source) |
| Otter.ai | SWITCH | $8.33/seat/mo | $1,499 | $8,065 | Fathom (free) |
3-year costs use each tool’s typical plan and team size and $30/hour for your time. Open a tool to change them.
ChatGPT
AI tools
Buy it. At $20 a seat, ChatGPT Business costs less than running your own chat app on the API.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $3,600
- Build, 3 yrs
- $5,245
Claude
AI tools
Buy it. A $20 Team seat includes Claude Code, and a homemade setup on the API costs more.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $3,600
- Build, 3 yrs
- $5,245
Cursor
AI tools
Switch to GitHub Copilot Business. At $19 a seat it costs 37% less than Cursor Teams at $30.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $5,400
- Build, 3 yrs
- $8,845
GitHub Copilot
AI tools
Buy it. Copilot Business is $19 a seat, and a homemade assistant costs about twice that once you pay for the API.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $3,420
- Build, 3 yrs
- $6,865
Lovable
AI tools
Buy it, one month at a time. Lovable Pro starts at $25, and you can cancel when the build is done.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $750
- Build, 3 yrs
- $8,905
Otter.ai
AI tools
Switch to Fathom. Its free plan records and transcribes without a cap, which saves about $1,500 over 3 years for five people.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $1,499
- Build, 3 yrs
- $8,065
Paying for more than one of these?
Stack Scan spots tools that do the same job and shows what you’d save by keeping one.
Verdict key: BUILD = Build it · BUY = Buy it · HYBRID = Hybrid · SWITCH = Switch. How we score.