Keep, Test, Cut
Issue 4 · 15 Sep 2026
Sonaopus is $99 once
Sonaopus hit our directory this week as a one-time bill, not a monthly seat. Official pages checked 13 Sep 2026 list $99 USD per profession toolkit — HR, Executive Assistant, Project Management, Real Estate, or Recruiting — with no subscription and no recurring charge. You get eight free generations per profession before that purchase. The product does not write the letter for you. It structures your situation and hands the prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini.
That matters because the draft still comes from a chat seat you already pay for. A one-time price can feel lighter than $20 a month. It is still money on top of Claude or ChatGPT if those are already open on your desk.
Claude
If the weekly job is drafting policies, status notes, and emails with an assistant in the loop, keep one chat seat first. Claude is still the cleanest sticker price we have. Official page checked 25 Aug 2026: Free is $0. Pro is $17 a month with a $200 annual prepay, or $20 month to month. Max starts at $100. Pro is the keep for chat, drafts, and research. Max is for long agent sessions that eat a different kind of day.
Do not stack Sonaopus next to a second chat subscription “just in case.” The handoff targets Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini. If you already renew Claude Pro, run the eight free generations on one real HR letter or status report before you pay $99 for that profession. Compare the time you save against typing the same brief into Claude yourself. If the free run does not cut re-explaining, leave the $99 alone.
One more cut to watch: five professions at $99 each is $495 if you buy the set. Keep the one profession you actually do every week. The other four can wait until the free bucket proves the workflow.
This week
Pricing Watch’s newest re-check is Sonaopus on 13 Sep. A few other seats people stack still matter if a renewal is coming. Full tracker: Pricing Watch.
Claude (25 Aug 2026): Pro $17 prepaid or $20 month to month; Max from $100.
Cursor (25 Aug 2026): Pro $20, Pro Plus $60, Ultra $200, Teams $40 a user — editor seat, not chat.
TypingMind (1 Sep 2026): lifetime Standard $39, Extended $79, Premium advertised at $99 (regular $198 on that check). You bring your own API keys; usage is separate.
Catch (2 Sep 2026, Pricing Watch only — no directory SKU page yet): one advertised plan at $99 a month, billed monthly, 10-day trial. Same dollar shape as Sonaopus’s one-time price, different bill. Confirm the vendor page before you start a trial you might forget.
Mistral Vibe
Mistral Le Chat is now Mistral Vibe. Official pricing checked 25 Aug 2026 still lists Free, Pro at $14.99 a month excluding taxes, and Team at $24.99 a user excluding taxes. The rename is real. The Pro sticker we have did not jump with the name change on that check.
If you already live in Claude or ChatGPT for the same chat job, Vibe is another window, not a required upgrade. Keep it when you want Mistral’s models or EU-leaning hosting and you actually open it weekly. Otherwise leave Free as a test and keep the seat you already renew.
One thing
Before you buy Sonaopus — or any other $99 that sits on top of chat — write down the assistants you already renew. Burn the eight free generations on one real task. If the draft still needs the same Claude seat you pay for, decide whether the wrapper earned the one-time fee. Then run the free Stack Audit. It stays in the browser, no login, and it maps overlap by job.
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