Stop Paying for AI Features You Don't Need

I got an email last week. One of our tools was adding “AI-powered insights” and raising prices by 40%.

I audited our entire stack. Turns out we were paying for AI features in 11 different tools. Using exactly two of them.

This is the new SaaS playbook: slap AI on everything, raise prices, hope nobody notices.

Here’s how to fight back.

The AI Feature Audit

Go through every tool you pay for. Make a list of any AI features. Now ask: have you used this feature in the last 30 days?

If no, you’re paying for marketing, not value.

When I did this audit, here’s what I found:

  • Notion AI: Paid for, never used. We already have Claude.
  • Canva AI: Actually useful for resizing and backgrounds.
  • Grammarly Premium: The AI suggestions are decent, but free version does 90% of what we need.
  • HubSpot AI forecasting: Complete garbage. Our spreadsheet is more accurate.
  • Zoom AI companion: Haven’t touched it once.

The Consolidation Strategy

Here’s what most founders miss: you probably only need one or two AI subscriptions.

Pick your main AI tool. Claude, ChatGPT, whatever. Learn it properly. Use it for everything you can.

Then ruthlessly cut AI add-ons from other tools.

For us, Claude handles:

  • Writing assistance
  • Code review
  • Research summaries
  • Customer email drafts
  • Meeting prep

That’s $20/month. Why would I pay extra for half-baked AI features in five other tools?

Red Flags in AI Pricing

Watch out for these:

“AI credits” systems If a tool makes you buy credits for AI features, run the math. Often you’re paying $0.50 for something that costs them $0.02 in API calls.

Bundled AI you can’t remove Some tools now force AI features into higher tiers. If you don’t need them, fight for the old pricing or find alternatives.

“Unlimited AI” that isn’t Read the fine print. “Unlimited” often means “until you actually use it, then we throttle you.”

What’s Actually Worth Paying For

Not all AI features are cash grabs. Some genuinely save time:

Image editing AI (Canva, Photoshop): Removing backgrounds, resizing, fixing lighting. These work and save real hours.

Transcription (Otter, Fireflies): If you have lots of meetings, this is worth it. Though you can build your own for cheaper.

Code completion (GitHub Copilot): Developers who use it properly report 30-50% productivity gains. At $19/month, that’s a steal.

The Negotiation Playbook

When a tool raises prices for AI features you don’t want:

  1. Email them. Ask for the previous pricing tier without AI.
  2. If they refuse, ask for a discount to stay. Many will offer 20-30% off.
  3. Mention you’re evaluating competitors. This works surprisingly often.
  4. If all else fails, actually look at competitors. Many haven’t jumped on the AI price hike train yet.

I did this with three tools last month. Got $180/month in total discounts just by asking.

The Bottom Line

AI is powerful. AI features in random SaaS tools are mostly a money grab.

Audit your stack. Consolidate your AI spend. Negotiate or switch when tools try to force unwanted features on you.

The companies adding AI to justify price hikes are betting you won’t notice. Prove them wrong.