For many people in Hong Kong, Poe was the first place they used Claude and GPT side by side. In 2026 the common questions became "how does Poe pricing work?" and "why do my Poe points run out?": the free allowance shrank, paid plans are counted in points, and what a message costs depends on the model. This guide sets out Poe's current plans, how points are charged, and when they run out fastest, then compares Essevin, including where Poe is the better deal.
The short answer
Poe charges in points. Free users get about 300 points a day (down from about 3,000 since 30 March 2026). Paid plans run from US$4.99 a month (10,000 points a day) to US$249.99 a month; Premium is US$19.99 a month for 660,000 points. What a message costs depends on the model: stronger models and longer chats cost more. If you mostly use GPT, Essevin costs less per message; if you mostly use Claude Opus or need a free allowance, Poe may still suit you better.
Poe's plans in 2026
| Plan | US$ per month | Points | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 | About 300 a day | e-zone, reported 2026-03-31; Poe's help pages no longer state a figure |
| Starter | 4.99 (reported as HK$39 in Hong Kong) | 10,000 a day | e-zone, UsagePricing (2026-07-28) |
| Premium | 19.99 (199.99 a year) | 660,000 a month | UsagePricing capture of Poe's plan page (2026-07-28) |
| Premium Plus | 49.99 | About 1,650,000 a month | UsagePricing (2026-07-28) |
| Pro | 99.99 | About 3,300,000 a month | UsagePricing (2026-07-28) |
| Pro Max | 249.99 | About 8,250,000 a month | UsagePricing (2026-07-28) |
These figures come from third-party trackers and press reports, and Poe can change them at any time. Check Poe's subscription page before you decide.
How Poe charges points
By model. Every official model (Poe calls them bots) lists its own price. Light models cost a dozen or so points a message; frontier models cost hundreds to thousands; images and video cost the most.
By length. Most frontier models are charged by input and output length. Every message re-sends the whole chat history, so each new message in a long chat costs more. This is true of every usage-based service, not just Poe; see why credits run out faster in long chats.
Points do not roll over. Paid points reset each billing period. Essevin's credits also reset every month.
How many GPT messages does US$1 buy?
Points cannot be compared across services, because a point is worth something different on each. Compare what the same message costs instead. For one standard message (3,000 input tokens, 800 output tokens):
| Essevin | Poe | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Everyday plan, US$16.41 a month, about 3,105 GPT-6.1 Sol messages | GPT-6.1-Sol public rates: US$2.02 per million input tokens, US$10.10 per million output tokens (2026-10-06) |
| Messages per US$1 | About 189 | About 70 |
The two GPT models are close but not identical, and real use varies with chat length, so treat this as approximate. We do not make the same comparison for Claude Opus: by our own estimate Poe gives more Claude use per dollar, so if you mostly use Claude Opus, Poe may be the better deal.
Who should stay on Poe, and who might switch
Stay on Poe: you mostly use Claude Opus; you use AI occasionally and the free allowance is enough; you rely on community-built bots.
Consider Essevin: you mostly use GPT; you want Claude, GPT, image generation (GPT Image) and short video (Seedance, MiniMax Hailuo H3-Max, Wan 3.0 on Everyday and above) on one monthly plan; you want the same plan in Claude Code or Codex; you want to see what every request used in the console.
How Essevin charges
Essevin is a monthly subscription only; there is no pay-as-you-go account. Plans start at US$3.59 a month (Taster, 250,000 credits); Everyday is US$16.41 a month (1,000,000 credits). 78,000 credits = US$1, and chat, images and video share one monthly pool that resets every month. Every plan has a per-message cap (10,000 credits on Taster, up to 120,000 on Professional), so one runaway message cannot use up a large share of the month. Requests that fail before a reply starts cost nothing; see do failed AI requests cost credits?. If a month runs short you can add a credit pack from US$2.56; packs are an optional add-on to a subscription. You pay by card in US$ and can cancel the renewal in the console at any time.
FAQ
How many points does Poe's free plan give per day?
About 300 a day since 30 March 2026, down from about 3,000, according to Hong Kong press reports. Poe's help pages no longer state an exact figure.
How many points does Poe Premium include?
Poe's plan page showed 660,000 points a month for the US$19.99 Premium plan on 28 July 2026 (captured by UsagePricing).
Can I compare Poe points with Essevin credits directly?
No. A point is worth a different amount on each service. Compare what the same message costs, as in the GPT table above.
Why do my Poe points run out so fast?
Usually because of long chats and frontier models: every new message is charged together with the whole conversation. Starting a new chat and summarising long documents first usually saves a lot.
Does Essevin have a free trial?
No. The smallest plan, Taster, is US$3.59 a month, can be cancelled at any time and stays usable to the end of the month you paid for.
Is Essevin connected to Poe, OpenAI or Anthropic?
No. Essevin is an independent consumer subscription with its own accounts and credits.
For a wider checklist, read looking for a Poe alternative in Hong Kong?; see every plan on the pricing page, or create an account.