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ChatGPT

ChatGPT is OpenAI's AI assistant for writing, research, coding, image creation and voice conversations. As of October 2026 its paid tiers run from Go to three Pro usage tiers, and GPT-6 reasoning models start on Plus. Students, knowledge workers and developers use it, often alongside the bundled Codex agent and ChatGPT Work.

Quick facts

VendorOpenAI
CategoryChat & search
PlatformsWebiOSAndroidmacOSWindowsBrowser extension
Free planYes
Pricing from$8/month
Last reviewed

Best for

  • Everyday writing and research
  • Students and self-learners
  • Developers who also use Codex
  • Power users who need high limits

Key features

GPT-6 models

Free chats run on GPT-6, Plus adds GPT-6 advanced reasoning models, and Pro adds pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 Astra.

ChatGPT Work agent

An agent launched in July 2026 that works across your apps and files for hours and turns a goal into docs, sheets, slides or web apps.

Codex built in

OpenAI's coding agent ships with every plan, from limited access on Free to the maximum number of Codex tasks on Pro.

Deep research

Runs longer multi-step research on a topic, with allowances that grow from limited on Free to maximum on Pro.

Image generation

Creates and edits images in the chat; Free is limited and slower, while Pro gets unlimited, faster creation under abuse guardrails.

Projects, tasks and custom GPTs

Group files and instructions into projects, schedule recurring prompts, and build custom GPTs, with expanded capacity on Pro.

Use cases

  • Hand ChatGPT Work a folder of source material and get back a finished slide deck and summary document.
  • Research a complex purchase or topic with deep research, then ask follow-up questions in the same conversation.
  • Send a small bug fix to Codex from the same subscription you already use for everyday chat.
  • Prepare for an exam with study mode, your uploaded notes and spoken explanations in voice mode.

Pricing

Pricing from
$8/month

Free costs $0. In the US, Go is $8/month and Plus $20/month. Pro has three tiers: $100 (5x Plus usage), $200 (reopened to new sign-ups on September 29, 2026, reportedly with 10x instead of 20x) and a new $500 tier with the most usage.

Ways to save

  • Go at $8/month raises Free's limits on uploads, image creation and memory for less than half the price of Plus, but it may show ads.
  • Don't wait for an annual discount: OpenAI doesn't offer yearly billing for Go, Plus or Pro.
  • Pro $100 has the same core Pro features as the pricier Pro tiers, with 5x Plus usage, so start there unless you hit its limits.
  • Verified US K–12 teachers can use ChatGPT for Teachers free through June 2027.
Prices checked on Oct 12, 2026

Current deals

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s general-purpose assistant, available on the web, iOS, Android, a Chrome extension and desktop apps for Mac and Windows. One account covers chat, voice, images, deep research, ChatGPT Work and Codex, and each plan raises the allowances.

What changed in 2026

  • Go went worldwide. The low-cost plan reached every supported country in January 2026 at $8/month in the US, with local pricing in some markets.
  • Ads arrived. Free and Go users in the US began seeing sponsored units under answers from February 9, 2026.
  • ChatGPT Work launched. Since July 9, 2026 the agent has been on paid web and mobile plans, and the desktop app offers Chat, Work and Codex on every plan, including Free.
  • Pro in three tiers. Pro now lets you choose among $100, $200 and $500 usage tiers, and adds Dot, an always-on agent.

Limitations

“Unlimited” chats are subject to abuse guardrails, and some models have separate allowances that pause until a reset. OpenAI Support can’t reset your limits. Individual plans bill monthly only, and Go doesn’t include legacy models such as GPT-4o.

ChatGPT FAQ

Yes. The Free plan includes unlimited text chats with GPT-6, subject to abuse guardrails, plus limited uploads, image generation, voice chats, deep research and Codex access. Ads may appear below responses.

Yes, on Free and Go. OpenAI started testing ads in the US on February 9, 2026, shown below responses and labeled as sponsored. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts have no ads, and neither do accounts of users under 18.

Yes. OpenAI paused Pro $200 sign-ups on September 10, 2026 and reopened them on September 29. According to reports, the tier now includes 10x Plus usage instead of 20x, and existing subscribers keep the old allowance until October 29. A new Pro $500 tier offers the most usage.

Go ($8/month) mainly raises Free's limits on tools, uploads, image creation and memory, and it may show ads. Plus ($20/month) adds GPT-6 advanced reasoning models, expanded deep research and Codex usage, and no ads.

Yes. OpenAI says it may use conversations to improve its models, but you can opt out at any time in Data Controls. The pricing page lists the opt-out for individual plans.

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Sources

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