The most widely used AI assistant, with a capable free tier and paid tiers for heavier work.
- Starting price
- $8/month (Go)
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- User rating
- 4.6 / 5
- Best for
- Everyday writing, research and coding help
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s assistant for writing, research, coding and everyday questions. It runs in a browser, on desktop and on mobile. Roughly 1.1 billion people used it each month as of June 2026, which makes it the default first stop for anyone trying AI.
Who ChatGPT is for
The free tier suits casual use. You get unlimited standard text chats, plus light access to image generation, voice, file uploads and deep research. For a lot of people that is enough.
You feel the ceiling when you upload files daily, generate many images, or need the reasoning models for harder problems. That is where the paid tiers earn their keep.
Which ChatGPT plan should you pick?
Go is the smallest sensible upgrade. OpenAI prices it at $8 a month in the US and gives about ten times the free limits on messages, uploads and images. It may also show ads.
Plus at $20 a month is where most regular users land. It unlocks the advanced reasoning models, projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs, plus a far bigger context window.
Pro at $100 or $200 a month is for heavy research and coding. You are buying 5x or 20x the usage of Plus, not a different feature set.
Teams should look at Business instead. It starts at two seats and adds an admin console, shared projects and SSO.
ChatGPT pricing and plans
Free
$0
per month
Unlimited standard text chats, limits on everything else.
- Unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna
- Limited uploads, images and voice
- Limited deep research and memory
- 27K instant context window
Go
$8
per month
About 10x the free limits. May include ads.
- More messages, uploads and images
- Longer memory
- 54K instant context window
- Everything in Free
Plus
$20
per month
The tier most regular users settle on.
- Advanced reasoning with GPT-6 Astra
- Projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs
- Expanded deep research and Codex
- 256K reasoning context window
Pro
From $100
per month
$100 for 5x Plus usage, $200 for 20x.
- Pro reasoning with GPT-6 Astra
- Unlimited, faster image creation
- Maximum deep research and Codex tasks
- 400K reasoning context window
Business
$25
per user, per month
$20 per user billed annually. From 2 seats.
- Admin console and unified billing
- Shared projects and workspace GPTs
- SAML SSO and SOC 2 Type 2
- Content excluded from training
Pricing checked against the official ChatGPT pricing page on 5 September 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you buy.
What ChatGPT actually does
- Text chat on web, iOS, Android and desktop
- Advanced reasoning models on Plus and above
- Deep research that compiles cited reports
- Image generation and editing
- File uploads with data analysis
- Voice conversations, including voice with video
- Custom GPTs you can build and share
- Codex for coding tasks
- Memory that carries context between chats
- Connectors and apps that reach internal tools
Pros and cons
What works well
- Free tier covers unlimited standard text chats
- Go at $8 a month is a genuinely cheap step up
- Plus at $20 unlocks reasoning models, projects and Codex
- The largest app and integration ecosystem of any assistant
- Voice, images, file analysis and coding in one place
What to watch out for
- Usage limits apply on every tier, including Pro
- Pro is costly at $100 or $200 a month
- The Go tier may show ads
- Plan and model names change frequently
ChatGPT FAQs
Is ChatGPT free?
Yes. The free plan gives unlimited standard text chats, with limits on uploads, image generation, voice and deep research. You do not need a card to use it.
How much is ChatGPT Plus per month?
$20 a month in the US. It adds the advanced reasoning models, projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs and a much larger context window.
What is ChatGPT Go?
A cheaper paid tier at $8 a month in the US. It gives roughly ten times the free plan’s messages, uploads and image creation, plus longer memory. OpenAI has said this tier may show ads.
What is the difference between Pro at $100 and $200?
Usage only. The $100 tier unlocks five times Plus usage and the $200 tier unlocks twenty times. The feature set is the same.
How much does ChatGPT Business cost?
$25 per user a month billed monthly, or $20 per user a month billed annually. Business starts at two users.
Can I cancel or switch plans at any time?
Yes. Monthly plans can be cancelled or changed at any point and you keep access until the billing period ends.
Is there a discount for students or teachers?
OpenAI offers ChatGPT for Teachers free to verified US K–12 educators through June 2027, and ChatGPT Edu for universities. Nonprofits can get up to 75% off Business or Enterprise.
Does a paid plan include API access?
No. ChatGPT subscriptions and the OpenAI API are billed separately, so developer usage is charged on top.
Where does the 4.6 rating come from?
It is the aggregate score from 2,851 reviewers on G2, checked 12 August 2026. It is not our own hands-on test score.
Weighing up other options? Read the 8 best ChatGPT alternatives we tested.
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