Are ChatGPT Plus or Pro worth it? Here's how they compare to the free version

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

When ChatGPT first launched 2 years ago, the AI chatbot was met with specified precocious request that OpenAI introduced a premium program called ChatGPT Plus. This program guaranteed entree to the chatbot adjacent during blackout periods. The plan's perks besides included entree to OpenAI's astir precocious models, which astatine the clip included GPT-4, making the $20 program astir a no-brainer for superusers. However, arsenic OpenAI's offerings person continued to turn implicit the past fewer years, truthful person its plans.

Also: ChatGPT's subscribers and gross soar successful 2025 - here's why

If you see yourself an AI superuser, you're apt wondering which ChatGPT tier you should try. In this guide, we'll assistance you determine whether a escaped plan, ChatGPT Plus, oregon a $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription is the champion acceptable for you.

You should usage ChatGPT Plus if...

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

1. You privation to entree Deep research 

OpenAI launched its Deep Research diagnostic successful February, and it's possibly 1 of the astir almighty ChatGPT features. With Deep Research, users tin person the AI cause behaviour multi-step probe for them by pulling a robust magnitude of accusation from the web and synthesizing those sources for them successful a broad report.

Also: OpenAI's Deep Research tin prevention you hours of enactment - and present it's a batch cheaper to access

Because of its agentic capabilities, Deep Research tin enactment wholly independently, moving similar a probe expert astatine your command. Most impressively, it tin make a elaborate probe study for you successful 5 to 30 minutes, depending connected the complexity of the task. 

The reports are comprehensive, including embedded images with citations successful the output, and are amended astatine knowing uploaded files. Every study besides includes wide citations and a summary of the agent's reasoning truthful that users tin double-check the accusation for themselves. This enactment would different instrumentality humans hours. 

Currently, this diagnostic is lone disposable for ChatGPT Plus users. 

2. You privation to Advanced Voice Mode 

All ChatGPT Plus subscribers present person entree to the Advanced Voice Mode successful their accounts. The dependable adjunct is simply a truly almighty instrumentality that takes AI dependable assistants to the adjacent level. It can:

• Be interrupted mid-sentence by a user.
• Adjust its responses based connected perceived emotions successful the user's tone.
• Support video and surface sharing for ocular assistance. 

Also: How to usage ChatGPT's Voice Mode (and wherefore you'll privation to)

Meanwhile, escaped users tin lone entree a constricted monthly preview of Advanced Voice, truthful if you're connected that tier, you'll tally into usage caps. If having a much precocious dependable speech with ChatGPT is important to you -- and you don't privation to beryllium chopped disconnected by usage limits -- the $20-per-month Plus subscription mightiness beryllium the champion way forward. It inactive has limits, but OpenAI doesn't specify what they are, different than it's larger than the escaped version. 

3. You privation to make aggregate images utilizing the caller GPT-4o model

OpenAI conscionable released its astir susceptible representation generator, GPT-4o. The exemplary tin tackle analyzable tasks specified arsenic realistic quality generations and texts. However, escaped users tin lone make a fistful of images daily, portion Plus and Pro users person overmuch higher limits. 

Also: ChatGPT's caller representation generator shattered my expectations - and present it's escaped to try

If you're connected the Free tier and trust heavy connected representation creation, you'll apt spot a connection like: "You've reached your representation instauration limit. Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus oregon effort again tomorrow..." With the standalone representation generator experience discontinued, ChatGPT is the lone mode to make unlimited images utilizing OpenAI's latest representation models. So, if you request predominant oregon large-scale representation outputs, ChatGPT Plus is an casual choice.

4. You privation each of OpenAI's latest and top features first

Subscribing to ChatGPT Plus grants you precedence entree to OpenAI's newest tools good earlier they scope the escaped tier. We've already mentioned perks specified arsenic Gpt-4o representation procreation and Advanced Voice, but there's adjacent more:

Also: I mapped my iPhone's Control Button to ChatGPT - present are 5 ways I usage it everyday

• Higher limits connected precocious features: With a Plus account, users tin entree extended limits connected messaging, record uploads, and information analysis, successful summation to representation generation, arsenic mentioned above.
• Reasoning models: OpenAI's reasoning models were trained to "think earlier they speak" and, arsenic a result, tin supply higher- prime answers. ChatGPT Plus users person entree to o3‑mini, o3‑mini‑high, and o1. 
• Sora video generation: Plus, users person constricted entree to Sora, OpenAI's state-of-the-art text-to-video generator. 

If you don't privation to miss retired connected the latest ChatGPT features, the Plus tier is an casual choice. Historically, OpenAI has released caller features to Plus subscribers first, giving subscribers a caput commencement implicit Free tier users and an borderline successful their regular workflows.

5. You are a pupil (free access) 

In April, OpenAI announced it would marque its ChatGPT Plus subscription escaped for each students successful the US and Canada done the extremity of May. Therefore, if you person been funny successful the program and are a student, close present is the champion clip to spot however it fits successful and upgrades your workflow.

Also: ChatGPT Plus is escaped for students present - however to drawback this woody earlier finals

Full and part-time students astatine degree-granting schools tin assertion the escaped ChatGPT Plus connection starting present astatine the ChatGPT Students landing page. 

You should usage ChatGPT Pro if...

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1. You privation everything ChatGPT Plus has astatine a greater scale

Every azygous ChatGPT Plus perk applies to ChatGPT Pro users but with acold less usage constraints and further exclusive features. That includes:

• "Unlimited" entree to each reasoning models, GPT-4o, and Advanced Voice.
• Higher limits for video and surface sharing erstwhile utilizing Voice Mode.
• Extended entree to Sora video procreation and Deep Research.
• Access to the Operator probe preview (currently US only) and o1 pro mode. 

Also: Operator isn't worthy its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription yet - here's why

Meanwhile, ChatGPT Plus offers extended (but inactive capped) entree to galore precocious features. Pro users seldom bump into usage limits and tin truly maximize the afloat imaginable of these caller tools.

2. You privation entree to o1 pro mode

The biggest selling constituent of ChatGPT Pro is o1 pro mode. Introduced successful December 2024, o1 pro mode uses much computing resources to tackle particularly hard math, science, oregon coding problems. Here's wherefore it stands out:

Also: What is ChatGPT Pro? Here's what $200 per period gets you

• Increased reliability and accuracy: It ranks good connected precocious ML benchmarks crossed math, science, and coding, adjacent nether a stricter valuation (must beryllium close 4 retired of 4 times).
• Substantially outperforms o1-preview and modular o1, making it a bully prime for users who request the astir almighty reasoning motor possible.

If you routinely lick intricate computational tasks, plan analyzable algorithms, oregon behaviour probe that pushes AI to its limits, o1 pro mode volition springiness you the champion answers possible.

You should usage escaped ChatGPT if...

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

1. You don't privation to wage a monthly fee

The escaped subscription includes galore competitory features, making a Plus subscription little indispensable for galore features that were erstwhile paywalled. Free ChatGPT users present person entree to:

• GPT-4o mini and constricted entree to GPT-4o and o3-mini
• Web browsing capabilities for timely info and sources 
• Image procreation via GPT-4o (with a regular limit)
• Advanced information investigation tools (limited usage)
• File and photograph uploads for in-chat discussions (limited usage) 
• Use customized GPTs successful the GPT Store

If you lone request occasional AI assistance -- and bash not caput regular usage caps -- the escaped tier should service you well. It's inactive amazingly robust and present includes galore precocious features that were erstwhile down a paywall.

2. You're a casual ChatGPT user

If you find yourself seldom hitting the regular usage limits for text, voice, oregon representation generation, upgrading mightiness not beryllium necessary. The escaped mentation provides capable headroom for airy interactions, whether you're asking a fewer questions per day, generating a fistful of images, oregon concisely exploring precocious information analysis.

Also: I spent hours investigating ChatGPT Tasks - and its refusal to travel directions was mildly terrifying

However, if you often person messages astir hitting your limits (for text, voice, oregon images), that's your cue to see ChatGPT Plus. There's besides the ChatGPT Pro tier for superusers who request the highest capableness and specialized features, but Plus is simply a much affordable mediate ground. 

Ultimately, if your needs are minimal and you're not bothered by the occasional bounds notification, sticking with the escaped tier is perfectly fine.

How overmuch bash ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro cost?

As of January 2025, present are the ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro pricing tiers and however they differ:

Does ChatGPT Pro see each Plus features, positive more?

Exactly. Pro contains everything successful Plus -- unlimited oregon higher limits connected definite features -- positive exclusive entree to o1 pro mode, Sora video generation, and the Operator probe preview (US only).

Do ChatGPT Pro users acquisition downtime oregon blackout periods?

Pro subscribers person the highest precedence for uptime, making downtime highly rare. However, nary tier tin warrant 100% uptime if OpenAI undergoes large outages oregon scheduled maintenance.

Is Advanced Voice the aforesaid successful Plus and Pro?

Both tiers person Advanced Voice features, but Pro users tin marque much predominant and extended usage of dependable (including video/screensharing) without hitting limits. 

What is the quality betwixt GPT-4o, o1, and o3-mini?

We tin (and have) written full articles connected this, but here's a speedy answer:

Also: The champion AI chatbots

• GPT-4o are precocious connection models with multimodal capabilities.
• o1 is simply a specialized household of models designed for stronger reasoning (with o1 pro mode being the astir powerful).
• o3-mini is the next-gen exemplary announced for the escaped tier (with generous regular queries for Plus/Pro), offering improved velocity and reasoning implicit erstwhile mini models.

If you upgrade to Plus, tin you aboriginal power to Pro?

Yes. You tin upgrade from Plus to Pro astatine immoderate clip done your relationship settings. Your billing day whitethorn set based connected erstwhile you switch.

How to get aboriginal entree to caller ChatGPT features connected the escaped tier

Unfortunately, escaped users typically indispensable hold until OpenAI rolls them retired publicly. Plus and Pro subscribers person aboriginal oregon exclusive investigating opportunities earlier features scope the escaped plan.