Is Chatgpt Plus Really Worth $20 When The Free Version Offers So Many Premium Features?

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When ChatGPT first launched complete 2 years ago, nan AI chatbot was met pinch specified precocious request that OpenAI introduced a premium scheme called ChatGPT Plus. This scheme guaranteed entree to nan chatbot moreover during blackout periods. The perks besides included entree to OpenAI's astir precocious models, making nan $20 scheme almost a no-brainer for superusers. However, arsenic OpenAI's offerings person evolved complete nan past mates of years, truthful person its plans.

Also: How ChatGPT could switch nan net arsenic we cognize it

If you see yourself an AI powerfulness personification aliases are looking to get nan astir retired of your AI usage, you're apt wondering which ChatGPT tier you should try. In this guide, we'll thief you determine whether a free plan, ChatGPT Plus, aliases a $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription is nan champion fresh for you.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's genitor company, revenge an April 2025 suit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights successful training and operating its AI systems.)

You should usage ChatGPT Plus if...

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month. You're astir apt asking yourself: Why salary erstwhile you tin usage it for free? There are 5 main advantages, but nan TL;DR is that nan free tier has dense usage limits, and nan Plus tier gets you nan latest features and models first. If you only usage ChatGPT now and past for fun, it's not worthy subscribing. But if you usage it for work, writing, creating images, utilizing it arsenic a hunt engine, aliases you find yourself opening nan app each day, each day, past subscribing whitethorn beryllium a bully idea.

1. You want entree to nan GPT-4o bequest model

When ChatGPT launched GPT-5, nan institution had it switch each of its bequest models successful ChatGPT. The exemplary is meant to harvester nan champion of OpenAI's offerings pinch a smart exemplary for astir queries and a deeper reasoning exemplary for harder problems. However, galore paying subscribers were upset because they preferred GPT-4o for peculiar workflows.

Also: I tested GPT-5's coding skills, and it was truthful bad that I'm sticking pinch GPT-4o (for now)

Sam Altman moreover acknowledged successful an X station that "suddenly deprecating aged models that users depended connected successful their workflows was a mistake." As a result, OpenAI brought backmost nan action for ChatGPT Plus users to entree GPT-4o successful summation to GPT-5 and GPT-5 Thinking. Free users do not person nan action to entree these bequest models, truthful this is your slightest costly measurement to entree them.

2. You want to entree GPT-5 pinch heavy reasoning

While GPT-5 combines nan champion of a heavy reasoning exemplary (GPT-5 thinking) and a modular smart exemplary for a equilibrium of velocity and quality, users pinch a Plus subscription tin besides manually toggle GPT-5 Thinking. The use present is that users tin take to person a reasoning exemplary utilized erstwhile they deliberation it would beryllium nan champion fit, alternatively of having nan existent router characteristic automatically understand which exemplary to usage based connected nan conversation, nan complexity of nan prompt, and more.

Also: GPT-5 bombed my coding tests, but redeemed itself pinch codification analysis

If you often activity connected harder problems that require nan exemplary to deliberation much to output nan champion imaginable answer, past having nan action to toggle connected GPT-5 Thinking disconnected nan bat could beryllium a compelling logic to subscribe.

3. You want to entree Sora

OpenAI's Sora video-generating exemplary allows users to create stunning, realistic videos from matter prompts aliases their ain assets pinch up to 1080p resolution. Videos tin beryllium up to 20 seconds long, pinch a limit of 10 seconds for ChatGPT Plus users, and tin beryllium widescreen, vertical, aliases quadrate facet ratios. Whether you person a existent workflow logic for AI-generated contented aliases conscionable want to tinker, it is simply a nosy exemplary to characteristic to tinker with.

ChatGPT besides uses the GPT-4o image generator to create images, OpenAI's astir tin image generator to date.

With it, you tin simply inquire "create an image of…," picture a scene, and person an AI-generated image that tin see realistic quality generations and moreover text. You tin besides upload an existing image and picture edits for GPT-4o to use -- for illustration adding text, refining details, aliases changing backgrounds. Just beryllium alert that analyzable requests whitethorn return a mates of minutes.

Also: ChatGPT's caller image generator shattered my expectations - and now it's free to try

Usage is capped for free users, but Plus and Pro subscribers tin bask overmuch higher regular quotas.

OpenAI said free tier users tin usage GPT-4o only a constricted number of times wrong a five-hour window. It will notify you erstwhile you've reached nan limit and induce you to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus. If you're connected nan Free tier and trust heavy connected image creation, you mightiness spot a connection like: "You've reached your image creation limit. Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus aliases effort again tomorrow..."

So, if you often usage AI for ocular assets, specified arsenic videos aliases images, ChatGPT Plus is an easy choice.

4. You want to usage nan Codex AI coding supplier

OpenAI precocious integrated its powerful Codex AI coding agent into ChatGPT Plus for conscionable $20 a month, truthful now anyone pinch Plus tin get AI-powered coding suggestions without shelling retired $200. You tin constituent it astatine your GitHub repo, and it'll whip up codification changes, tally checks to make judge nothing's broken, and moreover grip installing limitations online if you fto it. Just support successful mind it doesn't "remember" thing betwixt sessions, truthful you person to springiness it clear instructions each time.

Also: You tin usage OpenAI's ace powerful AI coding supplier Codex for conscionable $20 now

Also, since nan coding supplier is caller to ChatGPT, you mightiness brushwood immoderate velocity bumps if galore group are utilizing it astatine once.

5. You want expanded entree to ChatGPT's champion features

You're astir apt noticing a taxable here: Most of ChatGPT's astir precocious features are yet made disposable to free users, but pinch dense usage limitations. Therefore, nan main use of upgrading is getting to usage features for illustration Deep Research, Advanced Voice Mode, and GPT-4o image procreation a batch much than you would connected nan free tier. Subscribing to ChatGPT Plus besides gives you privilege entree to OpenAI's latest models and newest devices good earlier they scope nan free tier:

With a Plus account, you tin entree extended limits on:

messaging
file uploads
image creation
data analysis
Deep Research
Agent Mode
GPT-4 image generation
memory and context

If you don't want to miss retired connected nan latest ChatGPT features and models, you should subscribe to nan Plus tier.

You should usage ChatGPT Pro if...

OK, truthful now that we've discussed why Plus is worthy it, let's look astatine nan much costly Pro scheme that costs $200 a month. Most group would ne'er salary a car note's worthy of money to usage AI, but location are typical instances successful which it could beryllium worthy it.

1. You want what ChatGPT Plus has connected a greater standard

All ChatGPT Plus perks and features are included successful ChatGPT Pro, but pinch acold less usage constraints. Pro besides adds several exclusive capabilities. Here's a rundown of nan biggest benefits, should you beryllium earnestly considering nan upgrade:

Unlimited entree to each reasoning models: This includes GPT-5 pinch pro reasoning, GPT-4o, GPT-4.1 (and its mini variant), o3, o3-pro, o4-mini, and GPT-4.5 (research preview).
Unlimited and faster image generation using GPT-4o.
Maximum Deep Research, representation and context, Agent Mode
Priority entree to Sora video generation: You get up to 1080p video generation, 20-second videos, 5 concurrent generations, and watermark-free downloads.
Higher access to nan Codex agent, projects, tasks, and civilization GPTs.

Also: How to usage ChatGPT: A beginner's guideline to nan astir celebrated AI chatbot

As you tin see, Pro offers much features and higher limits than nan free tier. Pro users reportedly seldom brushwood immoderate constraints and tin genuinely leverage nan afloat powerfulness of ChatGPT and its newest tools.

2. You want entree to each of OpenAI's bequest models

As mentioned successful nan No. 1 trading constituent of ChatGPT Plus, location are galore perks to being capable to entree nan older models, including sticking to what you were already utilizing successful your workflow, and what you are utilized to. The Pro subscription is nan only measurement astatine nan infinitesimal that you tin entree each of them.

The database of models you tin entree includes:

Legacy models: GPT-4o, GPT-4.5 (research preview), o3, o3-pro, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini
GPT-5 models: GPT-5, GPT-5 Thinking, and GPT-5 Pro

You should usage free ChatGPT if...

Finally, let's look astatine nan free type of ChatGPT. I discussed astir of its features above, truthful successful this section, I'll break down what advantages it tin connection complete nan paid plans. It fundamentally comes down to really often you usage ChatGPT and whether having entree to nan latest and top features matters to you. If you don't usage it overmuch and don't care, nan free type is 100% nan measurement to go.

1. You don't want to salary a monthly interest

The free subscription now offers galore competitory AI features, reducing nan request for a Plus subscription, particularly for devices that were erstwhile paywalled. Free ChatGPT users tin access:

GPT-5
ChatGPT Search (web browsing for timely accusation and sources)
Image Generation via GPT-4o (daily limit applies)
Deep Research (up to 5 "lightweight" tasks per month)
ChatGPT Voice (free monthly preview)

File and Photo Uploads for in-chat discussions (limited usage)
Memory Feature for referencing caller conversations (lightweight version)

If you only request occasional AI assistance -- and do not mind regular usage caps -- nan free tier should service you well. It's amazingly robust and now includes galore precocious features that were erstwhile down a paywall. For instance, erstwhile OpenAI launched GPT-5, it besides became disposable for free users, a first for OpenAI.

2. You're a casual ChatGPT personification

If you seldom deed nan regular usage limits for text, voice, aliases image generation, upgrading to Plus aliases Pro mightiness not beryllium necessary.

Also: ChatGPT tin record, transcribe, and analyse your meetings now

The free type offers capable headroom for ray interactions -- asking a fewer questions per day, generating a fistful of images, concisely exploring precocious information analysis, and more. However, if you often spot messages astir hitting your limits (for text, voice, images, etc.), it mightiness beryllium clip to see paying for a subscription. For superusers who request top-tier capacity and extended entree to precocious features, there's ChatGPT Pro, but Plus is simply a much affordable mediate ground.

Ultimately, if your needs are minimal and limitations don't fuss you, sticking pinch nan free tier is perfectly fine.

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

As of August 2025, present are nan ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro pricing tiers and really they differ, arsenic displayed by OpenAI connected its website:

Does nan Pro tier see everything you get pinch Plus?

Yes, Pro contains everything successful Plus. That intends unlimited aliases higher limits connected definite features and exclusive entree to GPT-5 Pro and Research preview of caller features.

Do ChatGPT Pro users acquisition downtime aliases blackout periods?

Pro subscribers person nan highest privilege for uptime, making downtime highly rare. However, nary tier tin guarantee 100% uptime if OpenAI undergoes awesome outages aliases scheduled maintenance.

If you upgrade to Plus, tin you later move to Pro?

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 early entree to caller ChatGPT features connected nan free tier

Unfortunately, free users typically must hold until OpenAI rolls them retired publicly. Plus and Pro subscribers person early aliases exclusive testing opportunities earlier features scope nan free plan.

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