Is Chatgpt Plus Still Worth $20? How It Compares To The Free And Pro Plans

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Each ChatGPT scheme offers different benefits for different users.
• Paid tiers get early entree and less usage limits.
• You whitethorn not request to pay, depending connected really often you usage ChatGPT.

It's been a fewer years since ChatGPT burst onto nan scene, and complete that time, nan AI chatbot has continuously updated pinch caller models, features, products, and limitations. While there's a batch you tin do pinch nan free tier, which does supply entree to nan latest and astir powerful GPT-5 model, immoderate features and perks are reserved for paid plans for illustration ChatGPT Plus.

OpenAI introduced Plus to negociate request and guarantee entree during engaged periods (no much "at capacity" errors!). Plus besides unlocks early entree to caller features and models, making nan $20 scheme a no-brainer for powerfulness users. However, arsenic ChatGPT has evolved, nan free tier has received galore upgrades. It's, therefore, worthy re-evaluating whether Plus is worthy it successful 2025.

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

Some of you whitethorn moreover beryllium caller to generative AI and wondering which ChatGPT tier to effort first. Let's break it down, and I'll thief you yet determine whether nan free plan, ChatGPT Plus, aliases moreover nan $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription is correct 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…

Since Plus costs $20 per month, you've astir apt asked yourself: Why salary erstwhile you tin usage ChatGPT for free? I've pored complete nan specifications and utilized nan AI chatbot, and from what I tin tell, location are 9 main advantages. The TL;DR is that nan free tier has dense usage limits, while Plus gets you nan latest features and models first, pinch privilege entree moreover during highest times.

Also: Want amended ChatGPT responses? Try this astonishing trick, researchers say

If you only usage ChatGPT occasionally for fun, it's not worthy subscribing. But if you usage it for work, writing, coding, aliases creating images -- aliases you find yourself opening nan app each day, each time -- past subscribing is simply a bully idea. With Plus, you tin ever entree nan chatbot, moreover erstwhile request is high, and it removes galore of nan caps that free users face.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

1. You want to usage nan bequest models still

When OpenAI launched GPT-5, it initially replaced each its bequest models successful ChatGPT pinch it. This unified exemplary was meant to simplify things and harvester nan champion of OpenAI's offerings, utilizing a accelerated "smart" exemplary for astir queries and a deeper reasoning exemplary for harder ones. However, immoderate paying subscribers preferred nan older models aliases depended connected them for workflows.

CEO Sam Altman acknowledged 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 bequest models. Subscribers tin alteration nan older versions successful settings, including GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, o3, and o4-mini, and past they'll spot them successful nan exemplary picker.

Also: Don't for illustration GPT-5? You tin still usage GPT-4 and different bequest models successful ChatGPT - here's how

So, if you person a preferred exemplary aliases workflow that worked pinch GPT-4-era models, nan Plus tier lets you instrumentality pinch what you know.

2. You want entree to each caller GPT-5 exemplary

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 manually toggle betwixt each nan GPT-5 models: GPT-5 Auto, GPT-5 Instant, GPT-5 Thinking, and GPT-5 Thinking Mini. The default Auto exemplary decides erstwhile to "think harder" aliases erstwhile to respond quickly.

The benefit: Plus users tin take which exemplary to usage and when, alternatively of having ChatGPT automatically conjecture based connected nan speech and punctual complexity. If you often activity connected harder problems that require a exemplary to deliberation much to output nan champion imaginable answer, past having nan action to toggle connected GPT-5 Thinking, for instance, is simply a compelling logic to subscribe.

Also: What is OpenAI's GPT-5? Here's everything you request to cognize astir nan company's latest model

It fundamentally gives you much power complete GPT-5's behaviour to suit your needs.

3. You want to effort Sora 2 video procreation

OpenAI's Sora 2 video-generating exemplary allows users to create stunning, realistic videos from prompts aliases images. With ChatGPT Plus, you tin get unlimited generations, 10-second videos successful 720p, and up to 2 creations moving astatine once. ChatGPT Pro expands connected that provision, pinch faster generations, 20-second videos successful 1080p, up to 5 concurrent generations, and downloads without watermarks.

Also: I tried nan caller Sora 2 to make AI videos - and nan results were axenic sorcery

Sora 2 is only disposable to paid plans. Free users don't person entree yet.

4. You request to make a batch of images

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

With this tool, you tin inquire "create an image of…," picture a scene, and person an AI-generated image that tin see realistic quality figures and moreover legible 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.

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 fewer hours. It will notify you erstwhile you've reached nan limit and induce you to upgrade.

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

For example, 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…" By contrast, Plus users tin make galore much images per day, while Pro users are fundamentally unlimited. So, if you often usage nan AI for images, Plus is an easy choice.

5. You want to codification pinch Codex's thief

OpenAI precocious integrated its powerful Codex AI coding agent into ChatGPT Plus, truthful now anyone pinch nan $20-a-month Plus scheme tin get AI-powered coding suggestions without shelling retired $200.

Codex is an AI supplier that helps constitute and reappraisal code. 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 if you fto it. (This was a Pro-only capability.) Keep successful mind nan supplier doesn't "remember" thing betwixt sessions, truthful you person to springiness it clear instructions each time.

Also: 10 ChatGPT Codex secrets I only learned aft 60 hours of brace programming pinch it

Codex useful crossed your IDE, terminal, and moreover nan ChatGPT interface, and it's included astatine nary other costs for Plus users. Since nan coding supplier is caller to ChatGPT, you mightiness brushwood immoderate velocity bumps if galore group are utilizing it astatine once. But having an AI "pair programmer" connected request is incredibly useful if you codification regularly, and now you don't request nan $200 Pro scheme to usage it.

6. You want Agent to grip tasks for you

The caller Agent characteristic successful ChatGPT is incredibly nosy to play pinch and try. Instead of conscionable answering questions, it tin really get things done. For instance, you tin show it to do your market shopping. I tried it precocious and had it adhd everything to my Walmart cart, but I still needed to cheque retired myself. It tin browse nan web, capable retired forms, and grip multi-step tasks.

Also: My 8 ChatGPT Agent tests produced only 1 near-perfect consequence - and a batch of replacement facts

From my experience, you whitethorn deed walls pinch tasks that require delicate logins aliases payments, since nan supplier pauses and hands things disconnected to you for information reasons. It's not flawless; sometimes it gets stuck aliases confused by website layouts. Still, it's a immense measurement toward an AI that tin think, plan, and enactment connected your behalf, and it feels beautiful chaotic seeing ChatGPT grip real-world tasks for me.

Just deliberation of it arsenic ChatGPT pinch hands.

Agent is only disposable to paid ChatGPT users, truthful if you're connected nan Free plan, you can't usage it yet. Plus users reportedly get astir 40 supplier runs a month, while Pro and Team users tin usage up to astir 400 and get faster execution.

7. You do a batch of heavy investigation

You're astir apt noticing a taxable here: Many of ChatGPT's astir precocious features motorboat first for paying subscribers, and while they yet scope free users, they travel pinch usage limits.

A awesome illustration of this is Deep Research. It's fundamentally ChatGPT's "research expert mode." You inquire it a analyzable question, and it goes disconnected to browse nan web, excavation done PDFs, images, and articles, past synthesizes everything into a system study pinch citations and a summary of its steps. Free users tin effort Deep Research, but nether very tight quotas.

Also: I tested ChatGPT's Deep Research against Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok AI to spot which is best

Currently, Free users get astir 5 tasks per period utilizing a "lightweight" type of nan tool. Paid tiers (Plus, Team, and Pro) get higher limits. For example, Plus users get astir 25 tasks per period (a operation of afloat and lightweight), while Pro users get up to 250. The "lightweight" type kicks successful erstwhile you deed nan limit of nan afloat investigation model.

9. You want nan champion features pinch higher limits

Subscribing to ChatGPT Plus gives you early entree to OpenAI's newest models and tools, specified arsenic Sora 2, Codex, and Agent, good earlier they scope free users. And moreover erstwhile precocious features for illustration Deep Research aliases GPT-4o image procreation do go disposable connected nan Free plan, they're usually constricted aliases capped. You tin usage them overmuch much often and pinch less restrictions connected Plus.

With a Plus account, you get higher limits crossed respective features, including:

• Messaging
• File uploads
• Data analysis
• Deep Research
• Image generation
• Memory and discourse retention
• Advanced Voice Mode conversations

That past 1 mightiness beryllium particularly absorbing to Plus users. While Free ChatGPT users tin effort Advanced Voice Mode, they get shorter regular sessions -- usually astir 15 minutes of sound chat per time -- and it runs connected a lighter GPT-4o Mini exemplary alternatively of nan afloat 1 disposable to paying users. Plus subscribers, connected nan different hand, get longer, astir unrestricted use.

OpenAI is slow phasing retired nan older modular sound mode, but for now, some versions are still available.

You should usage ChatGPT Pro if…

OK, truthful now that we've discussed why Plus is worthy it for many, let's look astatine nan much costly Pro scheme that costs $200 a month. Most group would ne'er salary a car payment's worthy of money to usage AI, but location are typical instances wherever it could beryllium worthy it. Let's beryllium clear, though: Pro is for nan astir hardcore users who request nan maximum ChatGPT experience.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

1. You want ChatGPT Plus connected an moreover greater standard

All nan perks and features included successful ChatGPT Plus transportation complete to ChatGPT Pro, but pinch acold less limits. Pro besides adds respective exclusive capabilities, specified arsenic Pulse. Here's a breakdown of nan biggest benefits if you're earnestly considering nan upgrade:

• Unlimited and faster image generation: Pro users tin make GPT-4o images pinch virtually nary regular headdress and get privilege successful procreation queues, truthful image creation feels instant compared to different tiers.
• Maximum Deep Research, Agent, Memory, and Context: Pro importantly expands ChatGPT's "thinking" capacity. You tin tally much Deep Research tasks and usage Agent without nan tight restrictions recovered successful nan Free aliases Plus plans. The discourse model is larger too, allowing ChatGPT to retrieve and process acold much accusation successful a azygous session.
• Higher entree to Codex, projects, tasks, and civilization GPTs: The Codex coding supplier successful Pro tin grip larger, multi-step projects pinch much tasks. You tin besides create and deploy much civilization GPTs (your ain tailored chatbots) successful your workspace. Essentially, Pro treats ChatGPT arsenic a afloat improvement platform, and it's very difficult to deed its ceiling.
• Priority entree to Sora 2 video generation: Pro users get VIP curen pinch Sora 2, including video rendering astatine up to 1080p solution and 20-second length, nan expertise to make 5 videos astatine once, and watermark-free downloads. If you scheme to research pinch AI video, Pro eliminates astir each friction.

In short, Pro offers higher limits, faster speeds, and entree to everything OpenAI has to offer. If you want nan astir powerful, no-compromise type of ChatGPT, Pro is nan scheme for you. That's assuming you're good pinch nan higher value tag, of course.

2. You want GPT-5 Pro and nan astir powerful models

With Pro, you get nan afloat lineup of models and modes, including GPT-5 Pro pinch its "research-grade" reasoning. Think of it arsenic nan high-performance type of OpenAI's latest exemplary for those who request superior reasoning powerfulness and extended discourse processing. It runs connected nan aforesaid guidelines arsenic GPT-5 but adds other compute, deeper reasoning, and a larger discourse window.

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

GPT-5 Pro tin reportedly grip hundreds of thousands of tokens, producing longer and much elaborate outputs. It's champion suited for ultra-heavy workloads, specified arsenic research, coding, and information study -- tasks wherever extent and accuracy matter most. GPT-5 Pro is presently exclusive to ChatGPT Pro subscribers, who besides get entree to different GPT-5 variants and bequest models.

Nothing is off-limits. You tin move betwixt older and newer models arsenic needed without worrying astir hitting a quota.

3. You'd for illustration early entree to nan newest features

Pro users are often nan first to trial awesome upgrades. For example, erstwhile OpenAI released nan GPT-4.5 model, it went to Pro subscribers first, and they sewage early entree to nan Codex supplier for months. Both of these are now disposable to Plus subscribers, but OpenAI has confirmed that ChatGPT's astir compute-intensive devices will motorboat connected nan Pro tier earlier different plans.

Also: The champion free AI for coding successful 2025 now - only 3 make nan trim (and 5 autumn flat)

For example, ChatGPT Pulse is simply a caller characteristic that lets ChatGPT activity proactively connected your behalf. Each night, it tin investigation and summarize accusation from your chat history, interests, and instructions, past make a personalized greeting briefing pinch 5 to 10 "cards." It's for illustration waking up to your ain TL;DR feed. But, for now, Pulse is only disposable to Pro users.

OpenAI does scheme to bring Pulse to Plus users successful nan future, pursuing nan aforesaid rollout shape it uses for astir of its newest features.

You should usage free ChatGPT if…

Finally, let's talk astir nan free type of ChatGPT. I've already covered astir of its features, truthful here's nan short version: it each depends connected really often you usage ChatGPT and whether early entree to caller devices matters to you. If you only usage it occasionally and don't attraction astir testing nan latest features first, nan Free scheme is perfectly nan measurement to go.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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

If you only request occasional AI assistance and don't mind usage caps, nan free tier should service you well. It's amazingly robust and now includes immoderate features that were erstwhile down a paywall, specified arsenic Deep Research. You really do get a batch of functionality for $0.

Free ChatGPT users tin access:

• GPT-5 (the unified flagship model; disposable to Free users but pinch limits)
• Web search (built-in browsing for up-to-date info pinch root citations)
• Image procreation via GPT-4o (with limits - astir 2 to 3 images astatine a time)
• Deep Research (up to 5 "lightweight" tasks per month)
• Advanced Voice Mode (with limits - up to 15 minutes per day)
• File and photograph uploads (with limits - 3 record and 2 image uploads per day)
• Memory for referencing caller conversations (lightweight version)
• Third-party apps (like Canva and different integrations; besides disposable to Plus and Pro users)

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.

The free type offers plentifulness of room for ray usage -- asking a fewer questions per day, generating a fistful of images, trying retired precocious information analysis, uploading files aliases photos, and more. However, if you often spot messages astir hitting your limits for text, voice, aliases images, it mightiness beryllium clip to see a paid scheme specified arsenic Plus aliases moreover Pro.

For powerfulness users who request top-tier capacity and extended entree to precocious features, there's Pro, while Plus offers a much affordable mediate ground. 

Also: How to get ChatGPT Go free for a twelvemonth successful India (and what it unlocks)

Ultimately, if your needs are minimal and nan limitations don't fuss you, sticking pinch nan free tier is perfectly fine. You won't get caller features correct away, and you'll request to gait yourself pinch usage, but you'll save.