ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Plus: Is a paid subscription still worth it?

When GPT-4 was OpenAI’s most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM), paying $20 a month to access it with a subscription to ChatGPT Plus was a no-brainer for many users. However, since OpenAI announced the availability of GPT-4o, the choice is a bit more complicated. 

Also: How to use ChatGPT to write your resume

In May 2024, OpenAI revealed an omnimodel that makes GPT-4-level intelligence accessible to everyone. Free users can also access features previously reserved for paid subscribers, including the GPT Store for custom GPT bots; the Memory feature to give their conversations continuity; uploading photos and documents to discuss them with ChatGPT; web browsing; and advanced data analysis. More recently, OpenAI launched GPT-4o mini as the default model for free users to replace GPT-3.5.

As a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, I’ll explain below when ChatGPT will suffice and when you might want to opt for Plus. 

You should use ChatGPT Plus if…

1. You want to try the Advanced Voice Mode

OpenAI finally rolled out an alpha of Advanced Voice Mode in late July to a select group of ChatGPT Plus users. While the alpha is still preliminary and does not yet include some of the bells and whistles OpenAI teased in May, the voice assistant can still be interrupted by a user and respond to emotions in the user’s tone. 

Also: OpenAI’s budget GPT-4o mini model is now cheaper to fine-tune, too

Plus subscribers now have access to the Advanced Voice Mode feature in their accounts. While free users can access Advanced Voice Mode on the ChatGPT mobile apps for Android and iOS, they’re limited to 15 minutes of monthly use. Advanced Voice Mode is one of the latest and most impressive features OpenAI has added to ChatGPT Plus. So, if you’re looking for a reason to pay the $20 monthly fee, using this feature might be it.

2. You want to use GPT-4o more than most

Now that GPT-4o gives free users many of the same capabilities that were available only behind a Plus subscription, the reasons to sign up for a monthly fee have dwindled — but haven’t disappeared completely. Free ChatGPT users are limited in the number of messages they can send with GPT-4o, depending on usage and demand. 

Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?

ChatGPT used to switch to GPT-3.5 when free users reached their limit; now, it switches to GPT-4o mini (which is faster and smarter than GPT-3.5). Though OpenAI doesn’t specify the GPT-4o limit for free users, ChatGPT Plus subscribers have up to five times the capacity of the free tier and can send GPT-4o up to 80 messages every three hours. This capacity means free users should have up to a 15-16 prompt limit every three hours. ChatGPT Plus users still have access to GPT-4 when they exceed their GPT-4o limit. 

Though we expect OpenAI will increase the limits for GPT-4o for both free and paid users, if you’d like to use GPT-4o for more than 15 messages every three hours and during peak times, you’re better off with a ChatGPT Plus subscription.

3. You want to generate multiple images

GPT-4o is multimodal and capable of analyzing text, images, and voice. For example, GPT-4o can ingest an image of your refrigerator contents and provide you with recipes using the ingredients it identifies. Free ChatGPT users also can upload documents for GPT-4o to analyze and make inferences or summaries. 

However, OpenAI reserves most of its image generation capabilities for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. While free users can generate images, they’re subject to a limit. I got the popup (above) when I’d created two images with a free account, saying: “You’ve reached your image creation limit. Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus or try again tomorrow after 4:27 PM [24 hours later].”

Also: How to use DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT

GPT-4o in the free ChatGPT tier recently gained access to DALL-E, OpenAI’s image generation model. This means that when you ask the AI to generate images for you, it lets you use a limited amount of prompts to create images. While free users can technically access GPTs with GPT-4o, they can’t effectively use the DALL-E GPT through the GPT Store. When asked to generate an image, the DALL-E GPT responds that it can’t, and a popup appears, prompting free users to join ChatGPT Plus to generate images. 

4. You want a tool to create charts and tables

ChatGPT’s upgraded data analysis feature lets users create interactive charts and tables from datasets. The upgrade also lets users upload files directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, in addition to the option to browse for files on their local device. These new features are available only in GPT-4o to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users.

Also: How to use ChatGPT to make charts and tables with Advanced Data Analysis

With these capabilities, you can upload an entire research study to ChatGPT and ask it to generate a table with certain parameters (always check that the info ChatGPT enters is correct). Then, you could click on a cell and ask ChatGPT a question about it or prompt it to create a pie chart. The pie chart, which would also be interactive, can be customized and downloaded for use in presentations and documents.   

Users with prompts that require more complex reasoning and analysis, like complex math problems or programming questions, can also access the preview of OpenAI o1 through ChatGPT Plus, which takes more time to process intricate challenges.

5. You just can’t wait 

Aside from interactive chart generation, ChatGPT Plus users still get early access to new features that OpenAI has rolled out. For example, this early access included the new Advanced Voice Mode and other new features that rolled out this year for Plus subscribers first.

Also: How to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus (and why you should)

OpenAI rolled out GPT-4o to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and ChatGPT free users this spring, later expanding to Enterprise users. Since then, it’s rolled out GPT-4o mini, which is available for free and paying users.

You should use free ChatGPT if…

1. You don’t want to pay a monthly fee

With GPT-4o rolling out to free users, ChatGPT users will no longer need a Plus subscription to access most of the features that initially attracted subscribers. 

Also: The ChatGPT desktop app is more helpful than I expected – here’s why and how to try it

ChatGPT free users can access the multimodal GPT-4o with GPT-4-level intelligence, get responses from the web, generate images, use advanced data analysis, upload files and photos to discuss with the chatbot, access custom GPTs in the GPT Store, and have more helpful experiences with Memory — all of which used to be ChatGPT Plus benefits.

2. You’re a casual ChatGPT user

There is no need to upgrade to a ChatGPT Plus membership if you’re a casual ChatGPT user who doesn’t reach the GPT-4o and image generation usage limits. Plus users have a message limit that is five times greater than free users for GPT-4o, with Team and Enterprise users getting even higher limits.

If you’re a free user who doesn’t use ChatGPT often and stays within the usage limit, you wouldn’t get much benefit from a ChatGPT Plus subscription now. 

Also: ChatGPT vs. Bing Chat vs. Google Bard: Which is the best AI chatbot?

I expect OpenAI will amend the subscription benefits or the price as time passes and GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini become more popular.