ChatGPT free vs paid: key differences, features, and which one to choose

What are the ChatGPT free and paid versions?

ChatGPT offers a free version and a number of paid ones. 

ChatGPT Free is a plan for those who haven’t tried artificial intelligence chatbots yet or use them sparingly and have no need for advanced features.

ChatGPT Plus is oriented towards daily users who need multimodal input and output with extended limits or would benefit from additional features, such as advanced voice mode or creating custom GPTs.

Other ChatGPT paid tiers include Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans, which offer all the features and nearly unlimited access.

Finally, there’s an option to use ChatGPT via API, in which case the input and output are priced on a pay-per-token basis.

Having said that, in this ChatGPT paid vs free comparison, we’ll be looking at the Free and Plus plans specifically.

Feature comparison: ChatGPT Free vs ChatGPT Plus

The core difference between the free and paid versions of ChatGPT lies in the number of available features and their usage limits. The paid ChatGPT version comes with more AI models, video generation, advanced voice mode, and priority access with extended messaging limits. Meanwhile, with the Free version of this multimodal AI, you still get the flagship GPT-5 model along with file uploads, data analysis, and image generation.

Here’s the in-depth breakdown of the ChatGPT paid and free version features.

ChatGPT model access: GPT‑5 vs GPT‑4o

Both ChatGPT Free and Plus plan users have access to the flagship GPT-5 model, along with its GPT-5 Thinking and GPT-5 Thinking mini versions. The Plus plan also lets you choose between GPT-5 Fast and Thinking, while the Free version does that automatically unless you select the Think longer option from the input bar menu.

However, there’s a big difference between the free and paid ChatGPT versions regarding usage limitations. Free users can send 10 messages every 5 hours, after which you’re switched to GPT-5 mini. Allegedly, you also get only one GPT-5 Thinking message per day, but when I asked to use this mode specifically five times in a row, I got a well-thought-out answer each time. 

In contrast, the Plus plan comes with 160 GPT-5 messages per 3 hours and 3,000 GPT-5 Thinking messages per week. However, be aware that limits are subject to change.

Finally, the Plus version also has GPT-4o, which was made available again after a widespread user backlash. You can also turn on other legacy models (GPT-4.1, o3, and o4-mini) from your Settings.

When generating images straight from the chat, I didn’t notice any difference in creation speed, but it probably takes more than a few to hit the Free version limit. After moving to Sora, the speed remained the same, but I got a 5-image-per-day ceiling.

Unfortunately, ChatGPT Free users can’t generate videos, while the Plus version offers 480p and 10 seconds or 720p and five seconds. It took less than a minute, but the result from the “70s sci-fi style rocket passing by Mars” prompt was unflattering, to say the least.

The paid and free versions of ChatGPT also support voice input and output, as discussed in more detail in the File uploads and multimodal input section below.

While ChatGPT is trained mainly on English data, it can communicate in 58 languages you can choose from your Settings. The default language is selected according to your browser.

File uploads and multimodal input

File uploading is limited for ChatGPT Free users to 3 files per day and 80 files per 3 hours for Plus subscribers. Once again, OpenAI can lower these limits during peak usage times. 

Regarding file types, ChatGPT supports all popular formats, including documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations, images, and whatnot. It can analyze and compare them, turn one type into another, or pull out specific data.

Our ChatGPT Free vs Paid comparison has shown that both versions do a good job at interpreting images. While it declined to give its opinion on whether Ryan Reynolds or Pedro Pascal is “hotter” on a scale from 1 to 10, it gave a detailed analysis of their style.

Both ChatGPT plans support voice interaction, but the Free plan’s Standard version first translates it into text while the Plus plan’s Advanced voice mode processes speech directly and offers a more natural, real-time experience. The latter also lets you share a video, a photo, or your screen. 

However, starting in September 2025, OpenAI will upgrade the Free version and rename this feature ChatGPT Voice.

Browsing real-time data, deep research, and verification

The paid and free versions of ChatGPT can browse the web if you want real-time data included in the answer. You can activate the Web search feature by pressing the plus icon on your input bar and choosing More.

Both ChatGPT Free and Paid did a great job finding fresh information. When asked about the winner of ICC’s match between Australia and South Africa, which happened the day before writing this review, the large language model (LLM) chatbot presented a detailed answer with the score and other stats, all of which were correct.

One of the best LLMs for data analysis, ChatGPT is also capable of doing Deep research, which can be valuable for journalists, students, and others, saving lots of time. The free plan allows four searches per month, while the Plus version sets you up with 24. The latter also has the qualitative advantage by offering the OpenAI 4o reasoning model. 

What’s more, Plus users can research using not only the web but also their connected sources, such as GitHub or Google Drive.

Before starting the research, both Free and Plus asked additional questions to clarify my request to compare the 2000s and 2020s NBA basketball eras.

ChatGPT Free took 9 minutes, used 44 sources, and ran 79 searches. When looking through its step-by-step thought process, I saw it tried to scrape data with Python but was denied access to some websites. It also attempted to validate the sources by checking Wikipedia articles and their sources. 

ChatGPT Free version’s analysis was good, albeit with some minor errors that stem from the inaccuracy of source quoting, but such that are easy to notice most of the time. Some data was outdated, though. For example, it didn’t mention the 2024 NBA champion even though the 2025 winner is already known. The output was an article of about 1,500 words divided into sections according to the input request.

ChatGPT Paid version’s research took 8 minutes, used only 22 sources, but ran 160 searches. It also added tables and bullet points, which made it easier to skim the report, totalling a whopping 10,000 words. Despite the volume difference, this research had more precise quotations that weren’t “cut out” from the source sentences, including key information that impacts the meaning. 

The main drawback of this research was that it repeated some information quite often, meaning you would probably need to ask for a summary before digging in. And just like the free version output, it also presumed that the 2024 playoffs were still happening.

The GPT-4o version also asked questions before getting to work. Interestingly, its chain of thought showed some bizarre steps, such as “I'm giving 1 candy to each child, leaving 7. Now, I distribute the 7 candies, considering all groups differentiated” or “gathering insights on frequency shifts in public transportation.”

As expected, the GPT-4o took the longest, 15 minutes, checking 38 sources and running 144 searches. The report length was similar to that of Plus GPT-5, but it used a few more tables and bullet points for formatting, which was pleasant to the eye. The writing style was smoother and looked like a proper article, not a collection of paragraphs taken from different sources. 

Moreover, it was also more number-based, grounding arguments in exact stats. But just like the other two, GPT-4o also used old data when determining NBA champions, cutting off at the 2024 playoffs. However, it had some strange artifacts not only in the thought process display but also in actual output, such as “Also, the NBA deepened the bench by adding the 3-point contest “shot” – wait this is unrelated, skip. (Ignore that.)” 

However, no matter how good the end result looks, you should double-check the answers as all LLMs are still prone to AI hallucinations.

Code Interpreter and Data analysis

ChatGPT Free users get access to the Code Interpreter and Data analysis feature, which uses a Python-based advanced data analysis tool twice per day. In contrast, the ChatGPT Plus plan allows more, but the exact number is undisclosed. However, during my test, I didn’t see a big difference in quality between the two.

Code Interpreter and Data analysis tool can examine your spreadsheets, JSON, and other file types, create interactive charts, run regressions on test data, and make scenario-based simulations.

To test this advanced data analysis tool, I used a .xlsx file with coffee sales data that included factors like hour, weekday, and price, among others. Then, I asked to create an interactive chart showing the revenue generated each month by each coffee type.

The LLM told me it can’t show interactive charts in its web interface and suggested creating an HTML file. Contrary to the Free version, the GPT-4o didn’t include the revenue of all coffee types in one month, while ChatGPT Plus offered such an option.

Then, I asked to simulate a few scenarios to determine how my average monthly revenue would change if I closed the coffee shop on Sunday after 5:00 PM or for the whole day. 

The Free ChatGPT version gave a plain and straightforward answer with exact numbers and percentages. The Plus used the Thinking model, which put everything into a histogram that was hard to interpret, as all three bars were of similar height. Finally, the Plus GPT-4o model used a similar approach to that of the Free version but included explanations of how it came up with those numbers.

Memory and customization

For both Free and Plus versions of ChatGPT, chat history is unlimited. However, this differs from memory, which determines what the chatbot takes into account when answering your inquiries. The Plus version also has a “Record mode” feature that allows referencing transcribed audio recordings.

OpenAI states that limits exist for saved memories only. However, some users complain that their memory became full after downgrading to the Free plan.

Luckily, there’s no such limitation on referencing chat history. The difference between saved memories and chat history details is that saved memories are kept until you delete them, while chat history details are selective and might get updated as you use the tool.

However, there’s a big difference in the context window of the non-reasoning model, which is 16K for Free and 32K for Plus users. This roughly translates to 20 and 40 pages of text, respectively. Luckily, the reasoning version has a much larger 196K context window for both versions.

If you want to know what ChatGPT knows about you, just ask it. The same applies if you want it to forget something about you. It will no longer use that information in future conversations, but the original conversation will remain in chat history until you delete it via Settings.

Access to custom GPTs and GPT store

Just like ChatGPT Plus, the free version offers access to a multitude of custom GPTs tailored for specific tasks. These range from writing and research assistants to astrology birth chart creators. All of them are neatly categorized and have user ratings along with sample conversation starters. 

I’ve tried the Song Maker and got a decent rap song about Teletubbies on both Free and Plus.

However, the free version lacks the option to create and share your own GPTs. For this ChatGPT Free vs Plus review, I’ve built one that transforms written text into Victorian English. You can further configure your GPT with custom instructions, add files with extra knowledge, select a recommended model, or even take actions added using the OpenAPI schema. 

Deep research and complex task workflows

While the ChatGPT Free version includes deep research and allows file uploads that can be further analyzed, due to its limitations, I can’t recommend it for complex task workflows.

For starters, you only get four deep researches per month. Additionally, the number of files you can upload is also lower. The free version of ChatGPT also has a smaller memory, which can unexpectedly hinder your work halfway through.

Finally, the OpenAI GPT-4o model is available to Plus users only. While ChatGPT-5 has its Thinking mode, this comparison has shown that the former model can do a better job at Deep research in some cases.

Study and learn

ChatGPT's Study and learn mode is available to paid and free users. When it’s turned on, the chatbot will first try to understand your goals and skill level and then use the step-by-step approach to find the answer by asking a series of questions. It can also break complex concepts into smaller, easier-to-understand pieces.

This mode is excellent if you’re studying for an exam or doing homework. However, it should be noted that Study and learn works best with the Memory feature turned on, so free users risk unexpectedly hitting a wall due to its stricter limit.

Projects

ChatGPT Projects are available for paid version users only. This feature lets you keep chats, files, context, and instructions in one place for continuous work. You can create a Project by simply dragging a chat to the project folder.

Moreover, there’s an option to set up project-only memory where previous memories aren’t taken into account. 

ChatGPT Plus lets you have up to 20 files per project and upload 10 of those at the same time.

Tasks

ChatGPT Tasks is a paid version feature that allows the chatbot to run prompts and message you automatically via push notifications, email, or both.

For example, you can ask to send the latest headlines from your favorite media outlets every morning or remind you to water your plants according to a custom-set schedule. You don’t need to be online for the Tasks to work.

Currently, ChatGPT has a 10-task limit and does not yet support voice chat, file uploads, or custom GPTs.

Canvas

ChatGPT Canvas is a specialized workspace designed for collaborative writing and coding projects within the ChatGPT interface. Unlike a standard chat, it provides a side-by-side view where ChatGPT’s output appears in an editable format, much like a document or code editor.

This setup makes it easy to directly edit text, refine specific sections, and use built-in tools for writing and coding, enabling a more efficient and collaborative workflow than traditional question-and-answer exchanges.

Canvas is available in paid and free versions of ChatGPT.

Agent mode

ChatGPT Agent mode, available to paid version subscribers, can be given complex tasks, such as filling out forms, running code, or connecting to third-party data and analyzing it. 

This agent has a web browser, a code interpreter, connectors to GitHub and Google services, and a terminal command execution.

While ChatGPT Tasks might be enough for simpler requests, Agent mode can go as far as searching for the cheapest flights, booking hotels, creating PowerPoint presentations, or conducting in-depth competitor research. While on task, it also asks questions to make sure you get the best result.

In this example, I asked to find the three cheapest flights from London to Berlin in September. ChatGPT agent scanned a bunch of websites – more than I would ever dare to check myself – and spit out the options after 6 minutes.

Finally, I asked to open the page with the best offer so I could buy the ticket right away, and while it took longer than it would’ve taken to do it manually, it was still convenient. Plus, you can always take over the browser and finish the deed yourself.

However, the feature is still in beta (my flight price changed from $41 to $53 in the end) and should be used with caution, especially when logging in to accounts or sharing sensitive information. In such cases, it’s often recommended to run your LLMs from an AI platform with guardrails, such as nexos.ai.

ChatGPT Plus users get 40 agent mode messages per month.

Codex

Available to paid ChatGPT users only, Codex is a specialized software engineering agent that can analyze your code, answer questions, fix bugs, and write its own lines. Most importantly, it can turn text instructions into code written in Python, Go, JavaScript, and other languages.

You can use it on the web by connecting ChatGPT, one of the best LLMS for coding, to your GitHub account. Alternatively, you can launch the CLI or IDE extension.

The Plus plan lets you send between 300 and 1,500 messages locally every 5 hours with a weekly limit. In contrast, cloud tasks get something that OpenAI describes as “generous limits for a limited time.” According to them, this should be enough for the whole workday.

Speed, uptime, and reliability

The version of ChatGPT you have starts to matter during peak times. Free ChatGPT users will always be put at the end of the queue, which means waiting for a few minutes instead of seconds, and sometimes even more.

That being said, the slowdown and lower time to first token will probably be noticeable only when you use the Thinking model or run a Deep research, which requires more resources.

What’s more, free version users will run into usage limits much faster. For instance, they get only four Deep researches per month while the paid version gives you 24.

Therefore, if you plan to use ChatGPT often and during peak times, we highly recommend choosing the Plus plan.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and ChatGPT Plus?

ChatGPT and ChatGPT Plus differ in the number of available features and their usage limits.

The key things that the Free version lacks are GPT-4o and other legacy models, a ChatGPT agent, and the option to create your own GPTs. Some might also miss the option to create Projects for continuous work and Tasks that allow running automated prompts. Finally, Sora video generation is also for Plus plans and above only.

What’s more, the response time of ChatGPT Free is much more limited. You also have to wait longer to get your image generated. Also, the ChatGPT Plus plan gives way more Deep research uses per month.

This ChatGPT Free vs Paid comparison table shows the difference between both versions in detail:

Free vs paid ChatGPT for different users

Choosing between the free and paid versions of ChatGPT depends heavily on who you are and what you plan to use it for. 

Students and casual users

Students and casual users shouldn’t rush to get the paid ChatGPT version – most will feel content with what the free version offers.

The ChatGPT-5 Thinking is good enough, so you don’t feel the absence of the GPT-4o and other legacy models. You can also try custom GPTs that can aid with specific tasks, such as creative writing or preparing presentations. Furthermore, the Study mode will let high school or university students do homework or prepare for exams.

Consider upgrading to Plus only if you constantly need to use Deep research or can no longer use the Study mode due to hitting the memory limit.

Professionals and power users

Professionals and power users should go straight for ChatGPT Plus, and here’s why. Firstly, you wouldn’t want to get downgraded to ChatGPT-5 mini after one intensive session. Moreover, you will appreciate a faster response during peak time.

ChatGPT Plus also has Projects to help you organize your work, while Tasks and Agent mode provide automation. Finally, even though plenty of custom GPTs are already available for free users, only a paid subscription lets you create your very own, tailored to your specific needs.

Developers and coders

Developers and coders can rely on the free version of ChatGPT for shorter and simpler tasks that don’t involve thousands of lines. You can upload a file, ask to optimize the code, find and fix bugs, or use Canvas to run the whole thing. Unfortunately, there’s no option to add GitHub as a connector.

But most importantly, the free ChatGPT version lacks Codex, a powerful agent capable of turning text input into code. I’m not talking only about vibe coding – your commands can be more complex, such as fixing infinite recursion or truncating middle lines.

Should you choose ChatGPT Free or Plus?

In conclusion, choose ChatGPT Free and use it until you hit the limits. Start with the Plus only if you need features unavailable in the free version, such as the GPT-4o model, Sora video generation, or Projects.

That being said, a lot also depends on the frequency of use. Casual users might never need to upgrade, but if you’re using ChatGPT at work, whether it’s writing, data analysis, or coding, you’ll want Plus to truly enhance productivity, especially during peak usage times.