I was a ChatGPT early adopter and thoroughly enjoyed exploring its capabilities. I was sceptical when OpenAI launched the ChatGPT plus subscription. I didn’t think I needed all the features and access that it promised. As the subscription option became available, many users of the free version began to experience slower responses, unexpected usage limits, and other frustrations.
It was probably just due to the increasing popularity of ChatGPT. However, when I became particularly frustrated, I speculated about a dark conspiracies. In any case, $20 per month seemed reasonable, especially because testing out new ChatGPT functions was a professional necessity as well as something I wanted to do. I hesitated a bit. If I had a $1 for every time I nearly upgraded, I could have paid for ChatGPT Plus over several years. I upgraded within a couple of weeks and haven’t looked back.
Plus access
I have used ChatGPT Plus since signing up and it has been a great help in my personal life. I can use it for many things, including to create dinner ideas, entertain my children, set New Year’s Resolutions and more. Many of these tasks would be impossible or more difficult without ChatGPT Plus.
The first and most obvious change you’ll notice when you sign up is that you will have access to ChatGPT models which are in beta. The default model is GPT-4o. However, with a subscription you can also try the logic-heavy GPT-o1 model, or the o3 mini model which is faster at advanced logic. I can tell without looking if a response is using the ChatGPT Plus models. The responses are sharper, more insightful and often feel as if they have been edited by a human.
Even if I stick with GPT-4o I can still benefit from ChatGPT Plus. If you’ve ever experienced ChatGPT cutting you off when a conversation started to get interesting, you know how frustrating it can be. If you reach the limit, you will be sent to the GPT-4o mini model. This model is good, but it’s a bit bare-bones compared to GPT-4o. Subscriptions also remove the limitations on uploading files, creating and analyzing images, and creating and analyzing images. You could still reach a limit, but it would take a lot of effort.
Plus features
ChatGPT Plus offers exclusive options for GPT-4o. ChatGPT supports both standard and advanced voice modes. Custom GPTs allow you to customize ChatGPT. ChatGPT’s Tasks feature, which allows you to schedule missions for the AI for the future, is only available with a ChatGPT Plus subscription. It is currently in beta testing.
A laundry list of ChatGPT features were previously on the list, but have now been migrated to the Free Tier. ChatGPT Plus users were the only ones who could use the editable Canvas, the latest DALLE image-making tool, the web-browsing function, and other tools. Even the GPT-4o mini model is a significant improvement over earlier free-tier models. It closes the quality gap.
One argument against ChatGPT plus is that the exclusive benefits don’t remain exclusive. If you’re someone who enjoys waiting for new features to trickle in, Plus may not be necessary. If you want to be an early adopter, and get the latest models and features right away, then the subscription is still worth it. It’s not about the features; it’s when you get them, and how well they work.
Plus more
You can stick with the free version if you’re just a casual chatter who uses ChatGPT to answer quick questions, brainstorm or settle silly debates like whether pineapple should be on pizza. It has improved over time and OpenAI continues to push updates that make it an extremely robust option.
If you use ChatGPT for a variety of projects, whether at work or at home, ChatGPT Plus will be worth the money. The speed, model-quality, unlimited access, extra tools, and unlimited access make a noticeable impact.
I don’t care if I hit a limit on DALL-E usage when I want to create a cute image for a handwritten greeting card. If I want to know whether the confusing arrays of parking signs next to my car indicate that my car will not be towed within the hour, I need the most powerful and logical model available.
The real question is whether you are willing to wait until features are rolled out to all users. ChatGPT Plus will be a great choice for anyone who wants to get the best AI experience now. The free version may eventually have all the features you want if you’re willing to wait.
To be sure, I asked ChatGPT’s most advanced model whether the subscription is worth it. ChatGPT replied that it would happily pay if it was human.
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Eric Hal Schwartz has been a freelance writer at TechRadar for more than 15 years. He has covered the intersection of technology and the world. He was the head writer of Voicebot.ai for five years and was at the forefront of reporting on large language models and generative AI. Since then, he has become an expert in the products of generative AI, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. He also knows Google Gemini and all other synthetic media tools. His experience spans print, digital and broadcast media as well as live events. He’s now continuing to tell stories that people want to hear and need to know about the rapidly changing AI space and the impact it has on their lives. Eric is based out of New York City.
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