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ChatGPT: free and paid access to GPT-5

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OpenAI has officially rolled out GPT-5 across free, paid, and enterprise plans, introducing its most advanced model to date while carefully managing message caps, usage quotas, and API pricing. The August 2025 update marks the first time free users can access GPT-5, while Plus, Team, and Enterprise subscribers now benefit from expanded limits and priority throughput. This article provides a comprehensive guide to GPT-5 availability, limitations, and pricing across all ChatGPT tiers.



GPT-5 is now available to free users.

For the first time, OpenAI has made GPT-5 accessible to free-tier users, introducing advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities at no cost.

  • Access level: One GPT-5 “Thinking” request per day.

  • Shared message cap: Free users get 10 total messages every 5 hours across all models.

  • Fallback model: Once the GPT-5 daily turn is used, conversations switch automatically to GPT-4o or GPT-4.1-mini depending on server load.

  • Features included in GPT-5 Thinking mode:

    • Enhanced reasoning depth for complex queries.

    • Improved multimodal support for image uploads, document reading, and web-connected queries.

    • Higher factual consistency and reduced hallucinations compared to GPT-4o.

This limited GPT-5 access gives free-tier users an early experience with flagship capabilities, while still encouraging upgrades for heavier usage.



ChatGPT Plus unlocks full GPT-5 capabilities.

ChatGPT Plus subscribers now enjoy unrestricted GPT-5 availability with significantly increased allowances.

  • Pricing: $20/month.

  • Message limits:

    • Temporary promotional cap: 160 GPT-5 messages every 3 hours.

    • Once the GPT-5 limit is reached, chats automatically fall back to GPT-4.1-mini.

  • Benefits of GPT-5 in Plus:

    • Consistent performance and priority response speeds.

    • Access to Advanced Voice Mode with real-time conversational capabilities.

    • Full support for multimodal inputs and extended file-processing features.

OpenAI has stated that the 160-turn limit is temporary and may decrease as adoption stabilizes, meaning subscribers should expect adjustments later this year.



ChatGPT Team offers pooled GPT-5 allowances.

ChatGPT Team is designed for small groups and startups that need shared GPT-5 access.

  • Pricing: $25 per seat per month.

  • Message limits: 800 GPT-5 messages per 3 hours, pooled across the workspace.

  • Team features:

    • Centralized billing and SSO authentication.

    • Pooled capacity, allowing seats to dynamically allocate GPT-5 turns based on active users.

    • Integration with Advanced Data Analysis (ADA) and Responses API for collaborative workflows.

By consolidating GPT-5 usage into a shared capacity pool, Team plans provide cost-effective scaling without requiring Enterprise contracts.


ChatGPT Go brings GPT-5 to India.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Go, a localized subscription tier aimed at improving accessibility in India.

  • Pricing: ₹399/month with UPI and Paytm billing support.

  • Included benefits:

    • Full GPT-5 access without Plus-tier throttling.

    • A dedicated 30,000 tokens-per-minute (TPM) allowance usable via API-style calls.

    • Support for Advanced Data Analysis (ADA) and larger file uploads.

  • Educational outreach: Bundled with the India Learning Accelerator, providing 500,000 free licenses for schools and universities.

ChatGPT Go is part of OpenAI’s strategy to localize pricing and broaden access to GPT-5’s advanced features in high-growth markets.


GPT-5 in ChatGPT Pro and Enterprise.

For power users and large organizations, GPT-5 comes with virtually uncapped capacity under specific conditions.

  • Pro plan:

    • Designed for high-volume creators and professionals.

    • No fixed GPT-5 message caps; subject only to soft throttling and fair-use guidelines.

    • Includes full priority access to GPT-5 Thinking mode and 128,000-token contexts where supported.

  • Enterprise plan:

    • Offers unlimited GPT-5 usage under negotiated contracts.

    • Customizable context windows up to 128,000 tokens per session.

    • Dedicated high-throughput pools, zero data retention, and SOC 2 compliance for regulated industries.

Enterprise customers gain exclusive performance guarantees with the ability to execute large-scale workloads reliably.


GPT-5 API access and pricing.

Developers can access GPT-5 through the API using the gpt-5-preview endpoint.

  • Pricing per 1 million tokens:

    • Input: $1.25

    • Output: $10.00

    • High-volume discounts: Pricing drops to $0.90 in / $7.20 out for usage above 100M tokens per month.

  • Default API rate limits:

    • Free-tier keys: 5 queries/sec, 20k tokens/min.

    • Plus/Team keys: 20 queries/sec, 80k tokens/min.

    • Enterprise contracts: Up to 500k tokens/min with priority routing.

  • Key API enhancements:

    • Support for structured JSON outputs with tool_definition.strict=true.

    • Optimized multimodal performance for document parsing and image-based inputs.

    • Seamless integration with the Responses API for unified chat, tools, and file workflows.

The API unlocks GPT-5’s full capabilities for developers, product teams, and enterprise integrations, supporting both lightweight applications and high-volume deployments.


Comparing GPT-5 access across ChatGPT plans.

Plan

Price

GPT-5 Availability

Message / Token Caps

Best for

Free

$0

Limited preview

1 GPT-5 Thinking msg/day · 10 msgs/5 h

Light, exploratory use

ChatGPT Plus

$20/mo

Full GPT-5 access

160 msgs/3 h

Individuals needing high GPT-5 availability

ChatGPT Team

$25/seat

Full GPT-5 access

800 msgs/3 h (pooled)

Small teams and startups

ChatGPT Go

₹399/mo

Full GPT-5 access

30k TPM allowance

India-based users, educators

Pro

$50/mo

Uncapped GPT-5

Fair-use throttling applies

Heavy creators and researchers

Enterprise

Custom

Uncapped GPT-5

SLA-driven · up to 128k context

Enterprises and regulated sectors

API

Pay-per-use

Full GPT-5 access

20 QPS · 80k TPM base · 500k TPM Enterprise

Developers and integrators


Key takeaways.

  • GPT-5 is now available to everyone — free-tier users get one daily “Thinking” request, while Plus, Team, and Enterprise enjoy broader access.

  • ChatGPT Plus currently benefits from 160 GPT-5 turns per 3 hours, the highest allowance ever for individual users.

  • ChatGPT Go expands GPT-5 adoption in India, bundling affordable pricing with ADA support.

  • Enterprise customers gain unmatched throughput, customization, and compliance guarantees.

  • Developers can leverage GPT-5 via API with flexible pricing and structured output support, making it ideal for apps and automation.



By balancing free-tier accessibility with high-capacity options for professionals and enterprises, OpenAI’s GPT-5 rollout significantly broadens the model’s reach while optimizing infrastructure for sustained performance.


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