ChatGPT Free Plans, Trials, and Subscriptions: GPT-4o and GPT-5 Access, Rate Limits, and Upgrade Paths for Late 2025/2026

Graziano Stefanelli
14 hours ago
3 min read

OpenAI’s ChatGPT now offers a full lineup of free, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans, each with unique model access, usage quotas, and trial options.This article breaks down the current plan structure, including free-tier capabilities, paid subscription tiers, trial offers, and practical advice for choosing or upgrading your ChatGPT access as of late 2025/2026.

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The free ChatGPT tier includes GPT-4o-mini, file and image tools, and web search—with generous usage, but upgrade incentives remain.

All users can register and use ChatGPT free of charge, gaining instant access to the GPT-4o-mini model by default.

The free plan enables file and image uploads, basic web browsing, GPT Store access, and up to 30 chat turns per hour (soft-capped for fair use).

Heavier queries or advanced tasks are routed to the full GPT-4o model when available, keeping the experience competitive with paid AI tools.

Free accounts can explore a wide range of features but will see prompts to upgrade as soon as usage ramps up or model limits are approached.

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ChatGPT Free Plan Overview

Plan	Monthly Price	Top Model	Key Limits
Free	$0	GPT-4o-mini, 4o	30 turns/hr, 1 GB upload

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ChatGPT Plus unlocks GPT-5, faster response times, higher limits, and exclusive features with a recurring monthly fee.

ChatGPT Plus remains the most popular paid plan at $20/month, offering immediate access to GPT-5, expanded memory/context, priority queues, and faster image generation.

Plus users enjoy increased upload and chat limits, making it the preferred choice for students, professionals, and anyone needing reliable daily AI output.

Free-trial options are periodically available, often as 7-day in-app banners or through referral codes from existing Plus subscribers.

Holiday and event promotions sometimes offer extended trials or discounted first months, so new users should watch for limited-time upgrades.

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ChatGPT Plus Plan and Trial Offers

Plan	Price	Key Features	Trial Methods
Plus	$20	GPT-5, faster queue, more	7-day banner, 14-day referral

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Pro and Business plans offer unlimited GPT-5.1, team management, research tools, and enterprise compliance.

ChatGPT Pro is built for researchers, developers, and power users who need unlimited GPT-5.1, largest context windows, Sora-1 video, Codex agents, and early access to new features at $200/month.

The Business tier (formerly Team) starts at $25–30 per user/month and unlocks GPT-5.1 for all team members, a shared workspace, admin controls, SOC-2 compliance, and priority support.

Business and Pro subscribers receive the highest available model quotas, full tool access, and research previews for cutting-edge workflows.

Business workspaces begin with a 14-day free trial for onboarding, while Pro sometimes includes event-based trial promotions.

Enterprise and Education tiers offer custom contracts, flexible billing, and dedicated model instances for large organizations with advanced privacy needs.

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Pro, Business, and Enterprise Plan Comparison

Plan	Monthly Price	Top Model	Features
Pro	$200	GPT-5.1 Pro	Unlimited, max context
Business	$25–30/user	GPT-5.1 Team	Team, admin, SOC-2, trial
Enterprise/Edu	Custom	GPT-5 Smart	Dedicated, custom terms

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Free trials, referrals, and promotions lower the barrier for new Plus and Business subscribers.

Official Plus free trials are frequently offered to new accounts via banners, typically for 7 days, letting users try all Plus features risk-free.

Referral codes from existing Plus subscribers unlock a 14-day trial—users can invite friends and receive trial time for both parties.

Business plans begin with a 14-day evaluation period, after which billing starts automatically unless canceled.

Holiday events like Christmas 2025 may introduce longer free trial periods, first-month discounts, or “Plus for a Week” access codes.

It’s smart to check the ChatGPT app, email campaigns, and official blog for rotating promos throughout the year.

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ChatGPT Trial and Referral Summary

Method	Duration	Eligible Plans
Official Plus trial	7 days	Plus
Referral code	14 days	Plus
Business workspace	14 days	Business
Holiday promo	Varies	Plus, sometimes Pro

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Plan selection: choose free for light use, Plus for advanced tasks, Pro/Business for unlimited or team access, and Enterprise for privacy or custom needs.

The Free tier is now more powerful than ever, thanks to GPT-4o-mini, file/image tools, and broad access to the GPT Store, but most heavy users will want Plus for reliability and deeper capabilities.

Plus is the mainstream subscription for serious daily users, with frequent trials and upgrade promos available.

Pro justifies its high price for those needing unlimited GPT-5.1, advanced agents, and the absolute largest memory/context for research or dev work.

Business is designed for teams, with compliance, admin, and privacy controls, and a generous 14-day trial to ease onboarding.

Enterprise/Edu plans are negotiated directly and are best for organizations with strict privacy, billing, or compliance demands.

New users are encouraged to start with a trial, test their workflows, and then select the best value-for-need plan as ChatGPT continues to expand in 2026.

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DATA STUDIOS

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[datastudios.org]