As was anticipated since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the hugely popular ChatBot is all set to roll down its paid version – ChatGPT Plus. What the Plus version includes, how much will it cost, and whether it’s worth the price – we will tell you everything.
For the uninitiated, ChatGPT has made a stir since its release. Powered by OpenAI, this ChatBot is trained on a large-scale language model and can perform a wide variety of linguistic tasks. And thanks to its exceptional conversational and creative skills, it holds the potential to change the rule of online searches and content creation.
ChatGPT is available for free; however, Open AI has now announced that ChatBot is getting a paid version, too, called the ChatGPT plus, with a monthly subscription plan. But the question is whether switching to the paid version is worthwhile. Let’s explore ChatGPT plus in detail and find out the answer.
ChatGPT Plus Quick Overview
| Model Used | GPT 3.5 |
| Price | $20 |
| Subscription | Monthly |
| Features | Better Speed Continuous Availability Priority Updates |
What is ChatGPT Plus?
The ChatGPT phenomenon sent a wave down the technological world, mesmerizing everyone with its extraordinary capabilities. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that ChatGPT redefined our perspective on AI and made us aware of how far this technological revolution has come. Obviously, people flocked to test the extraordinary capabilities of ChatGPT, pushing its user base to millions within its initial release. Although ChatGPT is free to use, it’s been long expected that OpenAI will soon come up with a paid version. And now it’s here, ChatGPT Plus.
ChatGPT Plus is the paid version of the hugely popular ChatBot from OpenAI. It’s been presented as the improved counterpart of its free cousin. Incidentally, ChatGPT plus will be free from the limitations and errors that users face while using the free ChatGPT platform.
A few weeks ago, President and Co-Founder of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, revealed that the company would soon roll down the professional version of ChatGPT. The paid version will be faster, more robust, and devoid of the constant blackouts that ChatGPT suffered due to traffic congestion and a massive amount of requests, thus allowing constant availability.
Users were invited to join the waiting list while the release was still pending. ChatGPT Plus is now available; however, the premium version is only rolled out for US audiences. Brockman announced the release on Twitter and wrote, “We plan to refine and expand this offering based on your feedback and needs. We will also launch the ChatGPT API waitlist soon, and they are actively thinking of options to launch lower-cost plans, commercial plans, and data packages for higher availability.”
What’s New In ChatGPT Plus (Features Explained)
The whole premise of ChatGPT Plus is to offer users more value and better results than the free version can provide. Therefore, ChatGPT Plus includes several features worth paying for the monthly subscription.
Here are the additional benefits you will receive with ChatGPT Plus;
Faster Responses
ChatGPT might falter a bit and may take a while to respond, but ChatGPT Plus won’t. Per Open AI, ChatGPT Plus has been designed to respond way faster than its free version. Paying customers will receive the advantage of better resource allocation; therefore, they will get faster responses from ChatGPT.
Unhindered Access to ChatGPT
Recently ChatGPT suffered recurrent blackouts due to traffic congestion. Its popularity attracted tons of users to the platforms, and ChatGPT servers were overwhelmed with requests. Consequently, users were constantly facing network errors or ChatGPT at capacity errors. But with ChatGPT Plus, traffic spikes won’t make the platform unavailable and users won’t face network issues. Paid subscribers will have unhindered access to the platform even during peak times.
Access to All New Features On Priority
ChatGPT received several updates since its release making it more streamlined and better at answering users’ queries. But, now only the paid subscriber will receive the new or improved features on a priority basis. Therefore, paid users will have the advantage of using ChatGPT along with all its recently added features.
Bonus: You can now convert file formats and images into GIFs with ChatGPT Plus’s Code interpreter update.
How Much ChatGPT Will Cost?
According to OpenAI, ChatGPT Plus will be available for a monthly subscription of $20.
Before the official announcement, rumors were rife that OpenAI would charge a hefty sum to enjoy its paid subscription. Most were anticipating the price to be somewhere in the $40 or above range. However, OpenAI has fixed the price at $20 a month. On top of that, Greg Brockman has also informed on Twitter that the company is looking for ways to lower prices and offer more subscription plans catering to audiences with varying needs.
How To Get a Subscription to ChatGPT Plus?
OpenAI is rolling out access to ChatGPT in small batches only based on capacity and availability; therefore, you have to apply for the waitlist and wait for your turn to receive access.
Here are the steps to follow;
Step #1: First, you must fill out the Google Docs form for the ChatGPT Plus waitlist. Here’s the link to the form.
Step #2: Once ChatGPT plus is available for you, OpenAI will notify you via email. You will receive the mail in the email id you have provided while filling up the ChatGPT Plus waitlist form.
Step #3: Once you have received the email, you will see the Upgrade Plan option at the bottom left corner of the ChatGPT home screen; Click On it.
Step #4: A dialog box will appear, prompting you to choose either the free version or upgrade to paid plan; click on the ‘upgrade plan’ option.
Step #5: You will be taken to the payment page; fill up the details, enter your card details, and pay the amount.
Step #6: Once the payment is processed, the ChatGPT Plus account will unlock for you, and you can access the paid version.
Will ChatGPT Basic version Remain Free?
OpenAI has already announced that the company is soon rolling out ChatGPT Plus, so the question arises what will happen to the ChatGPT – the free version? There’s good news in this regard, OpenAI has made it clear that ChatGPT will remain available for free. Therefore those who want to continue using ChatGPT for free can do so without any issues.
“By offering this subscription price, we will be able to help support the availability of free access to as many people as possible.” – Open AI.
Overall, the AI behind both versions is the same, and the free version will continue to provide the same value to users.
Who can access ChatGPT Plus?
“We plan to expand access and support to more countries and regions soon.” – OpenAI.
ChatGPT Plus will only be available in the United States for now. Besides, OpenAI is only inviting people in small batches, so even if you reside in the US, you have to join the waitlist and wait for your turn to get access. That said, OpenAI has clarified that the company is working on the global availability of ChatGPT Plus, and soon the platform will be available in European countries too.
Is ChatGPT Plus Better In Response Than ChatGPT?
Is the quality of ChatGPT Plus better? The answer is NO. ChatGPT Plus runs on the same engine as ChatGPT. Therefore any improvement in the quality and accuracy is not expected. Also, there’s no announcement from OpenAI whether the upgraded version is any better than the previous one. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that both ChatGPT and ChatGPT plus are on equal footing. However, OpenAI has made it clear that paid users will receive the updates on a priority basis, allowing them to enjoy a better version of ChatGPT in the future.
Latest News – Microsoft is Ready To Introduce GPT 4 On Bing Search
ChatGPT runs on the GPT 3.5 model; however, there are already talks that it will soon get an upgrade to GPT-4 model. The technology giant Microsoft, a close partner of OpenAI, has recently announced integrating ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. Furthermore, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has also revealed the company’s plan to include AI functions in all its products. The reports claim that Bing will get the faster and richer version of ChatGPT powered by the GPT 4 model.
Moreover, Microsoft also announced that it would also integrate ChatGPT in all its premium team platforms. Users can employ it to automatically generate meeting notes, create templates, or recommend tasks.
The reports show that the new GPT 4 version of ChatGPT will provide a more accurate, dynamic, and relevant response. Besides, it will be much faster than the current ChatGPT version. On top of that, OpenAI also plans to soon introduce a mobile app for ChatGPT, which means you can access the ChatBot on the Go. Given that OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT plus, it’s evident that the paid member will get to enjoy all the latest development with ChatBot.
All in all, the kind of traction that ChatGPT is getting and Microsoft joining the foray to include it in its products means that the AI ChatBot is poised to add more intuitive and helpful features in the future.
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ChatGPT Plus Conclusion: Is It Worth It In 2023?
In general terms, OpenAI is trying to bank upon the promise of higher speed and priority over those using the platform for free. This means paid users will be able to speed up requests to ChatGPT and receive faster replies. It will particularly benefit those using the platform to generate quick content. Besides, they will also have the assurance that it won’t go down even if there are too many requests on the platform.
According to Open AI, they want to “refine and expand this offering based on your feedback and needs.”
But there doesn’t seem to be much-added value for the price at the moment. Given the fact that ChatGPT free version will continue to exist, it might deter many from paying $20 at the moment. However, others might find the prospect of uninterrupted service too lucrative and worthwhile to pay the amount. Another convincing purchase argument for many will be the priority updates. And it does seem a valid reason because ChatGPT is still in its early phase and bound to receive more updates and features that will make the platform worth paying for.
