ChatGPT: Features, Pricing, and Alternatives (2026)
OpenAI's general-purpose assistant for writing, analysis, images and code
Best for: Anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding
The default choice for a general assistant. Plus at $20 covers almost everyone; look elsewhere only for specialized coding, voice or video work.
- Who it's forIndividuals, Freelancers, Small and mid-size businesses
- Not ideal forTeams that need on-premise deployment or strict data residency
- Price from$20/mo · free plan
- In category#1 of 5 in Chatbots & agents · category median $20/mo
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is the conversational assistant built by OpenAI on top of its GPT model family. You type a request in plain language and get back drafts, explanations, code, tables or images, then refine the result turn by turn.
The free tier already covers everyday writing and question answering; paid plans add the strongest reasoning models, longer context, file uploads at scale, image generation, voice conversations and Deep Research reports that browse the web for you.
Custom GPTs let you package instructions and files into reusable assistants, Projects group chats and files around a piece of work, and Canvas opens a side editor for iterating on documents and code.
Team and Enterprise plans add shared workspaces, admin controls and a commitment not to train on your data. ChatGPT is the most widely used AI assistant and the reference point every other chatbot is measured against.
Made by OpenAISan Francisco, USAFounded 2015Launched Nov 2022
ChatGPT key features
Multiple model tiers
Switch between fast and deep-reasoning GPT models depending on the task; paid plans get priority access to the newest releases.
File and image understanding
Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, screenshots and code to analyze, summarize or extract data.
Image generation
Create and edit images inside the chat with precise text rendering and style control.
Deep Research
Agentic web research that reads dozens of sources and returns a cited report in minutes.
Custom GPTs and Projects
Build reusable assistants with instructions, knowledge files and actions; organize work into Projects.
Voice mode
Natural spoken conversations with interruptions, on mobile and desktop apps.
ChatGPT pricing and plans
Free
Free
- GPT model access with caps
- Limited image generation
- File uploads
Plus
$20/month
- Extended model limits
- Deep Research
- Advanced voice
- Custom GPTs
- Projects
Pro
$200/month
- Unlimited access to reasoning models
- Highest usage limits
- Early feature access
Team
$25/month
- Per user, billed annually
- Shared workspace
- Admin console
- No training on your data
Pricing checked on August 25, 2026.See ChatGPT's pricing page
ChatGPT pros and cons
Pros
- Widest feature set of any assistant: text, images, voice, files and research
- Free tier is genuinely useful
- Excellent mobile and desktop apps
Cons
- Usage caps on the free and Plus tiers can be frustrating
- Consumer chats are used for training unless you opt out
- Pro plan is expensive for most individuals
ChatGPT platforms, API and integrations
API available
SDKs: Python, TypeScript, Java, Go, .NET. API documentation
5 integrations
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- Slack
- GitHub
- Notion
8 languages
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese
Inputs and outputs
Accepts Text, Image, Audio, PDF, URL, Code, SpreadsheetProduces Text, Image, Audio, Code, Spreadsheet
3 AI models
GPT-5, GPT-4o, o-series reasoning models
Is ChatGPT secure? Privacy, compliance and support
Data privacy
- May train on user data (check opt-out settings)
- Retention: Chats retained unless deleted; training opt-out available; Team and Enterprise excluded from training
- Data region: US
Compliance
- SOC 2
- GDPR
- CCPA
Team features
- SSO: yes
- Team workspace: yes
Who is ChatGPT best for?
Anyone who wants one assistant for writing, research, analysis and light coding. ChatGPT targets individuals, freelancers, small and mid-size businesses, enterprises, developers, students.
Use cases
Categories
Best ChatGPT alternatives
Compare all alternatives
Perplexity
Research8.6Answer engine that searches the web and cites every source
- Price
- $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
Notion AI
Productivity7.7AI writing, meeting notes and search built into your Notion workspace
- Price
- $24/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
Gemini
Chatbots & agents8.6Google's assistant across the Gemini app, Gmail, Docs and Android
- Price
- $4.99/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
Claude
Chatbots & agents8.3Anthropic's assistant for writing, analysis and agentic coding
- Price
- $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Productivity7.3AI inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams
- Price
- $18/mo
- Free plan
- No
- API
- Yes
NotebookLM
Research8.3Research notebook that answers only from the sources you upload
- Price
- $4.99/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- No
ChatGPT FAQ
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes. The free plan gives access to GPT models with usage caps on advanced features such as image generation and file uploads. Plus starts at $20 per month.
Does ChatGPT train on my conversations?
On consumer plans, yes by default, with an opt-out in Data Controls. Team and Enterprise workspaces are excluded from training.
Can ChatGPT browse the web?
Yes. Search is built in, and Deep Research on paid plans runs multi-step browsing to produce cited reports.
How much does ChatGPT cost?
ChatGPT paid plans start at $20/mo (Plus). A free plan is available. Prices checked on August 25, 2026.