Is ChatGPT free?
Short answer: yes.
But it might not be free forever.
How long will ChatGPT be free?
When OpenAI released ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, they said, “During the research preview, ChatGPT is free.”
How long will the “research preview” last?
Nobody seems to know.
It’s estimated that ChatGPT costs over $700,000 per day to operate, but OpenAI isn’t exactly worried about running out of money, having just raised around $10 billion from Microsoft.
And OpenAI is certainly getting access to plenty of data and feedback from a massive ChatGPT user base that continues to grow. It’s estimated that ChatGPT surpassed 100 million users in January 2023.
When you log in and start using ChatGPT, you might see this disclaimer that says, “Conversations may be reviewed by our AI trainers to improve our systems.”
So it’s not as if OpenAI is giving it away for free without any benefit to themselves. The point of the research preview is to gather feedback from users. More users sign up when it’s free and more users means more feedback.
In terms of speculating about exactly how long it will be free, it’s not possible to say for sure until OpenAI releases a statement.
But as long as it’s financially tenable and OpenAI continues to receive valuable data from free users, ChatGPT could remain free for a while.
Is there a paid version of ChatGPT?
Yes, the paid version of ChatGPT is called ChatGPT Plus.
OpenAI announced ChatGPT Plus on February 1, 2023.
It costs $20/month and you get access during peak times, faster response times, and priority access to new features and improvements.
How to use the free version of ChatGPT
It’s quick and easy to get started with ChatGPT. Here’s how:
- Go to chat.openai.com
- Click “Sign up”
- Create your account with an email address, Google account, Microsoft account, or Apple account
Use ChatGPT for free while you still can
ChatGPT might be free for a long time.
Or OpenAI might release a statement sometime in the near future saying that the free version will be discontinued.
Nobody really knows right now.
What we do know is that AI is probably here to stay and ChatGPT is one of the most powerful AI tools and it’s available for free, so take advantage while you can!
If you want to learn how to use AI for writing, visit AI Writers Academy to learn more.