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The Bottom Line

Best for

People who will stay on Luna for everyday chat, or pay $20 for Sol (or $100+ for Sol Pro)

Entry price

Free plan available, paid tiers above

Biggest pro

Free and Go now run a current-generation model (advanced Luna), not a leftover model

Biggest con

Free and Go never get the advanced Sol in standard chat. Think is still Luna, not Sol

TL;DR - ChatGPT

  • Models now: Free/Go = advanced Luna (Think uses Luna too). Plus = Sol + slider. Pro = Sol Pro
  • Free $0, Go $8/mo (US), Plus $20/mo, Pro $100 (5x) or $200 (20x). No annual on those four
  • Work/Codex: Free/Go get Terra; Plus+ pick Sol, Terra, or Luna. Team $30 is gone (now Business)
Pricing: Free plan available
Best for: People who will stay on Luna for everyday chat, or pay $20 for Sol (or $100+ for Sol Pro)
4.5/5 across review platforms

Top Pros

  • Free/Go default is GPT-5.6 Luna with a Think button
  • Plus chats on Sol with a reasoning slider
  • Pro unlocks Sol Pro at $100 or $200

Top Cons

  • Free/Go never get Sol in standard chat
  • Terra and Luna are not in the regular chat picker
  • The current Claude rivals are Fable 5 and Opus 5; Opus 4.6 is a leftover API SKU

What Users Say About ChatGPT

ChatGPT runs GPT-5.6: Luna on Free/Go, Sol on Plus, Sol Pro on Pro. Work/Codex give Free/Go Terra and paid plans a Sol/Terra/Luna picker. The Claude rival to name is Fable 5 and Opus 5, not Opus 4.6.

Highlights

  • Free/Go default is GPT-5.6 Luna with a Think button
  • Plus chats on Sol with a reasoning slider
  • Pro unlocks Sol Pro at $100 or $200
  • Terra is the Free/Go Work and Codex model

Limitations

  • Free/Go never get Sol in standard chat
  • Terra and Luna are not in the regular chat picker
  • The current Claude rivals are Fable 5 and Opus 5; Opus 4.6 is a leftover API SKU
  • GPT-5.4 leaves Codex on 31 Aug 2026

Best for: People who will stay on Luna for everyday chat, or pay $20 for Sol (or $100+ for Sol Pro)

Editorial synthesis from industry coverage, product docs, and early user reports

Editorial policy

What is ChatGPT?

Editorial review
ChatGPT is OpenAI's assistant at chatgpt.com, on web, iOS, Android, and desktop. It runs an advanced family of models: a flagship model, an everyday work model, and a fastest and cheapest model.

Available on: Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Free and Go now run a current-generation model (advanced Luna), not a leftover model
  • Unlimited everyday text on Free/Go (abuse guardrails). Think is there if the question is hard
  • Plus folds Instant and Thinking into one Sol model plus a slider, so you are not picking legacy names
  • Pro $100 is enough to unlock Sol Pro without paying $200

Cons

  • Free and Go never get the advanced Sol in standard chat. Think is still Luna, not Sol
  • The current rivals are advanced models. Older models are leftover API SKUs
  • Terra and Luna are not in the regular chat picker. They live in Work, Codex, or the API
  • Go, Plus, and Pro have no annual billing
  • Older models leave Codex (ChatGPT login) soon; switch to Terra / Luna

Ratings Across the Web

4.5(3,347 reviews)

ChatGPT holds an aggregate rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 3,347 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked August 23, 2026.

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

GPT-5.6 Luna as the Free and Go chat default, plus a Think button (still Luna)GPT-5.6 Sol on paid chat with a reasoning slider (Instant, Medium, High, Extra High)GPT-5.6 Sol Pro on Pro (and Enterprise) for the hardest / longest jobsGPT-5.6 Terra in Work and Codex for Free/Go; Sol/Terra/Luna picker on Plus+Text, voice, and voice-with-video on web, iOS, Android, and desktopWeb search, file analysis, and image generation (tool caps still apply on Free/Go)Deep research and Codex (limits by plan; Codex Free/Go start on Terra)ChatGPT Work for multi-step jobs; max effort for GPT-5.6 users, ultra on Pro/Enterprise WorkProjects, scheduled tasks, and custom GPTs on Plus and aboveBusiness/Enterprise admin, SSO, and no training on business data by default

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Aug 18, 2026

Free

GPT-5.6 Luna chat. Think uses Luna. Ads possible.

  • GPT-5.6 Luna default (not Sol)
  • Think button also on Luna
  • Unlimited everyday text (abuse guardrails)
  • Tool limits on files, images, research, Codex
  • Codex / Work on GPT-5.6 Terra
  • May include ads

Go

$8/month

$8/month US. Same Luna model as Free. More tool headroom.

  • Same GPT-5.6 Luna + Think as Free
  • Still no Sol in standard chat
  • More images, uploads, and memory
  • Codex / Work on GPT-5.6 Terra
  • Worldwide; monthly only; ads possible
Most Popular

Plus

$20/month

$20/month. GPT-5.6 Sol + reasoning slider. Ad-free.

  • GPT-5.6 Sol in chat (slider: Instant to Extra High)
  • No Sol Pro (that is Pro)
  • Work/Codex: Sol, Terra, or Luna
  • Expanded deep research, Codex, custom GPTs, ChatGPT Work
  • Projects and scheduled tasks

Pro 5x

$100/month

Sol Pro + 5x Plus usage.

  • GPT-5.6 Sol Pro in addition to Sol
  • 5x Plus usage
  • Work ultra (Pro/Enterprise); Codex max/ultra per OpenAI
  • Maximum Codex, deep research, memory, images

Pro 20x

$200/month

Same Sol Pro, 20x Plus usage.

  • GPT-5.6 Sol Pro
  • 20x Plus usage
  • Highest individual usage tier
  • Research preview of new features

Business

$20/month

$20/user/mo annual or $25 monthly. 2+ users. Sol, not Sol Pro.

  • GPT-5.6 Sol in chat (admin can restrict models)
  • Work/Codex: Sol, Terra, Luna
  • Shared workspace, SSO, connectors
  • No training on business data by default

Enterprise

null

Contact sales. Sol Pro available.

  • GPT-5.6 Sol and Sol Pro
  • Work ultra
  • SCIM, EKM, Compliance API, custom retention
  • Volume discounts and invoicing

Is ChatGPT worth the price?

80/100

The model split is the real product now, not the $20 sticker.

Free and Go run GPT-5.6 Luna: current-gen chat, no Sol. That is enough for everyday questions and a Think pass.

Plus at $20 is the first seat that chats on GPT-5.6 Sol and lets you move a reasoning slider. Pro is how you buy Sol Pro and more of it ($100 or $200).

Business is Sol plus admin, not a cheaper Plus. Do not buy Go expecting Sol.

Do not buy Plus expecting Sol Pro.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Go does not unlock Sol. You are paying for limits, not the flagship model.

Terra/Luna in Work and Codex are extra surfaces, not the main chat picker.

Go, Plus, and Pro have no annual discount.

Free and Go can show ads.

API tokens for Sol/Terra/Luna are a second bill. Codex ChatGPT-login drops GPT-5.4 on 31 Aug 2026.

How ChatGPT Compares to Competitors

Compare ChatGPT to Claude on Fable 5 and Opus 5 versus GPT-5.6 Sol, not on Opus 4.6. ChatGPT Free/Go stay on Luna. Plus is $20/month with no annual option. Claude Pro is $20 monthly or $200 yearly and includes Claude Code. Gemini is the Workspace bundle. Copilot is the Microsoft 365 seat.

How ChatGPT's pricing compares

At $8/mo, ChatGPT is the most affordable of its 5 direct competitors.

Entry paid plan, monthly. Pricing checked Aug 18, 2026.

Reviews (1)

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Utility player AI that falls behind Claude for article creation

Pros:
  • Probably the best I've used at doing many tasks good to pretty well. It can do thought partnership, pivot to an image creation task, do deep research and attempt a joke to keep things light.
  • The Projects feature is more useful than Gemini's version, and I see that Claude added that too. Once I figured it out I created a "Temp Chat" project that I always start a session in, then I move it to a project folder that aligns. Note: these are not "folders" per se, but a central theme that subsequent chats can pull from within that Project. There is a Chrome/Edge extension that does folders nicely if you need more granular organization of your work.
  • The integrations with other software services work fairly well, although it's unclear how those activities use up capacity. This was a primary reason I purchased the Pro license. Like all things the other AIs are catching up, notably Claude.
Cons:
  • ChatGPT likes to turn simple answers into a more complex result. It will give a "1.0" answer and, as part of that answer, say "For 2.0 I would add...". Why wouldn't the 2.0 idea be part of the 1.0 suggestion?
  • When writing drafts for social media posts, it likes to separate sentences out to create a false sense of importance. It does this so often that I've had to adjust memory settings a few times to try to stop it. When an update hits, the behavior starts again.
  • It will shift recommendations within that micro-chat (prompt -> answer) session, inexplicably. When I point that out it always says something like "that's a fair observation". One time it gaslit me about an instance of that and I felt compelled to paste a screen capture to prove my point.
  • It, way too much, wants to please the user. Not sure how to fix this tbh.
  • All of the above take up more time and focus than they should.

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ChatGPT FAQ

Which ChatGPT model do I get in 2026?

The current family is GPT-5.6: Sol (flagship), Terra (balanced), Luna (fastest). Official Help Center (GPT-5.6 in ChatGPT, article 20001354) and openai.com/index/improving-gpt-5-6-sol-in-chatgpt/ (6 Aug 2026): Free and Go default to GPT-5.6 Luna. Their Think button also uses Luna. They do not get Sol in standard chat. Plus and other eligible paid plans use GPT-5.6 Sol with a reasoning slider. Pro (and Enterprise) can select GPT-5.6 Sol Pro. Earlier GPT-5.5 Instant copy on some marketing grids is leftover from before the 6 Aug Luna default.

What is the difference between Sol, Terra, and Luna?

OpenAI's 9 July 2026 GPT-5.6 post: Sol is the flagship for complex coding, research, and agent work. Terra is the everyday Work/Codex model, priced and positioned as competitive with GPT-5.5 at lower cost. Luna is the fastest and cheapest of the three, and it is what Free/Go chat uses. In standard ChatGPT conversations you cannot pick Terra or Luna; those show up in Work, Codex, and the API.

Does Free ChatGPT include a reasoning model?

Yes, but not Sol. Help Center (What is ChatGPT Go) and the 6 Aug post: Free and Go get a Think control. Think uses GPT-5.6 Luna and gives it more time. File, image, and other tool limits still apply. Unlimited everyday text is subject to abuse guardrails.

How much does ChatGPT cost?

US consumer prices from OpenAI (checked 27 Aug 2026): Free $0; Go $8/month in the US (openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-go/); Plus $20/month (Help Center); Pro $100/month (5x Plus usage) or $200/month (20x) (Help Center article 9793128). Business is $20 per user per month billed annually or $25 billed monthly, minimum two users (openai.com/business/chatgpt-pricing/). Enterprise is sales-quoted. Go, Plus, and Pro are monthly only.

What is ChatGPT Go?

A low-cost monthly plan in every country ChatGPT supports. Official US price is $8/month. Same model as Free (GPT-5.6 Luna + Think). You pay for higher image, upload, and memory limits, not for Sol. The pricing page says Go may include ads.

Why are there two Pro prices?

Same Pro feature set, including GPT-5.6 Sol Pro. $100 unlocks 5x Plus usage. $200 unlocks 20x. The Help Center says $200 stays the highest usage tier.

What happened to ChatGPT Team?

Renamed to ChatGPT Business. $20 per user per month on annual billing, or $25 monthly, two-seat minimum. Older $30/user figures are stale.

Does the free plan have ads?

Free and Go can. OpenAI is testing or rolling out ads for Free and Go in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education stay ad-free.

Is the API included in a ChatGPT seat?

No. The OpenAI API bills Sol, Terra, and Luna per million tokens on a separate account (openai.com/index/gpt-5-6/). A Plus or Pro seat does not include API credits. Codex signed in with ChatGPT retires GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.4 mini on 31 Aug 2026; OpenAI says use Terra and Luna instead.

Source: chatgpt.com

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