OTHER · Issue #12
Summary
What happened
OpenAI launched a $500-a-month 'Pro 500' ChatGPT plan and is cutting usage limits on the existing $200 Pro tier. |
Why it matters
If you lean on the $200 Pro plan for coding or heavy chat work, your usable capacity is about to shrink unless you pay more. |
What to do
Check your actual usage against the new, lower caps before deciding if the $500 tier is worth it. |
OpenAI launched a $500-a-month 'Pro 500' ChatGPT plan with its highest usage allowance and a new 'Ultrafast' speed mode. It's also cutting the existing $200 Pro plan's Codex and Work allowance from 20x the Plus plan's usage down to 10x, and weekly GPT-6 Pro messages from 200 down to 100. Current $200 subscribers keep today's limits for a while, then shift to the lower caps and later get a one-time credit.
What it means for you
If your business leans on the $200 ChatGPT Pro plan for coding or research, you'll hit your usage cap far sooner once this change lands. You'll either slow down, pay $500, or move that work elsewhere mid-project.
Why it matters
- Your usage ceiling is being cut in half. OpenAI is dropping the $200 Pro plan's Codex (its coding tool) and Work allowance from 20x the Plus plan's usage down to 10x, and weekly GPT-6 Pro messages from 200 down to 100. Heavy coding or research days will hit that new, lower ceiling much sooner than they do today.
- There's no firm date, so you could get caught off guard. OpenAI says current $200 subscribers keep today's limits 'for a time' before the lower caps start, with a one-time credit landing later. It hasn't said exactly when either happens, so the change could land before you've adjusted your budget or your team's workflow.
- Fixing it costs more than double, not a small top-up. The new Pro 500 plan runs $500 a month for the largest usage allowance OpenAI offers, plus 'Ultrafast' speeds of up to 300 tokens per second. That's a real jump from the $200 you're paying now, not a minor add-on fee.
- This pricing playbook could spread beyond OpenAI. OpenAI set the market rate at $200 a month for a premium AI plan at the end of 2024, and rivals Anthropic and Perplexity both matched it with their own $200 tiers. If they follow this next move too, the same kind of squeeze could hit whichever premium AI plan you or your team already pay for.
What to do next
Before paying for the $500 plan, open Settings → Usage in ChatGPT on your computer and check your weekly Work and Codex usage. That allowance is being cut in half, so if you're already past halfway you'd hit the new cap; if not, the $200 plan still covers you.
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