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You can hardly spend a few minutes online without hearing about GPT-4o. OpenAI has certainly captured attention with the release of its latest ChatGPT model, sparking excitement about its capabilities and the future of AI.
However, one crucial aspect that hasn't been extensively discussed is the cost of using GPT-4o. Can anyone access it, or is a ChatGPT Plus membership required to enjoy its full features?
GPT-4o Pricing:
OpenAI aims to make GPT-4o accessible to everyone, so you don’t need to pay to use it. Once fully rolled out, users can interact with GPT-4o in various beneficial ways without a ChatGPT Plus subscription. However, free users do face some limitations, which also apply to GPT-4o.
According to OpenAI's pricing page, the free version of ChatGPT is intended for those "just getting started with ChatGPT." It offers "limited access to GPT-4o." We’ll explore what "limited access" entails in the next section.
For full access to ChatGPT Plus, including all GPT-4o features, you need to subscribe for $20 per month. There is no contractual obligation, so you can try it for a month and decide if it’s worth the investment. ChatGPT Plus also offers early access to new features, data analysis, file uploads, vision and web browsing, DALL•E image generation, and the ability to create and use custom GPTs.
Differences Between Free and Paid GPT-4o
The phrase "limited access to GPT-4o" on the ChatGPT pricing page is somewhat ambiguous. It raises questions about the nature of the limitations: Are there restrictions on functionality, or just on the number of prompts? Understanding these limitations is crucial for deciding whether to invest in ChatGPT Plus.
The primary limitation for free users is the number of messages they can send to GPT-4o. After reaching this limit, users are switched to GPT-3.5, which, while powerful, is not as advanced as GPT-4o. OpenAI hasn't specified the exact message limit.
According to OpenAI, "There will be a limit on the number of messages that free users can send with GPT-4o depending on usage and demand. When the limit is reached, ChatGPT will automatically switch to GPT-3.5 so users can continue their conversations." reads the company's blog post.
This suggests a sliding scale based on real-time usage. During peak times, free users might have fewer messages. Paid members are promised up to five times more messages than free users. However, the exact number of messages available to free users remains unclear.
What Free Users Can Do with GPT-4o
Free users can experience a significant portion of GPT-4o’s features, including:
- GPT-4 level intelligence
- Responses from both the model and the web
- Data analysis and chart creation
- Photo-based chats
- File uploads for summarizing, writing, or analyzing
- Access to GPTs and the GPT Store
- Enhanced experience with Memory
Despite the "GPT-4 level intelligence" phrasing suggesting a slightly reduced feature set, free users can still explore much of what GPT-4o offers.
For those planning to use GPT-4o extensively, subscribing to ChatGPT Plus is advisable to avoid being restricted when reaching the prompt limit, especially during busy periods.
How to Try GPT-4o for Free
If you want to try GPT-4o, it's simple and straightforward:
1. Go to chatgpt.com.
2. Sign up for an account via the button on the bottom left of the screen.
3. Log in with your new account.
4. Click the button labeled ChatGPT 3.5 at the top left of the chat window.
5. Select ChatGPT 4o to switch to the latest model (if available).
That's all it takes to explore GPT-4o. While the voice and vision features showcased by OpenAI are not widely available yet, the written prompts will give you a taste of the new model's capabilities.