ChatGPT
ActiveOpenAI · founded 2022
The default general-purpose AI assistant with the largest ecosystem.
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s general assistant covering writing, research, coding, image generation, and video via Sora. Its strength is breadth: the widest third-party integration ecosystem, a generous free tier, and a gentler learning curve than most rivals. The trade-off is that specialist tools often beat it on a single dimension (long-form writing, coding ergonomics, image aesthetics).
At a glance
- Category
- AI Assistants & Chat
- Primary use case
- General AI assistance, writing, research, and light coding
- Entry price
- $20/mo
- Free plan
- Free tier with message and model limits
- API
- Yes
- Open source
- No
- Evidence level
- Research / specifications only
- Last checked
- 20 Aug 2026
Pricing
Last checked 20 Aug 2026
| Free plan | Free tier with message and model limits |
|---|---|
| Trial | None |
| Entry price | $20/mo |
| Pro price | $20/mo |
| Team price | $25/user/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom |
| API pricing | Usage-based (per million tokens) |
| Usage limits | Free tier is rate-limited; paid tiers have message caps |
Multiple tiers (Free, Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise). Some regions offer a lower-cost "Go" tier. Verify current plan names and limits.
What it does
Secondary use cases
- Image generation
- Data analysis
- Voice and search
- Video (Sora)
Input types
Text, Image, Document, Audio, Video
Output types
Text, Image, Code, Video, Voice
Models used
GPT-5.x, DALL·E, Sora, Whisper
Platforms
Integrations
Privacy & commercial rights
Data retention
Conversations retained per policy; opt-outs available for training on some plans
Trains on your data
No (per stated policy)
Enterprise privacy
Enterprise API/plan excludes training by default
Self-hosting / local
Not available
SSO
Available
Compliance
SOC 2, GDPR (claims)
Commercial use
Permitted — Commercial use permitted on paid plans; API output rights apply
Pros & cons
Pros
- Largest ecosystem and integrations
- Generous free tier
- Gentlest learning curve
- Covers text, image, code, voice, video
Cons / trade-offs
- Not best-in-class for any single task
- Message caps even on paid tiers
- Lock-in to OpenAI models
Alternatives to ChatGPT
Considering a switch, or comparing before you buy? See the full alternatives guide.