I have been hooked on ChatGPT from day one.
As a leader in the AI chatbot category, it’s my go-to for everything from content creation, brainstorming, and strategizing to data analysis and even a bit of coding for our blogs—tasks I never thought I'd tackle. It’s a productivity powerhouse.
But here's the question nagging at me, and probably you too: With OpenAI rolling out impressive updates to the free tier, is ChatGPT Plus still worth the investment?
To get to the bottom of this, I combined my own experience with insights from over 500 user reviews on G2 to hear from professionals who've experienced both the free and paid versions of ChatGPT.
In this article, we'll unpack ChatGPT Plus's pros and cons and answer the burning question: Is the $20-a-month subscription truly worth it?
Whether you're a marketer looking to spice up your content, a developer seeking a coding companion, or a small business owner aiming to automate tasks, we’re here to help.
Note: All reviews shared below are from verified G2 users. For more details on our process to verify reviewers and approve reviews, please refer to G2’s review moderation guidelines.
ChatGPT free plan is a great option for casual users, students and learners, hobbyists, small content creators, and anyone curious about generative AI tools who wants to test their capabilities.
However, ChatGPT Plus caters more to the demands of frequent users, professionals, developers, small and medium-sized businesses, and researchers. Take a look at this detailed comparison table.
| Feature | ChatGPT | ChatGPT Plus |
| Cost | Free | $20/month |
| Model access | GPT-3.5 and limited access to GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini |
|
| Response speed | Standard | Faster than standard, especially during peak times |
| Usage limits | May face restrictions during higher demand | Higher usage limits and priority access during higher demand |
| Image generation | Two images per day with DALL-E | No limit |
| Web browsing | Limited | Full web browsing capabilities |
| File upload and analysis | Limited | Can upload various files and analyze |
| Plugins | Limited | Access to a full range of plugins |
| Custom instructions | Basic | Advanced custom instructions |
| Conversation history | Limited retention | Longer retention of conversation history |
| New feature access | Depends | Early access to new features |
Open AI offers ChatGPT under four different pricing plans tailored to different needs, including the free and Plus version.
Let’s now look at the pros and cons of ChatGPT Plus drawn from real user reviews.
One of the first things users appreciate about ChatGPT Plus is faster response times and an increased capacity for handling complex prompts. Priority access during peak usage periods ensures smoother performance. While the free tier provides a solid foundation, ChatGPT Plus is geared towards those seeking enhanced capabilities and consistent performance. Here are five things users like about ChatGPT Plus.
ChatGPT Plus's integration with DALL-E 3 has been a game-changer for many users. It's like having a mini design department right at your fingertips!
ChatGPT Plus simplifies image creation for content creators, marketers, artists, educators, and entrepreneurs with simple prompts, from crafting engaging blog posts to designing eye-catching graphics.
Below, notice the quality difference between images generated with the Plus and free accounts. The Plus version produces images with more intricate details, even from basic prompts. The difference comes from the free version using the multimodal LLM, GPT-4o and the Plus using the AI image generator, DALL-E model directly, providing a better output.
Prompt: Generate an image that will complement a blog post on "Is ChatGPT Plus worth $20?"
With ChatGPT Plus account With ChatGPT free account
Additionally, the Plus version allows for unlimited image creation, unlike the free version, which limits users after two images.
"Its premium version is extremely cheap and offers a powerful and updated ChatGPT 4, plus DALL-E 3 for image creation. Both are integrated perfectly and allow questions in different languages, such as Spanish. The responses are very high quality and, overall, very easy to use."
- ChatGPT Review, Alejandro, Marketing Professional in the gaming industry.
Users also appreciate how the AI image generation feature fits into a broader toolkit that businesses can use daily, alongside other valuable features like brainstorming and code interpretation.
With ChatGPT Plus, you're not just using GPT-3.5. You're working with the crème de la crème: GPT-4, GPT-4o, and GPT-4o mini and now, the latest o1 and 01-mini models.
Why do I say this? GPT-4 is a multimodal large language model (LLM) meaning it can process text, voice and image input. Imagine showing a picture and asking the AI model a question on the image content or having a voice chat with it. GPT-4o goes even further. It is multilingual and multimodal.
Take, for instance, how I used GPT-4 to analyze data points from a screenshot of a graph.
This capability isn't just impressive — it's a real time-saver. This, along with the ability to work with various file types, opens up a world of possibilities. You can skip the tedious data entry and jump straight to insights and recommendations. That's the kind of efficiency boost that many professionals are finding invaluable.
The latest o1 and o1-mini models reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems than previous models in science, coding, and math, making it super-useful for coders, developers and researchers.
"The amount of time saved in doing common day-to-day tasks is incredible - whether it is to summarize PDFs, online articles, do some quick complex calculations, help understand a piece of code and adjust it further and customize it...all of these are made easy. I use it daily at work. I have now integrated it into my routine to do day-to-day tasks.”
- ChatGPT Review, Harish P, Lead Product Engineer in a small business.
Many users also find that the advanced AI models provide more accurate, relevant, and nuanced outputs than the standard GPT - 3.5.
With the Plus subscription, you can test-drive new features before everyone else. For example, OpenAI recently rolled out the latest models o1 and o1-mini to Plus users last week to test them.
A few weeks back, a specific set of Plus users also got access advanced Voice mode, which allows for more natural, real-time conversation with interruptions. Free users usually have to wait before getting access to these tools and that too, with limits.
of G2 reviewers note ChatGPT processes user input intuitively and accurately.
Source: G2 user reviews
Data analysis is another area where ChatGPT Plus truly shines. Many users find it invaluable for handling data-heavy tasks.
Earlier this year, OpenAI really stepped up its game with advanced data analysis features. You can upload one or more data files directly from your computer, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. ChatGPT will analyze the data by writing and running python code on your behalf, helping with the following:
I tried this feature by uploading a CSV document. It not only cleaned and formatted it but also chose the most suitable chart to depict the data.
What makes this particularly effective is its accessibility. It lowers the barrier to performing in-depth analyses without requiring extensive coding knowledge and significant time on routine data-cleaning tasks.
So, if you deal with lots of spreadsheets and numbers, you’ll definitely love how ChatGPT Plus speeds up the process.
- ChatGPT Review, Sofia W, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QA/PI) Coordinator.
One of the biggest pet peeves against the ChatGPT free version is when users ask about something current, and it gives the sheepish "Sorry, my knowledge is cut off at April 2023" response. Now, with the paid plan, ChatGPT Plus can browse the internet in real-time and provide you updated information.
Can’t Google’s Gemini or Bing Chat that can do the same? Well, with Plus, it's not just about getting facts. The real magic happens when you combine this real-time info with ChatGPT's analytical skills. Need a quick summary of a trending topic? Want to compare today's stock prices with historical data? ChatGPT Plus has got your back.
It's perfect for professionals who need to stay on top of trends, students working on current events projects, or anyone who's just plain curious about the world around them.
“It creates really good content in real-time by analyzing the internet and providing almost authentic content every time.”
- ChatGPT Review, Bhavya J, Marketing and Communications Specialist.
A major selling point for ChatGPT Plus is its custom AI assistants tailored to your needs. They allow you to create specialized AI helper is suitable for just about any task or knowledge area you can think of.
For example, let’s say you want to create a “Marketing Campaign Analyzer" GPT. Feed it with information about marketing metrics, industry benchmarks, and some of your own best practices. Now, whenever you input campaign data, rather than spitting out generic advice, it provides insights that feel like they're coming from a seasoned marketing pro who knows your business inside out.
of G2 reviewers note ChatGPT offers a higher degree of customization to meet individual or business needs.
Source: G2 user reviews
There are also hundreds of custom GPTs published by others in the GPT store that are accessible to Plus users. Note that free users get only limited access to these custom GPTs.
“(I love) exploring GPTs built by others. I use it to troubleshoot problems I have with other software and programs I use, for example, Google Analytics, Tag Manager etc. They act as my personal expert.”
- ChatGPT Review, Bas S., Marketing professional.
I decided to give this a whirl and create my own personal editor. I let GPT create the basic version and then fed it instructions specific to my writing style, tone, grammar, common mistakes I make, and some of my best practices. Now, whenever I ask it to review my article, I get personal recommendations instead of generic advice.
And the best part? You're not limited to just one Custom GPT. You can create different ones for various aspects of your work or even your hobbies. Got a side gig as a fantasy novelist? Create a "World-Building GPT" to help flesh out your ideas. Running a small e-commerce business? A "Product Description Writer" GPT could be your new best friend. Teaching in a school? Create your personal “Lesson Plan Generator.” The possibilities are endless.
While we've covered some fan favorites, ChatGPT Plus has even more to offer:
Now, it's not all sunshine and rainbows in the land of ChatGPT Plus. Even the most enthusiastic users have their gripes, and it's only fair we talk about them. So, here are the cons of ChatGPT Plus.
One common complaint about both the Plus and free versions is inaccurate answers. Many users report made-up answers, faulty codes, and misleading information. It takes several iterations to get what we want.
The frustration peaks when ChatGPT repeatedly ignores your correction requests and responds with something like: "Here, I fixed this for you", followed by exactly the same answer with zero changes. This forces users to either restart a new chat or work again on the mistakes themselves.
“Sometimes, ChatGPT can steer you in the wrong direction when troubleshooting new issues. For example, if you ask a confirming question like "Is that right?" it might say yes, even if it is incorrect. This can lead us down the wrong path.”
- ChatGPT Review, Delvin P.
While Plus users are supposed to get priority access, they're not immune to significant technical issues. In fact, some users have reported extended periods of downtime.
Users also notice inconsistencies in response quality, even with the Plus subscription.
"I'm a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, and the service has been inaccessible for days. There's no customer support, only a chatbot. I can't even cancel my subscription because I cannot log in due to their "ChatGPT is at capacity" front page message. I've had enough, so I initiated a chargeback at my bank and am writing this short review to warn others. I encourage other affected subscribers to follow suit and use other large language models."
- ChatGPT Review, Lazlo M.
While ChatGPT Plus offers a more generous message limit on the advanced GPT-4, and GPT-4o models compared to the free version, some power users still bump up against limits. These caps can be unnerving for those who rely heavily on the platform.
"GPT-4 still has a cap limit of 25 messages per hour or something like that. Even for premium users! That annoys me, so I had to get two premium accounts of GPT to solve that problem."
- ChatGPT Review,Verified G2 user in Computer Software field.
A. ChatGPT Plus offers several advantages over the free version. It provides ample access to advanced GPT models, priority access during peak usage times, early access to new features, reduced wait times, and improved overall experience.
A. Plus users can send up to 80 messages every 3 hours on GPT-4o and 40 messages every 3 hours on GPT-4. There are no message limits to the GPT-4o mini model for Plus users. OpenAI may implement usage limits or throttling in extreme cases to ensure fair usage across all users. Still, these instances are rare and generally not a concern for typical usage.
A. GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 are both large language models developed by OpenAI. GPT-3.5 is the model available to free users and a step up from GPT-3, offering improved accuracy and response quality. GPT-4 is trained on a larger dataset, has a longer context window, and can process more complex tasks.
A. ChatGPT free users get limited access to the GPT-4 model. You can also access the model easily on Microsoft Copilot on the Bing search engine.
A. No, ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT API are billed separately, as the API has its own pricing.
Based on my experience and G2 reviews, ChatGPT Plus can be revolutionary for professionals and businesses, depending on how you plan to use it.
If you're a developer who regularly needs help with coding, a data analyst working with large datasets, or a business owner looking to automate customer service, the Plus subscription could potentially pay for itself many times over. Access to GPT-4, custom GPTs, and priority service during peak hours can significantly boost productivity for power users.
However, as a casual user who uses it as an alternative to Google search or only needs AI assistance occasionally, the free version might suffice.
Ultimately, the value of ChatGPT Plus comes down to how you plan to use it. If you find yourself constantly bumping up against the limitations of the free version, then Plus could be a worthwhile investment.
Remember, you can always start with a month-to-month subscription to test the waters. This allows you to experience the benefits firsthand and determine if the investment is justified.
Interested in exploring other AI chatbots? Discover the top ChatGPT alternatives on G2.
Edited by Monishka Agrawal.
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